Leek & Preserved Lemon Risotto

A bright, silky risotto with slow-cooked jammy leeks and punchy preserved lemon. Vegan, properly comforting, and the kind of weeknight dinner that tastes like you tried harder than you did.

Risotto has a reputation for being fussy, but it really isn't. Twenty minutes of gentle stirring and you're rewarded with something genuinely special. Preserved lemon does most of the heavy lifting on flavour here, which means fewer ingredients, less fuss, and a brighter, more interesting result than your standard Parmesan-and-parsley number. A perfect spring-into-summer dinner, and a quietly celebratory thing to cook on Earth Day weekend.

Nearly everything you need is available from The Pear, including the preserved lemons, Belazu garlic hacks, arborio rice, olive oil and nutritional yeast.

Serves

4 as a main, or 6 as a starter

Ingredients

• 3 leeks, white and light green parts, thinly sliced
• 2 preserved lemon quarters, flesh removed, rind finely chopped
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 320g arborio rice
• 150ml dry white wine
• 1.2 litres hot vegetable stock
• 2 tsp Belazu garlic hacks (or to taste)
• 60g nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped (to serve)

Method

1. Soften the leeks: Heat 4 tbsp of the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced leeks with a pinch of salt and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until completely soft and jammy. This should take around 15 minutes.
2. Build the base: Stir in the garlic hacks and chopped preserved lemon rind. Cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant. The preserved lemon will start to perfume everything beautifully.
3. Toast the rice: Add the arborio rice and stir to coat every grain in the oil. Toast for 2 minutes until the edges of the rice look slightly translucent.
4. Add the wine: Pour in the white wine and stir until fully absorbed. This adds depth and a little acidity to balance the preserved lemon.
5. Add the stock: Add the hot vegetable stock one ladle at a time, stirring frequently and waiting until each ladle is mostly absorbed before adding the next. Keep the heat at a steady medium simmer throughout. This should take around 20 minutes.
6. Finish: When the rice is al dente and the risotto moves like a slow wave across the pan, remove from heat. Stir in the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil and the nutritional yeast, then add the black pepper. Taste before adding any extra salt, preserved lemon is naturally salty so you may not need any. Cover and rest for 2 minutes.
7. Serve: Spoon into warm bowls and scatter over the chopped parsley. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil if you like.

Tips

• Hold off on the salt: Preserved lemon does most of the seasoning work here. Always taste before adding any extra salt at the end.
• Garlic hacks are a shortcut: Belazu garlic hacks already have oil in them, so they melt straight into the base. If you don't have them, sub in 3 or 4 cloves of finely grated fresh garlic, added to the leeks for the last couple of minutes.
• Add peas: A generous handful of frozen peas stirred in at step 6 adds a nice pop of colour and sweetness. A very spring-appropriate addition.
• Leftovers: Risotto keeps well in the fridge for 2 days. Reheat gently with a splash of stock or water to loosen it back up.
• No preserved lemon? The zest and juice of a fresh lemon plus a pinch of salt will get you partway there, but preserved lemon really is doing the magic in this one, so worth tracking down.

Shop the ingredients

Preserved lemons, Belazu garlic hacks, arborio rice, good olive oil and nutritional yeast are all available from The Pear. If you're visiting in store, just ask and we'll point you to everything you need.