Butternut squash risotto is a classic fall dish. It’s creamy texture makes it a satisfying, hearty meal. This oil-free, plant-based, vegan recipe uses brown rice for a healthy version of the original.
What is Risotto-Style Cooking?
Traditionally, risotto-style cooking is a method where you add hot liquid to a grain slowly, one cup at a time. With each addition, you stir the grain to slowly release the starches. The goal, with a risotto, is to have both a naturally creamy texture and still keep some of the chewy bite of the grain.
The risotto-style cooking can be applied to many grains. Besides just rice, you can use it on farro, quinoa, or even Chickpea “Rice” pasta. Classic chefs will always infer the technique of adding broth slowly for risotto. However, modern home cooks have more loosely used the term risotto to refer to any recipe where a grain releases its starches.
What Makes a Good Plant-Based Risotto?
There are main steps to building a delicious risotto:
- Simmer the Broth: Keep your vegetable broth simmering during the cooking. You can create your own broth using scraps of asparagus, onion, carrot, shiitake mushroom stems, and garlic. Or, use a good quality, low-sodium brand from the store. Keep the broth covered so that it doesn’t all evaporate while you’re making your plant-based risotto.
- Start with Onion and Garlic: Start the risotto cooking with ingredients from the Allium family. Onion, shallot, garlic, and leeks all work to add the first flavors.
- Toast your Grain: Whether you’re using farro, rice, or another grain, toast it in the pan for 1-2 minutes. This should be a dry toast. No oil or other liquid is needed. This adds nutty flavor to the finished dish.
- Deglaze with Wine: Before adding your vegetable stock, deglaze the risotto with wine. White wine is best to keep a neutral color. But, if you’re avoiding alcohol, you can use white vinegar like Champagne vinegar, Rice vinegar, or White Wine vinegar.
- Add the Broth: Add the broth slowly. Start with 1 – 1 1/2 cups of broth and stir. Then, every 5-7 minutes, you’ll add another 1-1 1/2 cups broth. If you add all of your broth too quickly, the grains won’t be done in the center.
- Stir Often: Stirring your plant-based risotto often helps release the starches. In turn, you’ll get a creamier, more delicious risotto.
- Finish with Nutritional Yeast: Traditional risotto is finished with cheese. However, for a plant-based vegan version, nutritional yeast adds a cheesy, umami flavor.
Before any chopping, bring a pot of low-sodium vegetable broth. 
Toast the rice in the dry pan to develop nutty flavor 
A splash of dry white wine helps add a layer of flavor to risotto 
The rice is ready when tender. Let the extra broth cook off. You should be able to draw a “line” in the pan. 
This butternut squash brown rice risotto makes a satisfying and healthy plant-based dinner
What is Short Grain Brown Rice?
Traditional risotto will use a medium grain white rice called Arborio. The medium grain allows the starches to be released while still retaining some texture. However, because Arborio is a white rice, it has been processed and stripped of its outer bran. Therefor, it lacks some of the fiber and protein found in whole grain rice.
For this healthy, whole foods version, I opt for short grain brown rice. Brown rice still has its outer bran in tact. Therefor, you get the nutritional benefits of a whole grain. Plus, I like the texture of the short grain rice. It releases more starches than long grain rice. Plus, the smaller grains meld well with the bits of butternut squash.
Can I use other Whole Grains for Risotto?
Absolutely! The wonderful thing about learning the risotto cooking technique is that you can apply it to all sorts of whole grains. Whole Grain Farro is one of my favorite grains to use. However, you can also use barley, steel-cut oats, rolled oats, quinoa, and even Legume Rice to make risotto.
Why No Oil?
You simply don’t need it. Oil is used in traditional butternut squash risotto recipes to sweat the aromatics (like shallot and garlic). However, it doesn’t add much flavor. Rather, it adds lots of empty calories and fat. For this healthy, oil-free, plant-based risotto, you can sweat the shallots in a little bit of vegetable stock or water.
Chef Katie’s Plant-Based Cooking Tips
Gluten-Free: Since rice is naturally gluten-free, this recipe is gluten-free. Be sure to use certified gluten-free vegetable broth and nutritional yeast for anyone with Celiac sensitivity.
Swiss Peeler: A Y-shaped Swiss peeler makes it easy and quick to peel Butternut squash. It’s one of my favorite kitchen tools.
Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional Yeast adds cheesy, umami flavor to many vegan recipes. Use it sauces, soups, stews, dressing, mashed potatoes, and stuffed sweet potatoes. Besides great flavor, it has healthy protein and essential vitamins like B-12.
Vegan Bouillon Cubes: For adding flavor to plant-based soups, stews, braises, and sauces, I always keep a few of the Edward and Sons vegan bullion cubes on hand. They come in Beef, Chick’n, and Low-Sodium Veggie flavors. Plus, it’s easy to keep a few in your pantry.
Oil-Free: I’m on a mission to get rid of empty calories, like those found in refined oils. Instead of using oil to saute, I use vegetable broth and water. This makes a healthy, fat-free, low-calorie recipe.
Satisfying Vegan Butternut Squash Brown Rice Risotto – Oil-Free, Plant-Based, Vegan Recipe
- Servings: 4
- Medium
- Ready in: 1 hour
- Yield: about 6 cups
If you like this, you should also try: Vegan Mushroom Pea Italian “Farro-tto”, Summer Squash Farmer’s Market Legume Rice Risotto, Gallo Pinto: Costa Rican Rice and Beans, and Vegan Butternut Squash Italian Polenta
Print Recipe
Satisfying Vegan Butternut Squash Brown Rice Risotto – Oil-Free, Plant-Based, Vegan Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 cups 64 ounces low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 shallots minced
- 1 ½ cups short grain brown rice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 medium butternut squash about 1.5 pounds
- 2-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast depending on taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
To Make the Vegan Butternut Squash Brown Rice Risotto:
- Preheat your oven to 375F.
- Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a large pot. Cover and reduce to simmer. Keep at a low simmer as you prepare your risotto.
- In a wide pan, saute the shallots over medium heat, until they soften, 1-2 minutes. Add water, if needed, to prevent burning.
- Add the short grain brown rice. Cook, stirring often, 1-2 minutes. This step helps toast the rice, adding a slightly nutty flavor.
- Add the wine and cook until most of it has evaporated, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the thyme, sage, black pepper, and 1 ½ cups of the simmering vegetable broth. Use a wooden spoon to vigorously stir the rice. This will help release some of the starches. Reduce the heat to a low simmer.
- When the pan with the risotto starts to look dry, add another cup of the simmering vegetable broth. Stir to release more starches. Repeat this process until the rice is tender, about 50 minutes. If you run our of vegetable stock, simply heat up water in the microwave to add to the risotto. While the risotto cooks, prepare you squash.
To Prepare the Butternut Squash:
- Peel and remove the seeds of the butternut squash. Cube into bite-sized chunks. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat. Spread the butternut squash into a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 375F until tender, about 25 minutes. Toss every 10 minutes to ensure even browning. When the squash is done, remove from the oven and set aside.
To finish the Vegan Butternut Squash Brown Rice Risotto:
- When the rice is tender, add the roasted butternut squash. Also add the nutritional yeast. Stir well to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper, to your preferences.
- Remove from heat, garnish with parsley, and serve immediately.
Notes
Medium
Ready in: 1 hour
Yield: about 6 cups
Nutrition Facts
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 4.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 355 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 3 g | 4 % |
| Saturated Fat 0 g | 0 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 1228 mg | 51 % |
| Potassium 636 mg | 18 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 76 g | 25 % |
| Dietary Fiber 9 g | 37 % |
| Sugars 8 g | |
| Protein 8 g | 16 % |
| Vitamin A | 363 % |
| Vitamin C | 62 % |
| Calcium | 8 % |
| Iron | 7 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Shopping and Gear List
- Lundberg Organic Short Grain Brown Rice — 2 lbs
- by Lundberg Farms
- Bragg Premium Nutritional Yeast Seasoning 4.5 Ounce
- Edward and Sons vegan bullion cubes
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