Butternut squash bulgur risotto with goat’s cheese
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Butternut squash bulgur risotto with goat’s cheese
Bulgur wheat replaces rice in a creamy butternut squash risotto for a dish that’s both comforting and a little different
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Nell Gordon-Hall
Our food producer Nell’s cooking is rooted in the bold and fresh flavours of the Middle East and Mediterranean. Trained in professional kitchens and with a background in food styling, she understands exactly how to make food taste delicious and look great. The kitchen is where she works and – just as often – where she unwinds.
Nell Gordon-Hall
Our food producer Nell’s cooking is rooted in the bold and fresh flavours of the Middle East and Mediterranean. Trained in professional kitchens and with a background in food styling, she understands exactly how to make food taste delicious and look great. The kitchen is where she works and – just as often – where she unwinds.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 500g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm chunks
- 30g pine nuts
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 x 20g pack sage, leaves picked, ½ chopped
- 150ml white wine
- 1.25 litres hot vegetable stock
- 320g bulgur wheat
- 75g soft goat’s cheese*
Step by step
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Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat and add the onion, celery, carrot and butternut squash. Cook for 10 minutes, until the squash begins to soften. Meanwhile, heat a small frying pan over a medium heat and toast the pine nuts for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, stirring regularly. Set aside.
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Add the garlic and chopped sage to the squash mixture and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Pour in the wine and 500ml of the stock. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the squash is tender. Meanwhile, put the bulgur wheat in a sieve and rinse under cold running water. Set aside.
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Transfer the contents of the pan to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth (or use a handheld stick blender). Tip into a bowl, season to taste and set aside. Rinse out the pan.
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Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the same pan over a medium heat, then add the bulgur wheat and toast for 1 minute. Gradually add the remaining stock, one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently and letting each one absorb before adding the next (about 10-15 minutes in total). Once all the stock is absorbed, stir through the squash purée and cook for 5 minutes until piping hot.
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Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan, then fry the whole sage leaves for 3-4 minutes, until crisp. Set aside on a kitchen paper-lined plate. Divide the risotto among bowls, crumble over the goat’s cheese and serve topped with the pine nuts, crisp sage leaves and black pepper. Drizzle over any sage oil that’s left in the pan. The risotto will freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat in a pan with a splash of water.
*Use vegetarian cheese, if required.
