Butternut Squash Risotto
November 6, 2010
When I first adopted a plant-based diet I was worried that risotto would never be the same. To my great surprise, when I tried a few vegan risotto recipes, I realized it was still rich and creamy without the cheese! It makes me wonder why anyone puts cheese in there in the first place. I found this recipe last fall and turned it vegan with a few simple changes.
Here’s the recipe:
1 large butternut squash
8 sage leaves
salt
7-8 cups of vegetable stock
1 medium onion
2 tablespoons of margarine (earth balance or other non-hydrogenated)
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup cooking sherry
Peal and dice the squash into small cubes. Put in a large sauce pan with a few sage leaves, salt and 1-2 cups of stock. Bring to a boil then reduce and simmer until squash is tender (15 – 20 minutes).
Chop remaining sage leaves and dice the onion. Heat stock to a simmer in another pot and keep on low until needed later.
In another large sauce pan (if you only have one, dump the squash into a bowl when it is finished cooking, wash your single large pan and use again for this) heat 2 tablespoons of margarine. Add sage and cook for a minute. Add onion and cook for 5 more minutes until the onions are translucent. Lower heat, add rice and a pinch of salt and cook for three more minutes, until rice starts to appear translucent. Turn up heat, add cooking sherry and cook until the sherry is absorbed. Add enough stock to cover the rice, stir well and reduce heat to low. Keep rice at a gentle simmer and add stock 1 cup or so at a time until absorbed and repeat (until rice is cooked). Stir frequently. After 20 – 25 minutes the rice will be nearly cooked. Stir in the cooked squash and cook for 5 more minutes.
Serve in bowls and garnish with sage leaves. Delicious!
4 Comments to “Butternut Squash Risotto”
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December 9th, 2010
This sounds delicious. I love risotto too and feel the same…why do recipes always have to include cheese when it is not necessary? Cheese is the most fattening food on the planet, not to mention the mass production of it which is cruel to animals and ultimately harmful to us too. I used to think the flavor in recipes had to come from cheese but have learned after becoming plant-based, this is definitely not true. This recipe sounds like it will be another good example to prove my point. Yum!
December 26th, 2010
I have made this recipe two times in the past week…it is so delicious and creamy; my husband loves it too!
December 26th, 2010
Hey Heather, thanks for reporting back and for the testimonial! We love this one too.
October 15th, 2012
Thanks for posting this Sharon and Pete. I made it last night. Only change I made was oven-roasting the squash. It carmelizes a bit in the oven, and intensifies the sweetness. Really like the sage accent!