A creamy vegan risotto that's packed full of both flavour and goodness. This butternut squash and kale risotto is gluten free, dairy free and vegan.
Kale is absolutely delicious in this risotto and when paired with butternut squash it's even better.
This risotto is a tasty and nutritious vegan dinner that's full of flavour.
Eat more kale
Ideally we should all eat more kale - it's packed full of nutrients.
There are several types of kale. I find curly kale or cavolo nero (sometimes called black kale) the easiest to find. For this vegan risotto recipe I've used cavolo nero - however you can use any variety.
Kale isn't hard to prepare but there are a few things worth knowing - for example you should always remove the leaves from the stems.
Read more about how to prepare kale.
More kale recipes
Some of my other favourite kale recipes include:
How to make vegan risotto - doesn't it need butter and cheese?
It's really easy to make deliciously creamy risotto that is suitable for vegans. When risotto rice (most commonly arborio rice) is cooked it becomes naturally creamy anyway thanks to its starch content.
I've added nutritional yeast to my risotto, which gives it a nutty, slightly cheesy taste. In addition it is also packed full of nutrients so a great addition to a vegan diet.
Plus the roasted butternut squash helps to give the risotto a deliciously creamy texture too.
What to serve with butternut squash and kale risotto
There are lots of different things you can serve with your vegan risotto to make it even yummier.
Some of my favourites include:
- grated vegan cheese
- salad leaves
- chopped toasted nuts
- crusty bread
- pumpkin seeds
Is wine vegan?
It may surprise you to learn that not all wine is suitable for vegans. Yes, the main ingredient in wine is grapes. Grapes are a plant and are therefore vegan. However, it's the process of actually making the wine that can often make it non-vegan.
Several different animal products are commonly used in wine production. This can include eggs, used to clarify wine. It might also include isinglass, which comes from the swim bladder of a fish and is used for filtration.
Other animal products that are sometimes used in wine production include gelatin, fish oil, blood, bone marrow, casein (milk protein) and other body parts from fish or shellfish.
Luckily there are many vegan wines available these days - just check the label.
Barnivore is a useful online tool for checking whether your alcohol is suitable for vegans.
Storing leftover risotto
As long as it's stored in the fridge once cool leftover risotto can be safely reheated and served the next day. Be sure to reheat until piping hot.
You can freeze leftover risotto but you may find that the texture of the rice changes.
Alternatively you may like to make arancini - risotto balls - with your leftover risotto.
How to make butternut squash and kale risotto
NB: This risotto recipe contains white wine. During the cooking process most of the alcohol will burn off. However, if you are serving it to children you can leave the wine out if you prefer.
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Please do not reproduce this recipe without permission.
Butternut squash and kale risotto
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ butternut squash peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 250 g arborio risotto rice
- 200 ml vegan white wine
- 700 ml vegetable stock
- 300 g cavolo nero washed, removed from stems and shredded
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan alternative
- salt and pepper
To serve
- pumpkin seeds optional
- salad leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan)/200°C/gas mark 6.
- Place the diced butternut squash into a roasting tin, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and roast for 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway, until soft.
- Meanwhile heat the other 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan. Add 1 chopped onion and sauté for 5-10 minutes until translucent. Stir often.
- Add 3 cloves crushed garlic, stir well and cook for 1 minute.
- Add 250g arborio risotto rice. Stir until coated in the oil and onion mixture.
- Add 200ml white wine, stir well and cook until the liquid has been absorbed.
- Now add a ladleful of hot vegetable stock and stir well. Continue stirring gently until all the stock has been absorbed by the rice.
- Add a further ladleful and continue stirring.
- Repeat until the stock has almost been used up and the rice is al dente. This will take around 20 minutes.
- With the last ladleful of stock stir through 300g shredded cavolo nero and cook until wilted.
- Finally add 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast or a vegan parmesan cheese alternative.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve with salad and toasted pumpkin seeds if liked.
Notes
Nutrition
If you like this you might also like my Thai butternut squash curry or this vegan leek risotto.
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