Simple Pumpkin Risotto

Who doesn’t love a good risotto? Is there a cozier and quicker recipe out there? The only thing better is pumpkin risotto!

The love of pumpkin spreads far and wide, so it was only a matter of time until a delicious risotto with pumpkin would become our latest obsession! This recipe cooks up with simple, wholesome ingredients for a comforting dish to serve any time of year!

If you’re one of those people who can’t cook for life, then this recipe is for you. It’s one pan and some stirring. Can you believe it? It’s also one of those dishes that’s really impressive for a host of reasons!

First of all, it’s delicious. It’s a super creamy savory rice dish full of delicious flavors – what’s not to like? Second, it’s super versatile, so it makes it easily adjustable to your guest’s likes and dislikes. Perfect! Third, it’s super easy and quick to make! And fourth (as if we needed a fourth reason to love this recipe!), it looks fancy. Quadruple win!

Craving more savory pumpkin dishes to impress? Then you’re going to love this pumpkin pasta bake and pumpkin curry!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• No complicated techniques or tricky ingredients! Only rice, veggies, and bouillon plus some very basic skills, and you’ll have a fancy and delicious dinner.

• Adjust the ingredients to your liking and replace them with your favorite ones. If you’re one of the rare people who doesn’t like pumpkins much, you could replace them with asparagus or peas! The mushrooms could be subbed with some kale. Whatever you fancy!

• Perfect for dinner parties!  As the host, you don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen or be away from your guests for too long, yet you still want to feed them a nice meal and impress them with your cooking and hosting skills. Pumpkin risotto checks all those boxes!

What Goes Into This Recipe

Pumpkin risotto is made with mostly pantry staples and a few easy fresh ingredients. If you don’t already have them, you can quickly grab them at the grocery store.

• Neutral oil: Use your favorite budget-friendly cooking oil. Choose one with a neutral flavor so it doesn’t interfere with the flavors of the dish. 
• Aromatics: You will need white onion, celery, and fresh garlic.
• Mushrooms: Tender mushrooms add so much umami flavor to this easy risotto.
• Arborio rice: This short grain rice contains more starch than other kinds of rice which is what gives risotto its classic creamy texture.
• Pumpkin puree: You only need one cup so this is one of the perfect recipes for using up some leftover pumpkin from the holidays!
• Vegetable broth: Liquid to cook the rice but also adds more flavor to the pumpkin risotto.
• Vegan butter: Stirred in at the end to add a finishing touch.

How To Make Vegan Pumpkin Risotto

Gather up your ingredients and let’s make some pumpkin risotto! Here’s an overview but check the recipe card for more details.

• 1) Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and celery. Cook for three minutes stirring frequently.

• 2) Then add the mushrooms and cook for another five minutes.

• 3) Add the rice and the pumpkin puree to the pot along with one ladle of the vegetable broth to the pan and stir to combine.

• 4) Once absorbed, add another ladle of liquid. Continue using this method so the rice gives in all of its nice starch, creating the traditional creaminess of the risotto.
• 5) When all the vegetable stock has been added, the rice should be almost completely soft, but still with a little bite to it.
• 6) Now add the vegan butter and take off the heat, optionally add salt and pepper. It should still have some sauce left, which makes your risotto creamy and delicious.

Expert Tips and FAQs

• Set aside the time to properly cook the risotto. It’s not one of those dishes that you can get going and then step away from. It needs you to watch over it and stir almost constantly as it cooks.
• Make sure you are making this with arborio rice. You won’t get the same creaminess from other types of rice.
• Don’t like mushrooms? Swap them for another veggie you like!

How To Store

Risotto always tastes best when it’s served right away as the rice softens more over time as it continues to soak up more liquid.

However, if you happen to have some left, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. I don’t recommend freezing it as the rice gets a bit mushy when frozen.

What to Eat With Risotto

Pumpkin risotto makes a hearty main course for meals! Serve it up with a simple salad, vegetable, or homemade bread.

• I love pairing a creamy risotto with this strawberry kale salad, lemon asparagus, or another quick and easy vegetable. These options add a splash of color to the plate.
• Pick up a loaf of bread at the store or even better, make a batch of these homemade dinner rolls or a simple free-formed bread. It’s perfect for dipping at the end to make sure you scrape up every bit of the creamy sauce.
• This dish also works as a side dish, paired with simple dishes such as savory tofu recipes.

More Vegan Rice Recipes

• Vegetable Rice Pilaf
• Wild Rice Fall Salad
• Brown Rice Stir Fry
• Veggie Vegan Risotto

Photos by Alfonso Revilla