This pumpkin risotto is rich, creamy and comforting! Seasoned with fresh sage and a hint of nutmeg, it's absolutely delicious and perfect as a fall main dish or holiday side. It's also vegan and gluten-free, so everyone can enjoy it!
Fall is in full swing and I'm craving all the comfort food! Risotto is one of my personal favorite comfort foods, and I've come up with so many spins on it from tomato risotto, to vegan broccoli cheese risotto to mushroom risotto.
This pumpkin risotto is where it's at when it comes to fall comfort food though. If you've tried my butternut squash risotto I think you'll love this one. It's made using a similar process and seasonings, but whereas the butternut risotto is on the sweet side, this pumpkin risotto is super savory!
It's also one of the easiest risottos to make. Since we're using canned pumpkin puree, most of the prep work is already done. Plus it's easy to keep a couple cans of pumpkin on hand for whenever find yourself craving this one, which I'm pretty sure will be all the time. It's delicious!
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Vegan butter. This can be bought in the refrigerated section of most supermarkets, right next to the regular butter. High heat oil, such as olive oil can be substituted if you prefer.
- Shallots.
- Garlic.
- Arborio rice. This variety of rice is traditionally used for making risotto. It plumps up and becomes super creamy when cooked using the method in this recipe. I don't recommend substituting any other rice varieties!
- Dry white wine. Varieties such as chardonnay, pinot grigio, and sauvignon blanc are great choices for this recipe. Since not all white wine is vegan, be sure to check with Barnivore before you buy a bottle. The white wine adds a lot of flavor to this dish, but it can be omitted if you prefer to cook without alcohol.
- Vegetable broth.
- Pumpkin puree. We're using canned pumpkin puree for this recipe. Make sure you're buying 100% pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling, which would be far too sweet!
- Coconut milk. Full-fat coconut milk will give your risotto maximum richness and creaminess, but light coconut milk or even other non-dairy milk varieties such as almond milk could be substituted in a pinch.
- Fresh sage.
- Ground nutmeg.
- Salt and pepper.
- Accompaniments. While this pumpkin risotto is delicious on it's own, toppings make it even better! Try pumpkin seeds, vegan Parmesan cheese and/or dried cranberries.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, then add diced shallots. Cook the shallots until they soften and just begin to brown, which will take about 10 minutes.
Stir in minced garlic and cook it very briefly with the shallots, until it becomes very fragrant. Make sure to constantly stir to avoid burning the garlic.
Add the rice to the pot and toast it for about a minute in the melted vegan butter, stirring the entire time.
Pour in the white wine and bring it to a simmer. Cook the wine and rice together until the wine has been completely absorbed by the rice or evaporated.
Tip: Throughout the cooking process, aim to stir your risotto about once every thirty seconds. This is the sweet spot for achieving that perfect creamy texture.
Start adding broth to the pot, about a half cup at a time. Stir in each addition and let it cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed or reduced before adding more.
After you've added about 5 or 6 cups of broth the rice should be tender and creamy. This will take about 20 minutes.
Tip: Make sure your broth it hot so that it doesn't cool down the risotto too much when you add it.
Now add the pumpkin puree and coconut milk. Stir it in and let the mixture cook for another minute or two, until the liquid you just added reduces a bit.
Take the pot off of heat and season your pumpkin risotto with salt and pepper to taste, then stir in chopped fresh sage and ground nutmeg.
Divide the risotto among plates or bowls, and optionally sprinkle it with some toppings. It's ready to enjoy!
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover pumpkin risotto will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days. It can be reheated in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove. You can add a splash of water or broth when reheating it if it has gotten too dry during storage.
More Savory Pumpkin Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Risotto
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 medium shallots, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 6 cups vegetable broth, hot
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, then add the diced shallots.
- Cook the shallots for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they soften and just begin to brown.
- Stir in the garlic and cook it with the shallots for about 1 minute, until it becomes very fragrant, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the rice. Toast the rice for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the wine. Bring the wine to a simmer and cook it with the rice, for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated or been absorbed by the rice.
- Stir in about ½ cup of the broth, bring it to a simmer and cook the rice and broth for 1 to 2 minutes, until almost all of the broth has evaporated or been absorbed by the rice, stirring frequently.
- Continue adding about ½ cup of broth at a time, waiting for each addition to cook down before adding more. Continue stirring the risotto frequently.
- After about 20 to 25 minutes and 5 to 6 cups of broth being added, the rice should be tender and creamy. Now stir in the pumpkin and coconut milk. Cook the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the liquid you just added reduces a bit.
- Remove the pot from heat and season the risotto with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the fresh sage and nutmeg.
- Serve.
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