Creamy Vegan Risotto (Cheesy + Delicious)

This delicious vegan risotto is indulgent, creamy, and cheesy, despite being 100% dairy-free. It requires some love and attention during cooking, but the results are well worth the effort.

When it comes to risotto, we're talking about something that I've cooked literally hundreds of times. So if you feel daunted by the thought of making it yourself, you've come to the right place.

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What is risotto?

Risotto is a creamy Italian rice dish made by gradually adding stock or broth to the pan. There are many different variants out there, but a basic risotto recipe will usually include onion, white wine, butter, and parmesan cheese.

To produce a good vegan version, there are two things you want to do:

1. Make it creamy.
2. Make it cheesy.

Get those two things right and you're onto a winning plate of food.

How to make vegan risotto creamy

In a risotto, the rice itself actually plays a big part in making it creamy. You fry the grains on a high heat to help release the starch, and then stir regularly to help the rice absorb the liquid.

Beyond that, there are a couple of other things I like to include:

• Plant-based milk, added towards the end of cooking
• Plant-based butter, stirred through after cooking and then left to stand with the lid on the pan

Another very easy way to make vegan risotto creamy is to use... vegan cream! Simply stir through some plant-based cream or plant-based crème fraiche at the end. But get the rice right and this won't be necessary.

How to make vegan risotto cheesy

The best way to make your vegan risotto cheesy is to top it off with some dairy-free parmesan. My recipe for vegan parmesan uses just four ingredients and is ready in a matter of seconds.

During cooking, I also include:

• Nutritional yeast (savoury flakes renowned for their cheesy flavour)
• Salt
• Lemon zest (helps to provide some of the zing that you get from dairy parmesan)
• A splash of cider vinegar for extra zing (if the lemon wasn't very big)

Together, these ingredients combine to deliver a nice cheesy note in every bite.

Let's talk stock

Cooking risotto involves gradually adding hot stock or broth to the pan of rice. This ensures that the cooking process doesn't come to a halt each time you add liquid.

Before going vegan, I would always use chicken stock. You can emulate this by including dried herbs such as sage and thyme along with the veg stock. Mushroom stock is another popular choice for risotto.

In the picture above, I actually made my own stock from veg scraps that I kept in the freezer. A top tip for anyone looking to minimise their food waste!

Which rice to use for risotto?

When it comes to risotto, no ingredient is more important than the rice. Risotto rice grains tend to be short and plump, with particular starch properties that lend the final dish its trademark creamy texture.

Arborio is the variety you're most likely to find, but others like carnaroli are also common. Many argue that carnaroli results in the creamiest risotto, but at the end of the day I think the differences are fairly subtle.

Just make sure you're using a risotto rice and not something like long grain or basmati.

How to make creamy vegan risotto

Heat the veg stock in a saucepan and keep on a low simmer (you want the stock to be hot as you add it to the risotto).

In a separate large pan, soften the onion, mushrooms, pepper, and garlic. Once soft, turn up the heat and add the risotto rice. Stir constantly for a minute or so to avoid it catching on the bottom.

The aim here is for the rice to start cracking and turning translucent, which will help it to absorb all the flavours from the liquid. Don't walk away from the pan – it's all hands on deck to keep stirring right now.

Add the white wine and lemon juice, before reducing the heat. Start to add ladles of the stock to the rice, 'beating' it to help release the starches and make it creamy.

Don't drown the rice in stock, but also don't let it dry out too much. 'Sloppy' is the best word I can think of to describe it. The heat should be fairly low throughout, so that the rice is bubbling gently but not boiling.

Continue this process for around 15 minutes, before adding the nutritional yeast, lemon zest, spinach, halved cherry tomatoes, and plant-based milk.

Stir well and cook for another five minutes, adding as much stock as you need to the pan. 1 litre should be enough for 300g of rice, but add extra water if necessary.

After the rice has been cooking for a total of 20 minutes, it should be 'al dente'. Each grain should be cooked through but still hold its shape.

It may take longer than 20 minutes depending on how hot your stock is and how much you're cooking. Once the rice is creamy and cooked through, adjust the seasoning and then turn off the heat.

After cooking

After turning off the heat, I like to stir in a generous spoonful of plant-based butter and then cover with a lid. I find that this gives a nice gloss to the final risotto.

Remove the lid after a couple of minutes, stir well, and serve.

Serve with

• Vegan parmesan
• A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
• Chopped fresh parsley or basil
• Toasted nuts/seeds (I like pine nuts and/or pumpkin seeds)
• Wood sorrel (this wild plant has a delicious citrus note – we pick some whenever we see it out and about near Sheffield)

Variations/tips for creamy vegan risotto

• Quantity: If scaling up the amounts, just be aware that the rice may take longer to cook. 
• Add more veg: You can add pretty much any veg you like to this (see recipe notes for more info).  
• Homemade stock: Sometimes I'll make my own veg stock from scratch, using scraps that I keep in a bag in the freezer.
• Adding the stock: For the best results, add the stock as detailed in the recipe. If you want a quicker method, you can add stock powder or a crumbled cube to the pan and then gradually pour small amounts of hot water from a boiled kettle. 
• Pan: If possible, you should use a wide, high-sided pan or skillet to cook risotto. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it does help the rice to cook more evenly.  
• Make it cheesier: To really make this risotto sing, top it off with some dairy-free cheese. You can try my Vegan Parmesan Recipe or use a store-bought version. 
• Plant-based milk: I’d recommend using unsweetened oat, rice, or soya milk for this risotto.
• Gluten-free: If you need to ensure that this recipe is 100% gluten-free, use a plant-based milk and vegan stock that are certified or labelled as such (as well as any plant-based cream or crème fraiche you add).

See recipe notes for more details.

How to store cooked risotto

Risotto is best when it's freshly cooked. The starch in the rice means that storing it results in a gluey, mushy mass. This still tastes great, however, and so your best bet is to turn it into arancini (breaded risotto balls) or risotto fritters.

Refrigerate: You can store risotto in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan with some additional water, but don't expect it to be as good as when you first cooked it.

Freeze: It is not recommended to store cooked risotto in the freezer. The rice will become grainy and lose its texture, so it's best to refrigerate instead and use it up within a few days.

More vegan recipe ideas

If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:

• Smoked Tofu Risotto with Lemon & Basil
• Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto
• Vegan Pea and Mint Risotto
• Creamy Beetroot Risotto
• Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
• Creamy Vegan Mushroom and Leek Tagliatelle
• Vegan Pasta Puttanesca
• 12-Minute Tomato and Basil Pasta

Full recipe