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A black bowl with vegan butternut squash risotto with sage leaves and mushroom stew
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5 from 20 votes

Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto Recipe

A delicious bowl of vegan butternut squash risotto. Smoky sage adds lots of flavor while nicely complementing the sweet butternut squash, which melts into the creamy rice. There are just eight ingredients in this nourishing risotto but it is big on flavor.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 369kcal

Equipment

  • Saucepan

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

Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1186mg | Potassium: 789mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 20557IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 4mg