Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Muhammara Risotto
Creamy vegan risotto inspired by Syrian muhammara dip. Roasted red peppers and toasted walnuts are blended into a smoky, nutty paste. It is stirred through arborio rice and finished with tangy pomegranate molasses.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Wait
- 3 min
- Total
- 58 min
- Makes
- 4 main-course servings (about 6 cups / 1.4 L total)
Steps
Before you start
- Measure and prep everything first. Once the rice goes in, you'll be stirring almost constantly.
- Use jarred roasted red peppers packed in water or brine, not oil. Drain them well and pat them dry so the muhammara paste isn't watery.
- Check your vegetable stock for salt. Use low-sodium if you can, because you can season at the end but can't take salt out.
- Pomegranate molasses varies in sweetness and tartness between brands. Plan to taste and adjust at the end.
Toast the walnuts
- Set a small dry skillet over medium heat.
- Add all 1 cup (100 g) walnuts and toast, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Tip them onto a plate to cool for 5 minutes.
- Set aside ¼ cup (25 g) and roughly chop it for the topping.
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Ready when: Walnuts smell nutty and are lightly golden-brown under the skins
Tip: Walnuts burn fast and turn bitter. Pull them as soon as they smell toasty.
Blend the muhammara
- In a food processor, combine the drained peppers, the remaining ¾ cup (75 g) walnuts, tomato paste, Aleppo pepper, cumin, 2 tbsp (40 ml) of the pomegranate molasses, and 1 tbsp (15 ml) of the olive oil.
- Pulse and blend for 30 to 45 seconds, scraping down the sides once.
- Add ½ cup (120 ml) of the hot stock from the saucepan if needed to loosen it.
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Ready when: A thick, spreadable, slightly coarse paste, like hummus with a little texture
Tip: Don't over-blend. Some walnut texture gives the finished risotto body.
Heat the stock
- Pour the remaining stock (about 4½ cups / 1.1 L) into a medium saucepan.
- Bring it to a bare simmer over medium-low heat and keep it hot with the lid ajar throughout cooking.
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Ready when: Small bubbles break the surface, but the stock isn't boiling hard
Tip: Cold stock slows the cooking and makes the rice cook unevenly.
Soften the aromatics
- Heat the remaining 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil in the large sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add the diced onion and ¼ tsp of the salt.
- Cook, stirring often, for 6 to 7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent with no browning; garlic smells fragrant
Tip: If the garlic starts to brown, lower the heat. Browned garlic tastes bitter.
Toast the rice
- Add the arborio rice to the pan.
- Stir constantly for 2 minutes so every grain is coated in oil and heated through.
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Ready when: Grain edges look translucent while the centers stay white and opaque
Deglaze with wine
- Pour in the white wine and stir continuously.
- Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the wine has been almost completely absorbed and the sharp alcohol smell has gone.
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Ready when: The pan looks nearly dry when you drag the spoon across the bottom
Add stock gradually
- Add hot stock one ladleful (about ½ cup / 120 ml) at a time.
- Stir often, and wait until the liquid is mostly absorbed before adding the next.
- Keep the heat at a lively simmer.
- Continue for 18 to 20 minutes, using most of the stock.
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Ready when: Rice is creamy and loose, and a grain bitten in half is tender with just a tiny firm dot in the center (al dente)
Tip: If the rice is still hard when the stock runs out, add hot water ¼ cup (60 ml) at a time.
Stir in the paste
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Stir in all of the muhammara paste and cook for 2 minutes, adding a splash more stock if needed.
- The risotto should flow slowly when you tilt the pan, like thick lava rather than a stiff mound.
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Ready when: Risotto is evenly brick-red, glossy, and slowly spreads when spooned onto a plate
Tip: Risotto thickens as it sits, so keep it slightly looser than you want to serve.
Finish and rest
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the lemon juice, the remaining 1 tbsp (20 ml) pomegranate molasses, and the remaining 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil.
- Taste, then add salt, about ¼ tsp at a time, until the flavors are bright.
- Cover and rest for 3 minutes.
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Ready when: Tastes balanced: smoky, nutty, slightly sweet and tangy
Tip: Add more lemon or molasses if it tastes flat or heavy.
Garnish and serve
- Divide the risotto among 4 warm shallow bowls.
- Top with the reserved chopped walnuts, parsley, and pomegranate arils if using.
- Serve immediately.
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Ready when: Bowls look vibrant with a crunchy, green and ruby topping
Tip: Risotto firms up quickly, so serve it right away.
Good to know
Tips
- Roast your own peppers if you prefer. Char 3 large red bell peppers until blackened, steam them in a covered bowl for 15 minutes, then peel and seed them.
- Keep the stock at a simmer and add it a ladleful at a time. This releases the starch that makes risotto creamy without any dairy.
- Stir steadily rather than frantically. Constant gentle stirring is enough to coax out the starch.
- Always finish with the acid off the heat. Heating the lemon and molasses for a long time dulls their brightness.
Make ahead
"The muhammara paste (step 2) can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Bring it to room temperature before stirring it in. Risotto is best made fresh."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 1 hour. Fridge: airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: not recommended, because the rice turns mushy. To reheat, put the risotto in a pan over low heat with 2 to 4 tbsp (30 to 60 ml) of stock or water per serving. Stir until hot and creamy, about 4 to 5 minutes. You can also make leftover risotto into pan-fried rice cakes."
Substitutions
- dry white wine → Extra vegetable stock plus 1 tbsp lemon juice. Use ½ cup (120 ml) stock to replace the wine. This makes an alcohol-free version.
- Aleppo pepper flakes → ½ tsp sweet paprika plus ¼ tsp cayenne. Gives a similar fruity warmth. Adjust the cayenne for how hot you like it.
- pomegranate molasses → 1 tbsp lemon juice plus 1 tbsp maple syrup for each tbsp of molasses. The flavor is less deep and fruity but still gives a tart-sweet balance.
- raw walnut halves → Toasted blanched almonds. Milder and slightly sweeter, but still creamy when blended.