Creamy, rich, and savory Vegan Pumpkin Risotto makes for the best fall dish! Easily whip up this comforting delicious with just a few simple ingredients in less than 30 minutes. Beautiful vibrant colors and an irresistible flavor makes it a wonderful side to share with others around the holidays!
This is the recipe for you if you are looking for a tasty new idea for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any autumn meal. It has very little prep work, follows a fool-proof method, and needs just a few simple ingredients!
To keep things quick and easy, I like to use canned pumpkin purée but you can absolutely use fresh here!
Feel free to customize this velvety pumpkin risotto by tossing in extra veggies like baby spinach, kale, or broccoli. And you can up the protein with tofu, soy curls, vegan chicken, or vegan turkey.
All you need to do is start by chopping the veggies and simmering the broth. Then, in a large sauce pan, give the onions, arborio rice, and seasoning a quick sauté.
Add in the broth, one ladle-full at a time and stir until it has been absorbed. Continue this process for about 18 minutes (at most) before adding in the pumpkin.
Take it off the heat and fold in the vegan butter, vegan parm, and a pinch of nutmeg. I like to top it with some fall favorites: crispy sage leaves, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries.
This flavorful pumpkin risotto has a creamy texture with an al-dente bite to it. Yum!
If you are a pumpkin lover like me, be sure to check out my Pumpkin Pasta, Pumpkin Banana Bread, Pumpkin Chocolate Bread, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Pumpkin Smoothies!
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Ingredients And Substitutions
- Broth – Use any you have on hand. Regular veggie broth or bouillon+water both work. You can even use plain old water if you don’t have broth and simply add in some more seasoning, if needed.
- Pumpkin – Canned pure pumpkin makes this recipe quick and easy. If you have freshly roasted pumpkin purée to use up, excellent!
- Herbs – I like to use fresh sage here, but you can certainly substitute or add in other favorites such as thyme or rosemary. For the sage, I start by toasting a few leaves for garnish later and then I chop up a few for cooking the risotto.
- Onion – Yellow onion pairs so nicely with the pumpkin flavor, but any other is fine as well.
- Rice – You’ll want to use uncooked arborio rice for making this risotto. This can be found in the dried beans and rice aisle of the grocery store.
- White Wine – Dry white wine adds an irresistible and unique depth of flavor. Some options are pino grigio, sauvignon blanc, or chardonnay. You can absolutely substitute it with more vegetable broth, white grape juice, or lightly sweetened apple juice.
- Dairy Replacements – Vegan butter and vegan parmesan give a cheesy, butter texture and taste. Using a different cheese such as vegan mozzarella would be work as well.
- Garnish – So many possibilities here! I like the taste (and colors) of pepitas, dried cranberries, and sage leaves. Almonds or hazelnuts would be so good here as well.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Here are some quick visual steps. Find the full recipe with exact measurements on the recipe card below.
Bring the water and bouillon to a boil then whisk them together. Lower the heat and let this simmer throughout the risotto cooking process.
Fry the sage leaves in a thin layer of hot oil in a large braiser or sauté pan. Set the crispy leaves aside for now as they will serve as garnish later.
Sauté the onions, in the same pan, just until they start to appear translucent. Add the rice, garlic, chopped sage, salt, and pepper. Stir as these toast for 1-2 minutes.
Pour in the white wine and use it to deglaze the pan. Then, lower the heat to medium-low and continue to stir until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.
Stir in a ladle of warm broth until it has mostly been absorbed. Continue this process of adding ladles of broth one at a time and stirring regularly for 18 minutes.
Keep the pan temperature at a simmer and only add broth when most of the liquid has been absorbed.
After 18 minutes, the rice should be al dente. Try not to overcook it because we want there to be some bite to it, rather than mushiness. Stir in the pumpkin purée and let it cook for 2 minutes before taking the pan off of the heat.
Stir in the vegan butter, vegan parmesan, and nutmeg.
I like to plate the pumpkin risotto garnished with fall favorites such as dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, vegan Parmesan, and toasted sage leaves. Yum!
Tips For Success
- Keep the broth warm while cooking the risotto.
- Place the fried sage leaves on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
- Stir regularly for a creamy texture and to prevent anything from sticking to the pan.
- I found that adding the pumpkin toward the end produces the best texture for the risotto.
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Vegan Pumpkin Risotto
Bonnie – Serene Trail
Equipment
- large enameled cast iron braiser or any large saucepan
- medium-sized pot
Ingredients
- 5 cups water, (1183ml)
- 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon
- 1 cup pumpkin purée, (250g)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 10-20 medium sage leaves, for optional garnish
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice, (330g)
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, (118ml)
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1/3 cup vegan parmesan, grated, (40g)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- optional garnish: vegan parmesan, toasted sage leaves, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Instructions
- Add water and bouillon to a medium-sized pot and heat it over high heat. Let this come to a boil and then whisk it together. Reduce the heat to low to keep it warm.
- Heat a large saucepan to medium heat, then add the olive oil to it. Once the oil is hot, carefully add the sage leaves in a single layer. Let them toast for about 30 seconds until crispy and fragrant. Take them out and place them on a paper towel for garnish later.
- Add the onions to the oil and sauté them just until they start to appear translucent (3 minutes). Add the rice, garlic, chopped sage, salt, and pepper. Stir continuously as it toasts for 1-2 minutes, at most.
- Pour in the white wine and use it to deglaze the pan by scraping at any bits that might be stuck to the bottom. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue to stir until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.
- Add a ladle of warm broth to the pan. Stir continuously as the liquid is absorbed. Continue this process of adding ladles of broth one at a time and stirring regularly for 18 minutes. Keep the temperature at a simmer and only add broth when most of the liquid has been absorbed. Reserve 1/2 cup of broth just in case you need it at the end.
- After 18 minutes, the rice should be al dente. Try not to overcook it to mush because we want there to be some bite to it. At this time, stir in the pumpkin purée. Stir as it cooks for 2 minutes and then take the pan completely off the heat.
- Stir in the vegan butter, vegan parmesan, and nutmeg. Serve the pumpkin risotto garnished with dried cranberries, pepitas, vegan Parmesan, and toasted sage leaves (optional).
Video
Notes
- Keep the broth warm while cooking the risotto.
- Place the fried sage leaves on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
- Stir regularly for a creamy texture and to prevent anything from sticking to the pan.
- I found that adding the pumpkin toward the end produces the best texture for the risotto.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate from third-party calculations.
