Equipment
- Conventional oven
- Deep Frying Pan wide and deep, like a sauté pan
Ingredients
- ½ large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
- 5 cups vegetable stock, kept warm
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce, or tamari
- 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup vegan cheese, shredded vegan parmesan or similar
- 2 cups asparagus, chopped
- 3 cups spinach leaves, packed
- 1 lemon, juice of
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Cut off the top and bottom ½ inch of the butternut squash. Peel it with a vegetable peeler, cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Dice into small (about ½-inch) cubes; you will need about half a large squash, or roughly 2 cups.½ large butternut squash, 1 tbsp olive oil
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Spread the squash on the tray, drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until tender and golden at the edges.
- Meanwhile, warm the vegetable stock in a small saucepan and keep it at a low simmer. Melt the vegan butter in a wide, deep pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the cumin and garlic powder and cook for 2 more minutes, until the onion softens.1 tbsp olive oil, 1 large onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder
- Add the arborio rice and stir for about 3 minutes to toast it lightly. Add the warm stock about ½ cup at a time, stirring continuously and waiting until each addition is almost fully absorbed before adding the next. This takes about 20 minutes.1 ½ cups Arborio rice, 5 cups vegetable stock
- When you have about 1 cup of stock left, add the turmeric, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, vegan cheese, asparagus, roasted butternut squash and the remaining stock. Keep stirring for about 5 minutes, until the asparagus is bright green and the rice is tender and creamy.1 tsp turmeric, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp nutritional yeast, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, ½ cup vegan cheese, 2 cups asparagus
- Stir in the spinach and lemon juice and cook just until the spinach wilts. Season to taste with black pepper and serve right away.3 cups spinach leaves, 1 lemon, ½ tsp black pepper
Video
Notes
Tips for success
- Keep the stock warm on a low simmer before and while you add it; cold stock slows the cooking.
- Add the stock gradually and keep stirring. The slow stirring is what releases the starch from the rice and makes the risotto creamy.
- Roast the squash until golden and caramelized so it breaks down into the risotto and adds more flavor.
- For a gluten-free risotto, use tamari instead of soy sauce and check that your vegan cheese and stock are gluten-free.
- Taste before seasoning: stock, soy sauce and vegan cheese all add salt.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stove with a splash of stock. Risotto doesn't freeze well.
Nutrition (estimated per serving)
Calories: 515kcalCarbohydrates: 90gProtein: 13gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 1890mgPotassium: 893mgFiber: 9gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 13484IUVitamin C: 38mgCalcium: 117mgIron: 7mg
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