This Roasted Butternut Squash on top of creamy saffron risotto sprinkled with crispy sage leaves is the ultimate Autumn dish. Not only are the colours the perfect shade of Autumn, but the dish is comforting, hearty and delicious, perfect for a crisp day.
Butternut Squash is the perfect winter squash for eating all Fall and Winter. Paired with a creamy hot risotto and savory crispy sage leaves, it makes an elegant starter or main course in cooler weather.
If you like this vegan risotto recipe, why not take a look at my Vegan Mushroom Risotto too. If you have a lot of squash or pumpkins to use up, why not try my Chickpea and Butternut Squash Pie or this Spiced Carrot and Pumpkin Soup.
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🎃Ingredients
This creamy vegan butternut squash risotto recipe has a few extra ingredients to replace the traditional butter and parmesan cheese that are in a traditional risotto. These give a rich and creamy umami flavor that ensure you won't miss any of the original flavors!
- Arborio rice or Carnaroli rice - are both types risotto rice especially grown in Italy and traditional for making risotto. They are short-grain rice that absorb the liquid and become creamy but retain their structure and a little bite. If you need to, you can substitute other short grain rice, such as paella rice or sushi rice.
- Butternut Squash - or any kind of good squash or pumpkin that has a texture that is good for roasting. You want it have a sweet and nutty flavor when roasted.
- Garlic- A whole head of garlic gets roasted in with the squash then squeezed into the risotto for a delicious roasted garlic flavor that is gentle yet utterly delicious.
- Saffron - this butternut squash risotto has saffron added to it, which adds to the flavor and imparts a little yellow hue to the risotto rice.
- White wine - not all wine is vegan, believe it or not. Many wines have better labelling now, but do check. If you do not wish to use wine check out the substitutions section below. Make sure to use a dry white wine that's not too sweet so you don't end up with a wierdly sweet risotto!
- Nutritional yeast - this adds a yummy cheesy umami (or savoury) flavour that would normally be given by the addition of Parmesan cheese.
- White miso - this also adds to the umami flavour and helps provide a savory depth that pairs beautifully with the sweet butternut squash.
- White Onion- the rissoto starts with sauteeing an onion in olive oil.
- Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil- a little for sauteeing then a hint at the end to replace the traditional butter.
- Veggie stock - this adds a great flavour to the liquid for this butternut squash risotto. Choose your own homemade vegetable broth, or veggie broth from the supermarket. I also like to use Marigold boullion stock powder .
- Fresh sage leaves- the final touch! Crispy fried sage leaves. Their savoury notes and crispy shards are the perfect counterpoint to this luxurious & comforting risotto.
- Flakey Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper to finish the dish!
See recipe card for full quantities.
👩🍳Instructions
Follow along to make the perfect creamy textured risotto.
1. & 2. Cut the top off the garlic, drizzle with olive oil and wrap in parchment paper. Chop and peel the butternut squash and add to a roasting dish. Drizzle with oil and any additional seasonings. Roast at 180c/360f until soft and caramelised.
Put the veggie broth into a saucepan over a low heat. Keep it warm as you cook the risotto.
3. Gently sautee the chopped onions in a large pan in some olive oil. When it is tranlucent add the rice and stir.
4. Put the saffron into a little container with some hot water to 'bloom' the saffron before adding it to the risotto.
5. Add the white wine to the risotto rice and let it absorb in. Then add a half cup of the hot broth at at time to the risottto rice and stir.
6. Keep adding broth and stirring, then letting it absorb into the rice until the rice is soft and cooked through but still has a bite to it.
7. By now the butternut squash and garlic should be ready. Squeeze the garlic out of it's papery casing and add to the risotto along with the nutritional yeast, miso and olive oil. Stir well. Check for seasoning.
8. Pan fry the sage in a little oil. Top the creamy risotto rice with the roasted squash and pan fried sage leaves.
Serve in bowls with more crispy sage leaves to top the risotto.
Hint: When frying the sage, only use a little oil and fry them in batches, carefully putting the sage leaves onto paper towel as they get crispy.
🌶️Substitutions & Variations
Here are some great variations and easy substitutions you can make to adjust this vegan pumpkin risotto.
- No Wine - if you avoid wine, mix together a little apple cider vinegar with sugar and add this to the risotto. It will give a subtle acid sweetness that helps balance the rich risotto flavor. You can also add a squeeze of lemon juice in at the end to help balance the flavor.
- Other Cheese -in place of the miso and nutritional yeast combination, you can choose to use vegan parmesan cheese or other dairy-free cheese.
- Extra Toppings- roast the butternut squash seeds and/or some pine nuts and use to the roasted squash seeds to sprinkle over the risotto before serving as a delicious texture contrast.
- Leafy Greens- Stir through some spinach or chopped cavolo nero into the risotto before serving.
🔪Equipment
You'll need a baking sheet and some parchment paper to roast the squash cubes and whole garlic.
You will also need a smaller saucepan to for the hot stock as well as a large pot or dutch oven to make the risotto in.
🫙Storage
Store any leftover risotto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Leftover risotto makes delicious Vegan Arancini, which you can choose to make cute or plain.
Top tip
The key to a really delicous risotto texture is the slow addition of the hot broth then the stir and repeat. Keep the broth warm to help it absorb quickly and top up with a splash of water if you run out before the risotto is cooked.
❓FAQ
Risotto is not traditionally vegan as it usually contains both butter and parmesan cheese. You can easily make risotto vegan by substituting the butter for olive oil and using a vegan cheese substitute such as outlined in this recipe.
More Squash Recipes...
Make the most of Squash season with these delicious recipes:
Sides to try...
Why not try one of these salads to along with the risotto?
📖 Recipe
Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto with Crispy Sage
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
For the Roasted Squash
- 1 butternut squash (medium)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 head garlic
- ½ teaspoon mild chilli powdee (or smoked paprika)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
For the Risotto
- 400 g (14 oz) arborio rice
- 1 medium onion
- 120 ml (½ cups) white wine
- 500 ml (2 cups) vegetable stock (plus more hot water as needed)
- 5-6 strands saffron
- 2 teaspoon miso
- 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Crispy Sage
- 12 sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
For the Butternut Squash
- Preheat the oven whilst chopping the squash to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
- Tip the squash & into a large baking tin. Drizzle with the olive oil & sprinkle over the chilli powder and salt.1 butternut squash, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon mild chilli powdee
- Chop off the top of the garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in parchment paper and add into the baking tin along with the butternut squash1 head garlic
- Pop into the oven and get on with the risotto.
For the Risotto
- Put the stock into a saucepan and keep warm on a low flame/heat.1 medium onion
- Add the chopped onions to a separate large saucepan with the olive oil and black pepper, and gently sautee on a low heat until translucent.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil.400 g arborio rice
- Add the white wine to the pan and stir until it absorbs into the rice.120 ml white wine
- Now, stir in a ladle of stock and stir until absorbs.500 ml vegetable stock
- Add a little saffron to 1 tablespoon hot water, allow it to bloom which will create a gorgeous bright yellow colour. Stir into the risotto.5-6 strands saffron
- Keep stirring and ladling stock until the rice is soft with a slight bight. This should take around 40 minutes. You don't want a chalky centre, but neither do you want a sloppy mess.
- Remove the butternut squash from the oven, it should now be soft with caramelised edges. Carefully pop all the now gloriously squishy garlic out of their papery case.
- Give the garlic a good smoosh and mix thoroughly into the risotto.
- Add the miso and nutritional yeast, and stir.2 teaspoon miso, 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- Taste & add more miso or nutritional yeast. Add a little salt & pepper to taste.½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
For the Crispy Sage
- Carefully fry the sage leaves in a little oil until they're crisped up. Pop onto a plate until you need them.12 sage leaves
To Serve
- Pile the risotto onto a plate, scattering over the butternut squash cubes. Arrange the crispy sage leaves over and serve proudly!
Kat (The Baking Explorer) says
I really need to try and grow my own sage as I love the smell and taste of it, and it goes so well with squash!
louise says
I love having sage in the back garden. I let it flower every year and the bees adore it too!