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4.34 from 6 votes

Eggplant, Zucchini & Spinach Risotto

This creamy and cheesy veggie risotto makes for a delicious appetizer, side dish or meal, whichever suits your fancy!
Prep Time5 mins
Total Time5 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 174kcal

Ingredients

  • 1+1/2 Tbsp. olive oil (I like to use garlic-infused olive oil, as it adds a nice additional flavor. Not everyone with GERD/Acid Reflux may tolerate garlic-infused oil, though)
  • 80 g eggplant (peeled and chopped)
  • 80 g zucchini (chopped)
  • 1/4 cup fresh chives (finely chopped)
  • 1 cup arborio rice (uncooked)
  • 3+1/2 cups vegetable broth (I use my homemade broth, recipe here)
  • 1/2 tsp. salt (I use pink rose Himalayan salt)
  • 100 g baby spinach (uncooked)
  • 30 g fresh parmigiano reggiano cheese (grated)
  • 3 Tbsp. blended lactose-free cottage cheese ("recipe" for that is here)

Instructions

  • Heat the vegetable broth in a small saucepan until simmering, then turn burner off and leave the pan on the burner (the broth needs to be warmed to make the risotto cook properly when it's added in).
  • Heat the olive oil in a large (2 quart) saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in the eggplant, zucchini and chives and cook, stirring occasionally, for ~5-8 minutes until the veggies have browned nicely.
  • When veggies have browned, add the arborio rice and salt into the pan and stir for ~1 minute to fully incorporate everything.
  • Add in ~3/4 cup of the vegetable broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed (this takes ~5 minutes or less). Note: The more you stir it, the creamier it becomes and the more the sauteed eggplant and zucchini incorporates with the risotto. If you want less brown color to the risotto, don't stir as much. The risotto will still be nice and creamy when it's all done.
  • Repeat step #8 two more times, until you've added in 2 cups worth of the broth to the risotto. Check the consistency at this point. Risotto is done when it's softened but still has a little bite to it (you don't want it to be all mush, but don't want to crunch down on uncooked rice either) and also when it cannot absorb any more liquid.
  • For mine, it took exactly 2 cups of broth until it reached the right consistency. Whenever it reaches the right consistency for you, add in the spinach, blended cottage cheese and most of the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (reserve some if desired for sprinkling on top of the finished risotto for garnish) and stir to thoroughly incorporate and allow the spinach to wilt.
  • Serve risotto as is for a vegetarian meal, as a side dish or add in some diced up plain cooked chicken for a meal.

Notes

For IBS/GERD:
  • However you eat this dish, make sure to stick to the serving size.
[nutrition-label]*Information above is based on eating the risotto and the eggplant skin.*
*Information above is based on the specific brands/types of ingredients I used (as one example, pink himalayan sea salt is lower sodium than regular salt). Values vary if using any other brands/types of ingredients.*
*The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.*

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Nutrition

Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 494mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 26% | Vitamin C: 15% | Calcium: 4% | Iron: 6%