Smoky herbs like sage go beautifully with sweet vegetables like butternut squash, and you can taste their incredible chemistry in a bowl of this vegan butternut squash risotto. The recipe needs just eight ingredients but it is big on flavor!
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Vegan butternut squash risotto
If you love cozy winter squash recipes like butternut squash curry and butternut squash soup, here's the perfect food for the season: a warm, gooey, DELICIOUS vegan Butternut Squash Risotto scented with the woodsy fragrance of sage.
One thing I look forward to as fall takes over the northern hemisphere is the riot of winter squashes in the market. Yellow butternut, orange acorn, versatile pumpkin, striped delicata, deep green kabocha, quirky turban, sweet dumpling, stringy spaghetti and bumpy hubbard. There they sit, showing off their cutely plump shapes and screaming: "Just buy me already! I promise not to spoil. And I'm delicious."
But their looks, resilience and addictive flavor are not the only thing that's wonderful about them. Winter squashes and their coral flesh pack in huge quantities of vitamins A, B and C, fiber and iron, which makes them one of the healthiest veggies you can eat.
This risotto is as simple and delicious as it gets. It has all the cheesiness of a non-vegan risotto thanks to nutritional yeast, and it couldn't be easier to make. I often just buy precut butternut squash, which makes the job even easier (no shame in it, life's busy enough so let's take help where we can get it).
If you like doing things from scratch, however, or are growing your own winter squash, I have some tips for you on how to prep winter squash below.
Recipe card
Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup arborio rice (or other medium-grain rice. You need a starchy rice for risotto)
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 butternut squash , peeled and cut into a ½-inch dice (mine yielded 4 cups of diced squash)
- 5-6 cups vegetable stock (hot. You could use water, but a stock is far preferred for better flavor)
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1-2 tablespoons sage (divided. Chop the sage. If using dry, use 1-2 teaspoons)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Make cashew "cheese" by blending together the raw cashews and nutritional yeast with salt, black pepper and ½ cup vegetable stock in a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the butternut squash, a pinch of salt, and some ground black pepper. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes or until the squash starts to soften and caramelize.
- Turn down the heat to medium. Add the rice and stir it with the squash. Season again with salt and pepper. Add the white wine and cook, stirring, until the wine's almost evaporated.
- Add ½ cup of vegetable stock and stir it in. Once the stock has almost evaporated, add another ½ cup. Repeat until the rice is cooked. This should take 25-30 minutes. The end result you are looking for is a creamy consistency with the rice grains tender and soft but slightly al dente. The rice should not be lumpy or gloppy.
- Stir in the cashew cheese, then immediately add the sage and mix. Turn off the heat.
Notes
- If you decide to skip the white wine, add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar instead to deglaze the pan and add flavor.
- I like lots of sage in this recipe, but I understand it's a powerful herb. So start with one tablespoon or fresh sage or one teaspoon of dry, and use more if you want more sagey flavor.
- If you want to make the recipe nut-free, use raw pumpkin seeds to make the vegan cheese.
Nutrition Information
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Tips for cutting winter squash
Even intrepid cooks are sometimes put off by winter squashes because of their hard skins. How do I peel a winter squash, is a question I often hear from readers. But there is really no need to be afraid of that skin. It's what keeps your squash fresh and well-preserved on the countertop even as less armored veggies are spoiling by the minute inside the refrigerator. While peeling winter squash is more labor-intensive than, say, peeling a banana, that doesn't mean it's difficult. Especially not with a sharp knife. Here's what I do.
- Stab the squash a couple of times with the knife and microwave it for a couple of minutes. Stabbing the squash ensures that it won't blow up in the microwave, although a couple of minutes is probably too short for it to do so anyway. Still, no harm in being cautious. And the microwaving softens the skin just that little bit so your knife goes through it more readily.
- Next lop off the top and the bottom so the squash sits firmly on the chopping board. Run a knife down the middle to cut it into halves. Scoop out the seeds and then halve each half, and so on. Once you have the squash in manageable-sized pieces, place a flat side firmly on the chopping board, take a thin, sharp knife, and carefully run it as close to the skin as possible along the length of the squash to peel it. I've heard that serrated peelers do a good job of this but I don't have one so I don't know that for a fact.
- Once the squash is peeled, cut it up into a dice or whatever shape you desire.
How to make vegan butternut squash risotto
- Make vegan "cheese" by blending together the raw cashews (or pumpkin seeds) and nutritional yeast with salt, black pepper and ½ cup vegetable stock until you have a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the butternut squash, a pinch of salt, ground black pepper and half the sage. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the squash starts to soften and caramelize. Add the rice and stir it in.
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- Add the white wine and cook, stirring, until the wine's almost evaporated. Next add ½ cup of hot vegetable stock and stir it in. Once the stock has almost evaporated, add another ½ cup. Repeat until the rice is cooked--it should take around 30 minutes. You might need more or less stock. The end result you are looking for is a creamy consistency with the rice grains tender and soft but slightly al dente (The Kitchn has a handy primer for how to tell your risotto is done). The rice should not be lumpy or gloppy.
- Add the cashew "cheese" and stir it in. Immediately add the remaining sage and mix. Check seasoning and add more salt and peper if needed. Turn off the heat. Serve hot or warm.
Serving suggestions
- Serve this dish with a warm, bold-flavored stew, like my vegan mushroom stew, for a meal that you will not only enjoy but that will do your body a world of good.
- You can also serve it with a hearty vegan Irish chili or this Instant Pot vegan chili.
Storage instructions
The risotto will remain creamy and delicious in the refrigerator for about three days. For longer storage, cool the risotto and freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw and reheat before serving.
Jill says
Wow this is sooo good. I used dry sage and subbed in both the apple cider vinegar and pumpkin seeds. So excited to share this with folks for Christmas. So yummy! ❤️
Rachel Hayden says
This was really tasty!!!! I followed the recipe exactly and the effort of making it was totally worth it. I'm thinking of topping my leftovers with pan fried shiitake mushrooms!
Ash says
Easy instructions. First time making Risotto and it came out lovely.
Vaishali says
So happy to hear!
Ellen Lederman says
Valentine's dinner for tonight! Made the recipe basically as is, with the cashew cream (of course). Roasted the squash since we love it roasted. Added onion and garlic since we like using them as well. Thanks so much. It was utterly delicious and so good to stay home instead of dealing with the crowds on V day and restaurants that don't treat vegans well.
Vaishali says
So happy to hear that Ellen! A belated happy Valentine's Day to you!
Maggie says
I made this tonight. I followed the recipe exactly except for two small changes: I omitted the oil (I water sauteed the squash, to make it McDougal-friendly), and I didn't have a bottle of dry white wine open, but I had some nice Italian red...non-traditional in risotto, but I figured "WTH--let's try it." I also soaked my raw cashews before making the cashew cheese because it makes them easier to blend and easier to digest. The finished dish had GREAT depth of flavor. DH who doesn't normally care for squash *really* liked it. I think the sage is an essential ingredient, and *some* sort of decent wine is too. Don't skimp on the freshly ground pepper either. This dish wouldn't have the same great flavor without those ingredients, but with them, it's delicious! I'll try it again with a very dry white wine to compare the flavor profile, but I'm thrilled with the creaminess of this tonight. Nice job with this!
shwetad13 says
Wow this looks amazing!
Can I use brown rice instead of arborio?
Vaishali Honawar says
Hi Shweta, brown rice would be rather hard and not produce the creaminess you require in a risotto. That said, you would still have a delicious tasting dish to eat. You might also try subbing quinoa or bulghur if you're looking for a healthier alternative.
Ritva says
Hi!
This looks yummy! Can I link to the recipe on Facebook?
Regards Ritva
Vaishali Honawar says
Sure, feel free.