Vegan Pumpkin Risotto
Treat yourself to this comforting vegan pumpkin risotto anytime during the week. This recipe is excellent for a cozy evening meal you can enjoy curled up on the sofa next to the fire on a dark evening or as a creamy side dish. Not only is this vegan pumpkin recipe ready in under 40 minutes, but it is easy enough that anyone can make it at home, even if you have little cooking experience.
Pro Tips For Perfect Roast Pumpkin Risotto
This easy vegan pumpkin risotto is a fall favorite, and luckily, risotto is one of the easiest dishes you can make at home. Here are my top tips for how to make this vegan pumpkin risotto recipe even more delicious:
- As per traditional risotto recipes, always use vegetable broth, not just water. The rice will soak up the flavor from the pumpkin and stock, creating an exceptional taste in every bite.
- When I say mince the shallot, I mean it! Chop your shallot as finely as possible for that ultimate melt-in-the-mouth risotto texture.
- Don’t be tempted to use oil instead of vegan butter. Although vegan butter is technically more similar to oil than dairy butter, using oil may cause the rice to separate. Instead, the butter will coat the rice and add to the creamy, rich texture.
- Be sure to stir the risotto frequently when cooking to ensure the starch from the rice gets released to make the best vegan pumpkin risotto.
- Along the same lines, follow the instructions to add the pumpkin stock a little at a time. This allows the rice to fully absorb the stock and soak up the flavor while also keeping its firm texture. Let’s face it no one wants soggy risotto rice.
- As per traditional risotto recipes, you can also add 200ml of dry white wine to the rice before the broth (at the end of step 2 in the vegan risotto recipe below). Wine enhances the rice’s flavor and will add an acidic note to the dish to balance the sweetness of the pumpkin puree.
How To Make Your Own Pumpkin Puree
- Peel your pumpkin and cut it in half.
- Scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh (save the seeds for later if you wish to toast them!).
- Coat the pumpkin with oil and bake for at least half an hour on medium heat (about 350°F/180°C). Of course, the size of your pumpkin will alter the cooking time, but you are aiming for a soft, tender inside.
You can also make a puree with butternut squash for a vegan roasted butternut squash risotto.
Serving Suggestions
This vegan risotto is delicious on its own, or you can jazz it up with some extra toppings and sides, such as:
- Pan-fried sage leaves.
- Drizzle with olive oil.
- Vegan parmesan cheese. I use the Violife parmesan.
- Roasted Brussels sprouts or broccoli. Bake these cruciferous veggies till they go crispy to contrast perfectly with the creamy vegan pumpkin risotto.
- Toasted pecans or pumpkin seeds. If you made your own pumpkin puree, you can toast the pumpkin seeds for an extra crunchy topping.
- Fried mushrooms. Mushrooms add to that earthy, nutty flavor of the pumpkin risotto.
- Salad includes a handful of microgreens, shredded Brussels sprouts, kale and apple salad, or spicy chickpea and squash salad.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup vegan Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, plus more for topping chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Fresh ground black pepper & salt, to taste
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped for topping
METHOD
- Mix together the vegetable stock and pumpkin puree over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover.
- Melt the vegan butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Then, add the shallot and salt. Cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the thyme and Arborio rice and cook for another minute.
- Next, add the white wine vinegar and a ladle ( or cup ) of the warm vegetable pumpkin stock and cook, occasionally stirring, until the liquid has evaporated. Add another ladle of stock, and continue cooking until evaporated again. Continue cooking, adding a ladle of stock at a time, and allowing to evaporate in between each addition.
- Cook until the rice is done and is creamy in texture; this will take about 30-35 minutes.
- Mix in the vegan parmesan, chopped parsley, and nutmeg. Add salt and pepper to taste—top with the remaining parsley and chopped pecans. Serve immediately.
Vegan Pumpkin Risotto
Ingredients
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh thyme chopped
- 1.5 cups Arborio rice
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup vegan Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, plus more for topping chopped
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- Fresh ground black pepper & salt to taste
- 1/4 cup pecans chopped for topping
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, mix together the vegetable stock and pumpkin puree over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer and cover.
- Melt the vegan butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Then, add the shallot and salt. Cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the thyme and Arborio rice and cook for another minute.
- Next, add the white wine vinegar and a ladle ( or cup ) of the warm vegetable pumpkin stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated. Add another ladle of stock, and continue cooking until evaporated again. Continue cooking, adding a ladle of stock at a time, and allowing to evaporate in between each addition.
- Cook until the rice is done and is creamy in texture, this will take about 30-35 minutes.
- Mix in the vegan parmesan, chopped parsley, and nutmeg. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with the remaining parsley, and chopped pecans. Serve immediately.
