Lemony Butternut Squash Risotto

The perfect creamy lemony butternut squash risotto — golden and creamy and totally delicious. Packed full of flavour and easy to make — it’s a winner!

I love risotto, as it’s so comforting and wholesome.

I wouldn’t usually make it on a weeknight, as I usually need a speedy dinner when I get home from work.

However, when I’ve got more time at the weekend, I think it’s a lovely cosy meal for a snowy Sunday afternoon or evening.

When I think about risotto, I think about huge amounts of butter and cheese. No doubt tasty, eh?

So how do you get you all that flavour into a vegan risotto?

My healthy squash risotto has tons of favour from the slow cooked onions, garlic and rosemary, is super creamy from the pumpkin and has a yummy cheesy flavour from the nutritional yeast.

Plus, adding the zest and juice of a whole lemon gives it so much flavour and a lovely freshness.

I really hope you like this one. It’s super tasty!

Love, Niki xx

Prep time: 10

Cook time: 40

2-4 servings

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Ingredients

For the risotto

1 medium butternut squash or pumpkin
2 medium onions chopped finely
2 tbsp olive
4 cloves garlic sliced
Fresh thyme
1 litre veg stock
150 g Arborio rice
1 tsp chilli flakes
Zest 1 organic lemon
Juice 1/2 lemon
1 tsp sea salt
Black pepper
3 tbsp nutritional yeast.
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.

For the topping

Roast squash
Handful crushed hazelnuts
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh thyme

Instructions

To make the risotto

Chop off about a quarter of the squash and slice into chunks- no need to take the skin off. Coat in a little olive oil, salt and pepper, then add to a baking tray, then bake in the oven on 180c for approx 40- 50 minutes until roasted nicely.
Whilst it’s roasting, add your oil and onion to a wide bottom pan and fry gently on a low heat for around 10 minutes until soft and browning.
Peel and de- seed the rest of the squash and chop into small cubes. Add to the pan with the garlic and fry for a further 5 minutes.
Add the rice, thyme and a splash of white wine to the pan and stir thoroughly to combine. Pour in about 400ml of the stock.
Turn up the heat a little and then keep adding more stock when the rice has absorbed the liquid. Repeat until the rice is cooked but still has a little bite and the squash is tender.

To serve

Add in the zest and juice of your lemon, salt, pepper, chilli flakes and nutritional yeast and stir to combine.
For soft gooey rice, cover the pan and allow to sit in the pan with the heat off for a further 5 minutes. Stir in the extra virgin olive oil.
Top with the roast squash and crushed hazelnuts.

Print Recipe

I'd love to hear your comments…

Jasmine

8 years ago Reply

Bake on what temp?
- Niki
  
  8 years ago Reply
  
  Hi Jasmin
  A medium heat, 180c
  Best
  Niki x
Nyembezi

9 years ago Reply

It looks delicious. I am going to try it. Thank you for sharing

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Lemony Butternut Squash Risotto

The Recipe