Best Vegetable Vegan Risotto

Completed vegan risotto plated on a white plate against a white background.

4.94 from 47 votes

This vegan risotto recipe cooks up perfectly creamy without any cheese! It’s loaded with mushrooms, asparagus, tomato, and carrot for a nourishing vegetarian dinner everyone will love.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 281kcal

Author: Miranda Rivera

Equipment

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil optional, or use water to sauté
2 cups (140 g) fresh mushrooms sliced
½ cup (80 g) onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 cup (200 g) Arborio rice uncooked
3 cups (720 ml) vegetable broth
¾ cup (100 g) asparagus cut into bite-size pieces
¾ cup (135 g) tomato seeded and diced
¼ cup (28 g) carrot shredded
3 Tablespoons (8 g) fresh basil leaves snipped
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic and cook until the onion is tender.
Add the rice. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes more, until the rice is golden brown.
Meanwhile, in another saucepan, bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer. Slowly add 1 cup of the broth to the rice mixture, stirring constantly.
Continue to cook and stir over medium heat until the liquid is absorbed. Add another ½ cup of broth and the asparagus to the rice mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Add another 1 cup of broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until the broth has been absorbed. (This should take about 15 minutes.)
Stir in the remaining ½ cup of broth, the tomato, and the carrot. Cook and stir until the rice is slightly creamy and just tender. Stir in the basil. Serve immediately. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Video

Notes

It really all starts with the rice. You can’t make true risotto without Arborio rice. The high starch content it releases into the pot is what gives risotto its creamy texture.
It’s not necessary to stir constantly the entire time it cooks, but it does need a lot of attention and frequent stirring.
Follow the instructions and add the broth in small amounts, letting it fully absorb into the rice before adding more.
Thank you to Miranda Rivera for developing this recipe!

Nutrition