Rich and creamy vegan pumpkin risotto with mushrooms, fried sage and a pinch of nutmeg. It's a comforting autumn meal that's ready in just 35 minutes!
I love all things pumpkin. I am the person who starts cooking and baking with it in September, and forces myself to wind things down sometime in January (don't miss out on my vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!).
So, if this risotto recipe is the last pumpkin dish I make till next September, I definitely ended things on a glorious high note. This risotto is, dare I say, the ultimate healthy comfort food. If you’ve never made risotto, or never even tried it, this is the recipe to start with.
It’s rich and creamy, and the pumpkin and onions add a slight touch of sweetness. The garlic and fried sage create depth to balance the sweetness, and the pinch of nutmeg rounds out the dish beautifully.
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⭐️ Why This Recipe Is The Best
- Savory, umami, and slightly sweet
- Rich and creamy
- Healthy and nutritious; high in fiber; dairy-free and gluten-free
- Ready in 35 minutes
- Made with simple whole foods
🍄 Ingredient Notes
- Fresh sage leaves - Adds fresh herby and woodsy notes to our risotto
- Arborio rice - an Italian short-grain rice that's naturally gluten-free
- Pumpkin puree - Make sure to use pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling for this recipe
- Ground nutmeg - Adds a touch of warm spice that complements the mushrooms
📝 Variations & Substitutions
- Oil. Coconut oil, grapeseed oil, or vegan butter can be used in place of olive oil.
- Dried sage. Substitute 1 ½ teaspoons dried sage if necessary, although the flavor won't be as fresh and bright.
- Roasted pumpkin. If you have roasted pumpkin/squash cubes leftover from another dish, you can purée them in a food processor, and they will work great.
- Mushrooms. Use your favorite variety of mushrooms.
- Hazelnuts. Add ½ cup of chopped toasted hazelnuts before serving for a nutty crunch.
- Onion. Substitute red onion or 2 large shallots for the yellow onion.
- Garlic. Jarred garlic or garlic powder can be used but the garlic flavor will be a bit more muted.
🔪 How To Make Vegan Pumpkin Risotto with Mushrooms
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sage and cook for around 1 minute. Transfer sage to a paper towel to drain.
In the same skillet, add onion and cook until softened, around 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute for another 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Stir in rice, salt, and pepper, and cook rice until it has become toasted and golden, around 5 minutes.
In a small saucepan, whisk together vegetable broth, pumpkin puree, and nutmeg. Bring mixture to a simmer over moderate heat and keep at a light simmer.
Pour in 1 cup of warm pumpkin broth into the rice and simmer, stirring constantly, until the stock is absorbed.
Continue simmering, adding broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is tender and creamy-looking but still al dente, about 15-20 minutes total.
Remove from heat and stir in fried sage leaves. Cover to keep warm.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- Stir continuously. A key part of making risotto is to keep stirring when incorporating the stock into the rice.
- Keep your vegetable stock/pumpkin mixture at a low simmer. You always want to add warm liquid when making risotto.
- Make sure to use pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling for this recipe.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- How to freeze: Transfer to a freezer-safe container and store in freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
While Arborio rice is traditionally used to make risotto, you can use any short-grain rice in its place for similar results.
Traditional risotto is made with butter and Parmesan cheese, but it can easily be made plant-based by using olive oil and creamy mushrooms. For a cheesy flavor, nutritional yeast works very well.
Creaminess is created by cooking the rice in vegetable broth, using olive oil, and adding creamy mushrooms.
🍽 Related Recipes
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Vegan Pumpkin Risotto with Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3-5 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
- ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, washed and sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sage and cook for around 1 minute. Transfer sage to a paper towel to drain.
- In the same skillet, add onion and cook until softened, around 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute for another 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Stir in rice, salt, and pepper, and cook rice until it has become toasted and golden, around 5 minutes.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together vegetable broth, pumpkin puree, and nutmeg. Bring mixture to a simmer over moderate heat and keep at a light simmer.
- Pour in 1 cup of warm pumpkin broth into the rice and simmer, stirring constantly, until the stock is absorbed.
- Continue simmering, adding broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is tender and creamy-looking but still al dente, about 15-20 minutes total.
- Remove from heat and stir in fried sage leaves. Cover to keep warm.
Notes
- Stir continuously. A key part of making risotto is to keep stirring when incorporating the stock into the rice.
- Keep your vegetable stock/pumpkin mixture at a low simmer. You always want to add warm liquid when making risotto.
- Make sure to use pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling for this recipe.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- How to freeze: Transfer to a freezer-safe container and store in freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight.
Jackie
I can't get over how creamy this risotto is without any dairy! It's only my second time making risotto, and this was a very easy recipe to follow. A very comforting and satisfying meal!
Gastronotherapy
So glad you enjoyed this risotto, Jackie! It is very creamy, indeed, even with no dairy in the recipe. That's the beauty of risotto! Thanks for stopping by my site!