Courgette and lemon risotto

An incredibly easy and delicious vegeterian risotto dish that is super easy to whip up and uses a staple vegetable in cooking-the courgette! The tangy lemon complements the creamy risotto creating a delicious dish that will have you dreaming of summer in less than an hour. Recipe by Chelsie Collins.

Ingredients:

• 50g butter or substitute

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1 large garlic clove, crushed

• 180g risotto rice

• 1 vegetable stock cube

• zest and juice of 1 lemon

• 2 lemon thyme sprigs

• 250g courgette, diced

• 50g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated

• 2 tbsp crème fraîche

Method:

1. Melt the butter or substitute in a frying pan, then add the onion and fry gently until softened and transparent after 8 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for an additional minute, before stirring in the rice to help absorb the buttery onions and garlic for 1-2 minutes. Make sure to evenly coat all the risotto in the sauce!

2. Dissolve the stock cube in 1 litre of boiling water, then add a ladle of the stock to the frying pan along with the lemon juice and thyme. Bubble over a medium heat, making sure to stir constantly and not let any rice stick to the pan. When almost all the stock has been absorbed, add another ladle and add in the courgettes. Continue the process of adding stock each time it has nearly all been absorbed and continue to stir until the rice has fully cooked.

3. Serve with seasoning, the lemon zest, Parmesan and crème fraîche. Enjoy!