Vegan Risotto

This classic creamy Vegan Risotto is made with just 10 basic ingredients and comes together in just over 30 minutes. It's easy to make and makes for a delicious and versatile side dish for just about any meal.

🍲 Why We Love This Recipe

• Quick and easy: this classic vegan risotto may look fancy, but it's actually very simple to make! You only need 10 basic ingredients (most of which are pantry staples), and it only takes a little over a half hour from start to finish. You'll have to be hands on (lots of stirring), but as long as you keep an eye on it, this is a pretty foolproof recipe.
• Versatile main or side dish: you can customize this vegan risotto by adding vegetables or add-ins like puréed pumpkin or pesto. Alternatively, it's equally delicious served plain as a side dish for just about any meal.
• Great for entertaining: Guests are always so impressed when you say you're making risotto – it sounds sophisticated and fancy, but it's surprisingly easy! You can even assign someone the simple task of stirring so you have more time for other prep work.
• Vegan and gluten free: this risotto is made vegan by using olive oil, vegetable broth and nondairy parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast. Since it's made with arborio rice, it's also naturally gluten free, so it's great for those with dietary restrictions.

🍚 Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this vegan risotto:

📋 Ingredient Notes

• Arborio rice: This is the key ingredient to any risotto. Arborio rice is starchier than other varieties, and this attribute gives risotto its characteristic creamy and rich texture. Arborio is typically easiest to find in the US, but you can also use carnaroli or vialone nano rice. As a general rule of thumb, risotto rice should be short grain, plump and high in starch.
• Nondairy parmesan: We used nondairy parmesan, but you can also substitute it for nutritional yeast, which has a pleasant cheesy flavor. We recommend substituting every ½ cup of nondairy parmesan with ¼ cup of nutritional yeast.
• White wine: a dry white wine is best in this vegan risotto, like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.
• Vegetable broth: we typically use regular vegetable broth (not low sodium) in this vegan risotto as it tends to need the extra salt for more flavor. However, feel free to use low sodium if preferred – you can always add an extra pinch of salt at the end if needed.
• Parsley: technically optional, but we think it adds a much needed pop of freshness to the finished dish.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

(1) Add vegetable broth to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Don't bring it to a simmer, but let it get hot before adding to your risotto. (Cold broth won't absorb as well, which is why you should keep it heated throughout the cooking process.)

(2) Add olive oil to a separate large pot over medium heat. Once heated, add onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until translucent. 

(3) Add the rice, salt and pepper and stir well, letting the rice toast for about 60 seconds. Add the wine and cook until mostly evaporated, stirring often. 

(4) Reduce heat to low. Start adding a ladleful of heated broth one at a time, stirring well. Wait to add the next ladleful until the first has absorbed. You'll need to keep a close eye on the risotto – if it absorbs too quickly or if the heat is too high, it will stick to the bottom of the pot. 

(5) Continue adding broth until the rice is al dente and creamy, about 20-25 minutes total. 

(6) Stir in the vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast, fresh parsley and vegan butter and serve warm.

Add-ins and variations

This classic vegan risotto is the perfect base recipe. While it's delicious on its own, there are also so many ways to add more flavor if you want something a bit more fancy! Below are a few of our favorite additions to this vegan risotto:

• Mushroom risotto: sauté 8-12 ounces of your favorite mushrooms in olive oil or vegan butter and season with salt, pepper and fresh parsley. Stir into the finished risotto. For extra mushroom flavor, consider using mushroom broth instead of vegetable broth.
• Pumpkin or butternut squash risotto: stir in at least ½ cup of puréed pumpkin or squash to the vegetable broth and use for cooking the risotto.
• Tomato risotto: add 2 cups of diced tomatoes to the risotto once you add the rice. For extra flavor, consider using basil instead of parsley, and add a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat.
• Spring vegetable risotto: stir in a few tablespoons of pesto and sautéed peas and asparagus.
• Lemon pepper risotto: stir in lemon juice, lemon zest and extra black pepper to taste.
• Add any roasted/sautéed vegetable of choice: this classic vegan risotto is great with just about any vegetable. Stir in roasted cauliflower or zucchini, sautéed spinach or kale, more fresh herbs, corn, or any other vegetable of choice.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• The key to perfect homemade risotto? Patience! For perfectly al dente risotto, you have to add the broth slowly, waiting between each interval until the broth has been mostly absorbed. You'll know you're done adding liquid when the rice refuses to absorb any more. Keeping the heat on low ensures that you don't end up accidentally burning the rice on the bottom of the pan. Frequent stirring also helps to prevent this outcome.
• That being said, this vegan risotto doesn't actually take that long to cook, it just requires close attention to prevent burning. It only takes about 20 minutes for the rice to reach a perfect al dente texture. Stir every 30-60 seconds for perfect consistency.
• Toast the rice before adding liquid: This will add some extra nutty flavor to your vegan risotto. We recommend toasting it for about one minute.
• Nondairy parmesan can take a while to melt, but it *will* melt so be sure to take your time and stir frequently. We also find that quickly pulsing the nondairy parmesan in a food processor will shorten the strands and foster quicker melting.
• Don't use cold broth. It's essential to keep the broth warm (just below a simmer) while cooking the risotto. If it's too cold, it will take too long to absorb into the rice.
• Storage: This vegan risotto is best eaten fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

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