Vegan Pumpkin Risotto is a warm and comforting autumn meal with a rich and creamy texture. This savory traditional Italian dish is simple to make during the autumn season!
Jump to:
- 🍚 What is risotto made of?
- 💗 Why You’ll Love This Vegan Pumpkin Risotto
- 🥣 Ingredients and Notes
- 📖 Variations and Substitutions
- 📋 How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Risotto
- 💭 Expert Tips for Vegan Pumpkin Risotto
- ❓ Recipe FAQS
- ❄️ How to Store and Keep
- 👩🏻🍳 How to Serve
- 😋 More vegan pumpkin recipes!
- Video
- ⚖️ Serving Size
- Recipe
When fall arrives, I’m ready to enjoy ALL the vegan pumpkin recipes! This pumpkin risotto is one of those recipes I include when doing my vegan meal prep for the week during the autumn months.
Making risotto is not as difficult as you might suspect. In fact, with a few tips, you can make your own restaurant-quality risotto at home that tastes amazing!
This pumpkin risotto is made without oil, butter, or cheese, but it has a rich, creamy texture thanks to coconut cream and an umami undertone with the addition of nutritional yeast.
It’s a warm, comforting dish full of rich fall flavors that will impress guests at your next dinner party or as a vegan option for your Thanksgiving celebration. It’s also simple enough to make on a weeknight! You won’t want to miss this one!
🍚 What is risotto made of?
Risotto is a northern Italian dish made with short-grain starchy rice called arborio. The texture is creamy but not runny and shouldn’t be stiff. It has a consistency somewhere in between.
Traditional risotto recipes begin with toasting the rice in butter, adding dry white wine, and then the stock. The stock is added one ladle at a time until all liquid is absorbed before adding the next ladle of broth.
Once the broth is used and the risotto rice is al dente, you finish by adding a creamy element. This is traditionally done with added butter and parmesan cheese. But to make it vegan, we use coconut cream.
💗 Why You’ll Love This Vegan Pumpkin Risotto
- Whole food plant-based ingredients
- Oil and dairy-free
- Rich and creamy texture
- Easy-to-follow directions for beginners
- An impressive meal to serve at a dinner party
- A vegan main course option for Thanksgiving
- Easy enough to make on a weekday
- A warm and comforting autumn dish
- Easy Recipe
- Simple ingredients found at most grocery stores
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
Vegetable Stock: I use vegetable stock or vegetable broth to sauté the onions and also to add needed liquid to the rice.
Chopped Onion and Minced Garlic: I used white onion. However, you can use red onion if you prefer.
Arborio Rice: This is an essential ingredient, and I highly recommend you use arborio rice. It is a short-grain rice that lends itself to the creamy texture risotto is known for.
Dry White Wine: Adds an authentic Italian flavor and added liquid.
Pumpkin Purée: Be sure to use pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling, if buying canned. You can also make your pumpkin purée by roasting fresh pumpkin.
Coconut Cream: For added creaminess rather than milk or cream.
Nutritional Yeast: Instead of using parmesan cheese to give an umami flavor, nutritional yeast is an excellent vegan substitute.
Fresh Herbs and Red Pepper Flakes: Add a garnish of fresh herbs. I used parsley and red pepper flakes for added heat. A dash of salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice helps to round out the flavor.
📖 Variations and Substitutions
Butternut Squash: If you do not have pumpkin puree, you can substitute it for butternut squash for a similar autumn flavor.
Nutmeg and Cinnamon: Add a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg and cinnamon to give this risotto a touch of sweetness and warm spice.
📋 How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Risotto
Step 1: Add ¼ cup of vegetable stock to a large pot or large pan heated to medium-high heat. You can also use two tablespoons of olive oil. Add chopped white onion, and sauté for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant, stirring with a wooden spoon.
Step 2: Add arborio rice. Stir, coating the rice in the onions and stock. Reduce to medium-low heat. Add dry white wine. Cook, stirring frequently, until rice has absorbed the liquid. Heat stock in a separate saucepan on low heat. Add 3 cups of warm vegetable stock. There should be enough stock to cover the rice. Continue cooking, stirring frequently until all excess liquid has been absorbed.
Step 3: Add 1 cup of stock. Stir frequently until the liquid has been absorbed. Add another cup of stock. Repeat the process, stirring frequently until the liquid has been absorbed. Add a cup of stock, and repeat the process. Cook the rice until it is al dente, and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Note: You will have added 6 cups of stock now. You may need more or less depending on how your rice cooks.
Step 4: Add pumpkin purée. Stir to combine. Add coconut cream and nutritional yeast. Stir to combine. Remove from the heat. Serve topped with fresh herbs and optional red pepper flakes.
💭 Expert Tips for Vegan Pumpkin Risotto
- Stir the rice often enough that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan, but not continuously, as this adds air and makes it sticky rather than creamy.
- Use warm stock, not cold, when adding to the rice. Adding cold stock brings down the temperature of the rice. Warm stock keeps everything at the same temperature and ensures an even cook.
- Don’t add all the stock all at once. Adding the stock a little at a time helps to create a creamy, starchy texture.
- Don’t overcook the rice. Similar to pasta, the rice should be al dente.
- Use a pot the same size as your burner because if your pot is too large, the rice will not cook evenly.
- Cook the rice at medium heat. Not too hot and not too cold.
- Add the pumpkin, coconut cream, and nutritional yeast at the end of the cooking process once the rice is al dente. Then, remove from the heat so the rice does not continue to simmer.
❓ Recipe FAQS
Yes, you do have to use arborio rice. It is necessary to create a creamy, starchy texture that makes for a traditional risotto.
To make a risotto recipe vegan, you must find substitutes for the butter and parmesan and use vegetable stock. Since I don’t use oil, I use vegetable stock to sauté the onions and toast the rice. I used coconut cream instead of butter to make it creamy and nutritional yeast to give it that “cheesy” flavor instead of parmesan.
Risotto is made from arborio rice. It is not pasta, it is a rice dish, which makes it gluten-free.
Serve pumpkin risotto with an autumn salad like this Kale Salad with Cranberries. For dessert, serve this sugar-free apple crisp, or try these vegan, gluten-free pumpkin bars to keep with the pumpkin theme.
❄️ How to Store and Keep
This vegan pumpkin risotto recipe will not be as creamy when reheated. It is best to enjoy risotto fresh.
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to reheat, warm it on the stove. Add additional vegetable stock to bring back some of the creaminess. Please keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
👩🏻🍳 How to Serve
Serve this vegan pumpkin risotto recipe topped with fresh herbs of your choice. I topped mine with parsley and red pepper flakes for an added kick. You could also top with pumpkin seeds for added crunch and vegan parmesan cheese or butter. Next time, I may add some fresh sage or fresh thyme!
😋 More vegan pumpkin recipes!
Video
⚖️ Serving Size
This recipe makes 8 large servings for a main course. If you are making these for a side dish, it could easily stretch to 16 servings.
Please comment below if you found this article helpful or have any additional questions. You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more family-friendly vegan recipes!
Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Risotto
Ingredients
- 6 ¼ cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic mined
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 15 oz pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoon coconut cream
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- parsley for garnish
- red pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Add ¼ cup of vegetable stock to a large pot heated to medium-high. Add chopped onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Add minced garlic and sauté an additional 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Reduce heat to medium. Add arborio rice. Coat in onions and stock.
- Add dry white wine. Cook, stirring frequently until rice has absorbed the liquid. Heat stock in a separate saucepan on low heat. Add 3 cups of warm vegetable stock. There should be enough stock that it covers the rice completely. Continue cooking, stirring frequently until all liquid has been absorbed.
- Add 1 cup of stock. Stir frequently until the liquid has been absorbed. Add another cup of stock. Repeat the process, stirring frequently until liquid has been absorbed. Add an additional cup of stock, and repeat the process again. Cook the rice until it is al dente and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Add pumpkin purée. Stir to combine. Add coconut cream and nutritional yeast. Stir to combine. Remove from the heat. Serve topped with fresh herbs and optional red pepper flakes.
Notes
- Stir the rice often enough that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan, but not continuously as this adds air and makes it sticky rather than creamy.
- Use warm stock, not cold, when adding to the rice. Adding cold stock brings down the temperature of the rice. Using warm stock keeps everything at the same temperature and ensures an even cook.
- Don’t add all the stock all at once. Adding the stock a little at a time helps to create that creamy starchy texture.
- Don’t overcook the rice. Similar to pasta you want your rice to be al dente.
- Use a pot that is the same size as your burner because if your pot is too large the rice will not cook evenly.
- Cook the rice at medium heat. Not too hot and not too cold.
- Add the pumpkin, coconut cream, and nutritional yeast at the end of the cooking process once the rice is al dente. Then remove from heat so that the rice does not continue to simmer.
- This recipe is best enjoyed fresh. If you have leftovers store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready to reheat add risotto and a bit of extra vegetable stock to bring back some of the creaminess.
- Stir the rice often enough that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan, but not continuously.
- Use warm stock.
- Don’t add all the stock all at once.
Eve
I must be careful of carbs and cholesterol. How do I determine cholesterol? Thank you
Alison Corey
Nutritional information at the bottom of the recipe is an estimate. It is about 49 grams of carbs per serving. However, there is no cholesterol in coconut milk, so I would presume the cholesterol in this dish is on the lower side, but I cannot give you an exact number.
Melody
I can’t wait to try this recipe! How much dry wine wine do you use?
Alison Corey
Hi Melody! I use 1 cup of dry white wine. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Angela
A beautiful dish that came out so tasty. I will definitely make it again.
Andrea Metlika
This looks and sounds amazing. I can’t wait to taste this.
Noelle
This was so delicious! My whole family loved it, making again soon! And all fall 😉
Tammy
This dish is giving me such fall vibes right now…it sounds delicious and oh so comforting! I have to make this soon!
David Stephens
This looks absolutely amazing, can’t wait to try this! Do you think it’d work in the slow cooker too?