Are you on the look-out for a delicious vegan dinner? Look no further than this vegan butternut squash risotto. This recipe won’t have you standing over the risotto rice and constantly stirring. Instead, it spends most of its time in the oven, freeing you up to get on with your evening.

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Butternut squash is in prime season during the fall and throughout the winter, and this vegan butternut squash risotto is hearty, healthy and wholesome, everything you would want in comfort food. The whole family will love the creamy and sticky texture while reaping the nutritional benefits of the butternut squash.

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Vegan-Friendly Butternut Squash Risotto Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups of vegetable stock (split into 3 cups, then 1 cup)
• 1 cup of water
• 2 tsp salt (add more to taste)
• ½ cup of white wine (optional)
• 1 ½ cups of arborio (risotto) rice
• 1 cup of grated vegan cheese
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup of single vegan cream (split into half cups) (optional)
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 lbs butternut squash
• 3 heaped spoons of nutritional yeast

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F.
2. Cut the butternut squash in half and season with a teaspoon of salt and pepper. Line a tray with baking paper, add the butternut squash and put on a high shelf in the oven for 40-60 minutes until tender and caramelised.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large ovenproof pot over a medium heat, and sauté the onion for approximately 5 minutes. Add the garlic for another minute.
4. Now add in 1 cup of water, and 3 cups of vegetable stock (keep the remaining 1 cup of vegetable stock to the side, you’ll use that later on when the risotto comes out of the oven).
5. Bring the contents of your pot to the boil, remove it from the heat and stir in the rice (do not wash the rice prior to adding it to the pot, you want all the starches to make it sticky and creamy).
6. Place a lid on your saucepan and put it onto the lower tray in the oven for 65-70 minutes.
7. Once the butternut squash is fork-tender, leave it to cool slightly before removing the skin. Place the flesh into a frying pan, add 2 tablespoons of butter, a half cup of cream, salt and pepper to taste. Have it on low heat until most of the butter and cream have been absorbed, remove it from the heat and place aside.
8. When the risotto comes out of the oven, don’t be deterred by the initial dryness, once you give it a stir, you will see just how creamy the rice has become.
9. Add in the butter, and stir vigorously.
10. While stirring, slowly add in the remaining cup of stock, half cup of cream, half cup of wine (if using), most of the nutritional yeast, and 1 cup of grated vegan cheese (vegan parmesan is recommended).
11. Finally, add in your butternut squash and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper, and give it one last stir before serving immediately with the last of the nutritional yeast sprinkled over the top.

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Have your say! Will you be tucking into this delicious butternut squash risotto? Leave your comment below and let us know – we’d love to hear from you!