Vegan Recipe of the Week - Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

This week's Vegan Recipe of the Week is the perfect seasonal dish of Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto. Warming, filling and perfect autumnal food for the darker, colder evenings ahead.

Here's what you will need:

Ingredients (serves 2):

Half a butternut squash

1 red onion

4 tbsp olive oil

600ml of vegan stock

50g of vegan butter (I used Vitalite)

2 cloves garlic, chopped finely or 2 tsp of Lazy Garlic

1 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp dried chives

2 tbsp dried basil

140g Arborio Rice

3 tbsp apple cyder vingear

2-3 mushrooms sliced

50g vegan parmesan (or make your own - recipe here)

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat the oven to 210C/190C fan/Gas mark 6

Separate the squash as shown in the picture. Keep the thin end with peel on and peel the bulbous end after discarding the seeds.

With the thin end cut length-ways into 3 pieces and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with half of the olive oil and then sprinkle half of the the nutmeg, chives and basil over the pieces, season and roast in the oven for around half an hour.

With the other end of the butternut squash, peeled, chop into small cubes.

Place the cubes into a medium saucepan and add salt, pepper and the stock. Put onto a low heat and leave to poach gently.

While the squash is cooking, peel and chop the onion. Then warm a frying pan over a low heat, add in the remaining oil and half of the butter and then saute the onions for a few minutes.

Add the garlic and rest of the herbs and some pepper, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Next increase the heat to medium and stir in the rice. Stir fry the rice with the onions and herbs for around 5 minutes uncovered.

Turn the heat up to high and add the apple cyder vinegar until it evaporates. Reduce the heat back to low and add the stock/butternut squash mixture one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Don't stir too vigorously as the rice will become mushy. Each time the stock has been absorbed, add the next ladle of stock until all of the stock/butternut squash mixture has been added and absorbed.

Once all of the stock has been added, stir the mushrooms into the risotto and cook for another few minutes until soft.

Turn off the heat and add the remaining butter to the pan along with 2/3 of the vegan parmesan. Stir and check the seasoning. Add salt/pepper as needed. Spoon the risotto into 2 bowls and get the roasted squash from the oven. 

Scoop the roasted squash from the skins and discard the skins, mash the squash with a fork and season with salt/pepper.

Then spoon the roasted squash over the top of your bowls of risotto and finish with the remaining parmesan cheese.

Garnish with some fresh basil leaves and serve with crusty bread. Perfect!

Eat and Enjoy!

For more of my recipes, click here. Please comment and let me know if you try this recipe, what other vegetables do you use in your risotto?

Big Vegan Love,

VVx