A celebration of beautiful seasonal tomatoes in the delicious risotto. Topped with vibrant basil pesto, it’s an incredible combination of taste and texture.
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Tomato season is here and as a tomato obsessive this is fantastic news. We have little cherry tomatoes popping up in the greenhouse and picking them to add to salads is just the best.
My roast tomato and thyme risotto with basil pesto really is a celebration of beautiful seasonal tomatoes.
With a fresh but rich taste, it’s packed with flavour.
The roast tomatoes stirred in at the end, add the wow factor as they pop and ooze their roasted juices into the creamy risotto.
To add even more intense, summery vibes, I’ve added a generous drizzle of fresh basil pesto over the top. It’s so good!
To make the risotto creamier, I stirred in some coconut yogurt–this is optional but adds a creamy contrast to the juicy tomatoes.
I hope you love this as much as I do.
Much love, Niki xxx
A celebration of beautiful seasonal tomatoes in the delicious risotto. Topped with vibrant basil pesto, it’s an incredible combination of taste and texture.
Prep time: 15 minutes mins
Cook time: 5 hours hrs
2-4 servings
5 from 7 votes
Ingredients
For the roast tomatoes
- 500 g cherry tomatoes
- Splash olive oil
- Sea salt
For the risotto
- 250 g arborio rice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions chopped roughly
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 3 tbsp white wine
- 750 ml veg stock
- 4 ripe tomatoes roughly chopped
- 8 Sun blush tomatoes in oil drained and roughly chopped
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- Zest 1 lemon
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme chopped
- Lots of black pepper
- 2 tbsp coconut yogurt or cream
For the pesto
- 30 g basil
- 50 g pine nuts
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive
- Juice 1/2 lemon
- Pinch sea salt
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 50 g water
For the toppings
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Big pinch salt
- Fresh thyme
- Toasted pine nuts
Instructions
To cook the tomatoes
Add the cherry tomatoes to a large baking tray and toss them in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Bake on a medium heat for 30 minutes or until soft and browning a little. Set aside.
To make the risotto
Add the oil to a large pan (with a lid) on a low to medium heat, then add in the chopped onions. Fry for 8-10 minutes until soft.
Next, add the garlic and fry for a minute, then add rice and stir for a minute, then add in the wine. Stir to combine thoroughly.
Add 1 cup at a time of stock at a time until all the liquid is absorbed.
Half way through, add in the fresh tomatoes and sundried tomatoes.
Continue to add the veg stock.
When absorbed and the rice is tender, add in the lemon zest, salt, pepper, coconut yogurt and nutritional yeast and stir to combine.
Finally, fold half the roast cherry tomatoes through the rice.
To make the pesto
Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blitz to combine.
To serve
Top with the roast tomatoes, pesto, toasted pine nuts, a handful of fresh thyme and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
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If you recreate this recipe, tag me on Instagram:@rebelrecipes or #rebelrecipes for a chance to be featured.
More Recipes with Tomatoes, Risotto Rice or Pesto
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Chana Masala Mango Naan
Spiced Whole Cauliflower with Smoky Tomatoes and Salsa
Discuss this Recipe with Niki
15 Responses
Best risotto I’ve ever made and my husbands absolutely loves it, too!Reply
So happy you liked it!
Love, Niki xxxReply
OMG this risotto is absolutely incredible!!! Everyone in my family absolutely loved it (even my super picky sister). The flavors are so amazing and everything pairs so well together. I used a scoop of vegan cream cheese instead of coconut yogurt/cream and it came out amazingly creamy. You would never in a million years be able to tell this recipe is vegan! I will 10000% make this again 🙂Reply
Hi Anya
Thats absolutely amazing! So happy to hear that!
Much love, Niki xxReply
Just finished eating this and we absolutely loved it. Glad I made too much so we can have seconds.Reply
Fantastic! So happy to hear! xx
Reply
I’m not really a big risotto fan but this is so delicious!Reply
So happy you like Katja
Love
Niki xxReply
Hi, I don’t have sunblush tomatoes in oil – would sun-dried tomato halves (from a packet) do as a substitute?
Reply
Hi Barbara
Absolutely – will work well.
Love
Niki xxxReply
Best risotto I’ve ever made. Thank youReply
Hi Mimi
so happy to hear that!
Love
Niki xxxReply
Hello,
Is the nutritional yeast necessary ?
I’m glutenfree and here in Belgium we don’t cook with it, so it’s difficult to find a GF version.
What can I used instead? Or is it optionnal ?
Thanks 🙂
Reply
Hi Anais
Its definitely optional. If you can find the GF option then great. But absolutely not necessary.
Much love, Niki xxxReply
This is probably not necessary as this comment is 3 years old but, Nutritional yeast is 100% Gluten FreeReply
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Thank you, and much love, Niki xxx
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