New Covent Garden Soup Co Multigrain Risotto

I love, love, love New Covent Garden Soup Co soups, my favourites are the Carrot & Coriander and the Carrot & Butternut.

I tried the new Scream Of Pumpkin soup last week but didn't bother reviewing it as there was nothing Lucy said in her review that I didn't agree with! 

There are three new "Taste Of Health" products out from New Covent Garden, I'd like to try all of them but the first I found in Sainsburys - Multigrain Risotto with Greens. 

A little back story, I dream of a risotto I had on my honeymoon. It was just Cretan vegetable risotto with tomato and a little hint of cheese, but hands down it is the best thing I've ever eaten. Ever. 

It doesn't look too great but I don't think risotto is a pretty food anyway! It only takes seven minutes on the hob and as you can see in the photo, it comes out of the carton very thick and gloopy but it thinned out as I warmed it up. 

The end result was great, far too thick to be soupy but just a tad more watery than normal risotto. Not that it tasted watery in the slightest, it was thick, filling and the mixed grains (barley, red rice, quinoa, pinhead oats, spelt) tasted and felt like actual risotto, not mushy or too hard at all. 

The flavour was lovely and creamy, there was no overpowering individual 'green' that stood out and they all complimented each other well. That said I did have a few whole heads of broccoli which was interesting - I didn't expect that!

All of a sudden I got a taste of that cheese that has been missing from every risotto I've had since that one perfect one - Pecorino Cheese according to the ingredients. There's not a huge amount of the cheese in the risotto but it packs a punch and adds a creamy cheesey element to what's already a good dish, 

This is probably the nicest ready made risotto I've tried. It's certainly the nicest where the preparation is put it in a pan and give it a stir occaisonally for seven minutes or whack it in the microwave and forget about it. 

It's nice and healthy, low in sugar and saturated fats, a good source of fibre and protein and half a carton is one of your five a day but it doesn't taste like it should be! 

8/10