Pour boiling water over the sun-dried tomatoes and leave to soften. I do this in the food processor so I don't have to transfer them later. Leave until needed.
In a large pan, bring the vegetable stock to the boil, then turn down the heat to keep just hot.
Using another large, heavy-bottomed pan, gently fry the onions and garlic in the olive oil or butter until soft and translucent. Add the rice, stir everything together, and cook for a few more minutes. Add the white wine and stir until absorbed. Add 3/4 of the stock to the rice and stir to combine. Turn the heat down to low and cover the rice. Simmer until the rice is al dente, about 15 minutes.
Blend the softened sun-dried tomatoes to a purée and stir into the rice. Stir the rice vigorously for about 2 minutes – until the rice has released its starch and the risotto is nice and creamy.
When the rice is soft and tender - with no crunchy middle, but not too mushy - stir in the butter or olive oil, Parmesan/pecorino, fresh herbs and season to taste. Cover and remove from the heat. Leave to rest for 5-10 minutes, then serve with the halloumi, garlic and tomatoes spooned artfully over the top.