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 it.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 200 g mushrooms, sliced
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped into small cubes
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 300 g risotto rice
- 100 ml white wine (ideally vegan, optional)
- 1-1.2 litres vegan stock
- 1 lemon, zest and juice (remember to grate before juicing!)
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 100 g fresh spinach
- 100 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 100 ml plant-based milk (I like oat milk)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 30 g plant-based butter (optional)
- Fresh parsley or basil, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Begin by heating the veg stock in a saucepan. Once hot, reduce to a very low simmer (you want the stock to be hot as you add it to the risotto).
- In a separate large pan, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the chopped onion and soften for 2-3 minutes, followed by the sliced mushrooms and chopped red pepper. Soften these for another 2-3 minutes, before adding the chopped garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes, or until all the veg has started to soften.
- At this point, turn up the heat and keep stirring the ingredients. Once the pan is very hot, add the risotto rice and 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.
- After a minute on high heat, add the white wine and lemon juice (but not the zest). If not using wine, replace this with 100ml of stock. The liquid will bubble vigorously at first, before calming down. Stir well for a minute and then reduce the heat.
- Start to add ladles of the stock to the rice, stirring regularly. The idea is to 'beat' the rice 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 of stock should be enough for 300g of rice, but add extra water if necessary. The spinach will wilt and the tomatoes will start to soften.
- 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.
- Optional step: At this point, 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. After a couple of minutes, remove the lid and stir well.
- Serve with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and chopped fresh parsley or basil.
Notes
Quantity: If scaling up the amounts, just be aware that the rice may take longer to cook.
Add more veg: If you want to take this recipe up a notch, add finely chopped carrot (1 medium) and celery (2 sticks) when frying the onion. This trio of veg is what the Italians call a 'soffritto' and it adds more depth to the base. You can also include any other veg such as leeks, courgette, asparagus, peas, broad beans, roasted squash/pumpkin – whatever takes your fancy.
Rice: Make sure you're using a risotto rice and not something like long grain or basmati. Popular types include arborio (the most common) and carnaroli (a slightly creamier variety).
Stock: Before going vegan, I would always use chicken stock for risotto. You can emulate this by including dried herbs such as sage and thyme along with the veg stock. Mushroom stock is another popular choice.
Adding the stock: For the best results, add the stock as detailed in the recipe above. 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.
Texture: 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. If you need to cook it for longer, just be careful not to let it go too mushy.
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 liquid to evaporate more evenly (and so the rice will cook more evenly).
Make it cheesier: To really make this risotto sing, top it off with some dairy-free cheese. You can try my recipe for Vegan Parmesan or use a store-bought version. You can also simply top it off with a good pinch of nutritional yeast.
Make it creamier: 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.
Extra zing: The lemon juice and zest will do a good job of replacing the zing you get from dairy parmesan, but if you want a little extra then try adding a splash of cider vinegar.
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).
Storage: 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. Store in the fridge for up to three days. It is not recommended to freeze cooked risotto.
If you liked this recipe, you might 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
Nutrition
Calories: 415kcalCarbohydrates: 77gProtein: 13gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 43mgPotassium: 742mgFiber: 7gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 3450IUVitamin C: 69mgCalcium: 83mgIron: 5mg
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Vegan Risotto (Cheesy + Delicious)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 415
Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 43mg2%
Potassium 742mg21%
Carbohydrates 77g26%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 13g26%
Vitamin A 3450IU69%
Vitamin C 69mg84%
Calcium 83mg8%
Iron 5mg28%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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