Sunflower seeds transform into a rice-free risotto along with 5 simple ingredients to create this earthy and unique dish.
Jesse and I went out for dinner here in Nashville about a month ago, to Catbird seat, which I highly recommend you make a reservation for far in advance if you’re coming to town. Usually, when we go out to eat, I know I’m going to have to get creative with my meal choices being that I can’t eat dairy or gluten and normally it’s fine, I can totally work around that. But, when it’s a fine dining restaurant I really want to experience the chefs take on recipes and enjoy them at their fullest — and during this one, I could! Everything I ate that evening was dairy free and gluten free, hence the inspiration behind this Sunflower Seed Risotto recipe.
The risotto is surprisingly creamy due to blending soaked sunflower seeds while cooking them with a mix of olive oil, onions, garlic, and vegetable broth that really locks in the flavor and creates a delicious alternative for those of you who are looking for a unique way to make risotto or want to add more plant-based protein and fiber into your diet. If you think about it, visually sunflower seeds resemble rice which is typically used to make risotto — both are small and tear-drop shaped except this risotto will have a bit of a crunch to it compared to traditional risotto where it’s very soft and creamy.
Sunflower seeds are incredibly mineral rich and contain vitamin E and other antioxidants which are great for helping the body fight free radicals that would otherwise damage our cell membranes, brain cells, and fat-containing molecules. Vitamin E also works to decrease inflammation which is the root cause of many diseases. The phytosterols in sunflower seeds also have been studied with lowering cholesterol and decreasing cancer risk. Sunflower seeds contain minerals, especially magnesium, shown to help reduce muscle aches, reducing blood pressure, preventing migraines, and reducing heart disease. Another key mineral in sunflower seeds is selenium, which helps the body support liver detoxification and cancer protection.
Granted, I was experimenting with this recipe for weeks at home before I wrote this to share with you, and I still can’t do it 100% justice that Catbird did, but I’m really excited about how it turned out, it’s delicious and I hope you try it!
