Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto
Vegan butternut squash risotto feels like a warm hug. It's comforting, creamy, and has a few earthy flavors to round out the natural sweetness of the squash. This recipe is dairy-free and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 4 cups butternut squash, peeled cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons dairy-free butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
- 1 small onion, diced about 1 cup
- 1 ½ cups arborio rice
- 5 cups vegetable broth warmed, see notes
- 3 tablespoons cashew cream
- parsley for garnish, optional
- flakey salt for serving
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the butter and the olive oil along with the butternut squash. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder. Cook, stirring occasionally until fork tender and golden brown about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the other tablespoon of butter before adding in the diced onion along with a pinch of salt. Cook until translucent before adding in the rice. Let the rice toast in the pan with the onion for about 1 minute to build the flavor.
- Add 1 cup of the warm broth to the rice and onion mixture, stirring frequently. Once the rice has absorbed nearly all the broth, add another cup and continue with this process until you’ve used up all the broth.
- Add the cubed squash back in and stir in the cashew cream. Season with more salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Garnish with optional minced parsley and serve with flakey salt.
Notes
Warming the broth ensures that it'll be at a similar temperature to the risotto and won’t affect the cooking time.
SUBSTITUTIONS & VARIATIONS:
No butternut squash? - use another type of winter squash: delicata, pumpkin, kabocha, etc.
No cashew cream? - add in a little dairy-free milk and/or another tablespoon of dairy-free butter.
Use different spices - ground cinnamon, ground ginger, rosemary, sage, and thyme all go well with butternut squash.