Warm up vegetable broth in a pot to almost boiling, and keep warm throughout this recipe. Finely chop the shallot. Grate the zucchini with the large holes of a box grater.
2) SHALLOT, RICE, AND WINE
To a large skillet, add olive oil and the finely chopped shallot. Fry on low heat for about a minute.
Add the risotto rice to the pan. Turn the heat up to medium and stir the rice around the pan with a wooden spoon. Do this for about a minute, until the rice is shiny and translucent.
Add the white wine and stir continuously until the wine has completely evaporated.
3) BROTH, ZUCCHINI, AND STIR
Add two ladlefuls of hot vegetable stock, salt, shredded zucchini and stir.
Keep adding 2 ladlefuls of vegetable broth at a time as soon as the pan gets dry. Stir slowly and almost continuously, until the rice is cooked. This will take about 15 to 18 minutes.Tip: If you run out of broth, add hot water instead. The rice is cooked when al dente. The rice grain should not be mushy. It should still have some bite to it. There should be no vegetable broth floating around. The consistency should be creamy.
4) BUTTER AND PARMESAN
Turn the heat off and add the butter and parmesan cheese (vegan or not that's up to you). Stir until they are melted and fully incorporated with the rice, cover, and set aside for 2 full minutes.
Taste the rice and adjust for salt if necessary. If the rice is too thick and sticky, add a little more vegetable stock, and give it a stir before serving. The final consistency should be perfectly creamy - not too thick like glue, nor too runny.
Serve the risotto on a flat plate. Add some freshly grated lemon zest on top, a few leaves of fresh thyme or mint, a twist of freshly ground black pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Enjoy!