Butternut squash and kale risotto | vegan

This is my new favourite risotto recipe. Butternut squash and kale ensure that this creamy vegan risotto is packed full of both flavour and goodness. Gluten free, dairy free and vegan.

This is a collaborative post with Rude Wines.*

Kale is absolutely delicious in this risotto and when paired with butternut squash it’s even better. 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.

Some of my other favourite kale recipes include:

• kale crisps
• healthy chocolate muffins with sneaky kale
• kale pesto
• puff pastry twists

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.

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

A good risotto goes perfectly with a glass of wine. The Bradgate Chenin Blanc from Rude Wines* would be the perfect pairing for this meal.

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.

How to make butternut squash and kale risotto

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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Butternut squash and kale risotto

This is my new favourite risotto recipe. Butternut squash and kale ensure that this creamy vegan risotto is packed full of both flavour and goodness. Gluten free, dairy free and vegan.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian, Vegan

Keyword kale risotto

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Mandy Mazliah

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 butternut squash peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp 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 tbsp nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan alternative
• salt and pepper

To serve

• pumpkin seeds optional
• salad leaves

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan)/200°C/gas mark 6.
2. Place the diced butternut squash into a roasting tin, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and roast for 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway, until soft.
3. Meanwhile heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan. Add 1 chopped onion and sauté for 5-10 minutes until translucent. Stir often.
4. Add 3 cloves crushed garlic, stir well and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add 250g arborio risotto rice. Stir until coated in the oil and onion mixture.

6. Add 200ml white wine, stir well and cook until the liquid has been absorbed.

7. Now add a ladleful of hot vegetable stock and stir well. Continue stirring gently until all the stock has been absorbed by the rice.
8. Add a further ladleful and continue stirring.
9. Repeat until the stock has almost been used up and the rice is al dente. This will take around 20 minutes.

10. With the last ladleful of stock stir through 300g shredded cavolo nero and cook until wilted.

11. Finally add 3 tbsp nutritional yeast or a vegan parmesan cheese alternative.
12. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
13. Serve with salad and toasted pumpkin seeds if liked.

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*This is a collaborative post with Rude Wines. All opinions are honest and my own. See my disclosure page for more information.