"Enjoy this yummy Butternut Risotto recipe for a romantic date night with your hubbie. It's creamy, cheesy and oh so tasty! You'll love it!"
Saffron Butternut Risotto
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Cook time 1hr 30mins
Recipe Card
ingredients
- 1 Medium-sized butternut squash, cut lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Vegan butter
- 8 Fresh Sage leaves
- 4 finely chopped Garlic cloves
- 1 Medium-sized yellow onion
- 2 cups Short-grain brown rice preferably arborio
- 6 cups boiled Vegetable broth
- Pinch of saffron
- 1/2 cup Coconut milk
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons Nutritional yeast
- salt & pepper to taste
Optional
ingredients
- 2 cups quality melting vegan cheese
- Vegan bacon
- Pine nuts
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
Step 2
Cut the butternut squash in half, remove the seed and brush with olive oil, then place face down on the baking sheet.
Step 3
Bake for 30-45 minutes until the squash starts to cave in or you can easily pass a fork through it. Set aside and let cool.
Step 4
In a large skillet, heat the butter on medium-high heat. Add the sage and fry until crispy (about 5 minutes). Remove sage from pan then add onions and garlic to the sage flavored butter. Fry for 3-4 minutes or until translucent.
Step 5
Add the rice, letting it toast for about a minute, then slowly add the heated broth with saffron, a 1/2 cup at a time, frequently stirring until the liquid is completely absorbed before adding more broth. This will take about 45 minutes to an hour. Add more broth as needed.
Step 6
While your rice is cooking, when your squash has cooled enough to touch, peel and cut into cubes and add coconut milk to blender. Blend till smooth. A high-powered blender would work well here. If you have a smaller blender, then you might need to do it in multiple batches. Never fill your blender more than ½ full, or you'll risk having a big mess.
Step 7
When the risotto is almost done and rice no longer has crunch, add in 2 cups of the squash purée, nutmeg, nutritional yeast, cheese (if using), salt, and pepper. Garnish with sage vegan bacon bits, pine nuts, and freshly milled pepper.