Vegan risotto, a creamy and flavorful plant-based alternative to the classic Italian recipe, made with vegan butter and vegan Parmesan cheese.
This vegan risotto is one of my favorite plant-based rice recipes, along with my vegan mushroom risotto, vegan fried rice, and vegan jambalaya. It tastes gourmet, but it's extremely easy to make and perfect for a date night dinner.
Risotto is a northern Italian rice dish cooked with broth (usually not vegan) until it reaches a creamy consistency. Many types of risotto contain butter, onion, white wine, and Parmesan cheese.
As you can see, it's not a plant-based recipe, but don't worry, you just need to use vegetable broth, vegan butter or oil, and vegan Parmesan cheese. Keep in mind not all types of wines are plant-based though. Having this in mind, making vegan risotto is so easy!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Extra virgin olive oil: I’m Spanish, so I use extra virgin olive oil to cook most of my dishes. However, any type of oil is okay. I always use extra virgin oils when possible because they’re healthier.
- Garlic: if you don't like garlic, omit this ingredient and use just onion.
- Onion: any type is okay.
- Arborio rice: this is the type of rice traditionally used to make risotto, but if you can't find it, just use any short-grain rice. Keep in mind, that you may need more or less vegetable broth though.
- White wine: use more vegetable broth for an alcohol-free version of this recipe. Make sure the wine you're using is vegan.
- Vegetable broth or water: I prefer vegetable broth because it enhances the flavor of this dish. However, water is okay too. Making your own vegetable broth at home is a good idea, but feel free to use store-bought if you want.
- Salt: I used ionized salt, but any salt will do.
- Ground black pepper: fresh ground black pepper tastes amazing. However, I find store-bought more convenient and also easier to measure with a teaspoon.
- Vegan butter: store-bought works amazing, but you could also make your own vegan butter at home.
- Vegan Parmesan cheese: I used Violife, but any other brand or even type of cheese will do. My vegan Parmesan cheese also works great.
Dietary variations
- Make it soy-free: use a soy-free vegan Parmesan cheese. If you can't find it, try my vegan Parmesan cheese recipe.
- Make it oil-free: you could cook using some water or oil-free vegetable broth instead of oil, and don't add the vegan butter at the end of the recipe.
How to make vegan risotto
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet, add the garlic and onion, and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown.
- Add the rice and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add the wine and cook until the liquid is absorbed.
- Add the vegetable stock, ½ cup at a time (120 ml), and stir frequently. When the stock is almost absorbed, add more and repeat this step until the rice is ‘al dente’. It takes about 18 to 20 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, and add salt, black pepper, vegan butter, and vegan Parmesan cheese. Stir until well combined.
- Let it sit covered for 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
How to store
- Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 1 week.
- Reheat: ​​it can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. Add some vegetable stock or water if needed.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Risotto
Vegan risotto, a creamy and flavorful plant-based alternative to the classic Italian recipe, made with vegan butter and vegan Parmesan cheese.
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Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cup arborio rice
- ½ cup white wine
- 3-4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter
- ½ cup grated vegan Parmesan cheese, I used Violife
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet, then add the garlic and onion, and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
- Then add the rice and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the wine and cook until the liquid is absorbed.
- Add the vegetable stock, ½ cup at a time (120 ml), and stir frequently. When the stock is almost absorbed, add more and repeat this step until the rice is ‘al dente’. It takes about 18 to 20 minutes.Â
- Remove from the heat, and add salt, black pepper, vegan butter, and vegan Parmesan cheese. Stir until well combined, try the risotto, and add more salt or pepper if needed.
- Let it sit covered for 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately or store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Any type of oil is okay, but extra virgin olive is the best choice.
- If you don't like garlic, omit this ingredient and use just onion.
- Use any kind of onion you have on hand.
- Arborio rice is the type of rice traditionally used to make risotto, but if you can't find it, just use any short-grain rice. Keep in mind, that you may need more or less vegetable broth though.
- Use more vegetable broth instead of white wine for an alcohol-free version of this recipe. Make sure the wine you're using is vegan.
- I used Violife vegan Parmesan cheese, but any other brand or even type of cheese will do. My vegan Parmesan cheese also works great.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 44.5g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2.7g | Sodium: 1387mg | Fiber: 3.6g | Sugar: 1.9g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Janice says
Best vegan risotto I've ever tried!
Adriana @ Simple Vegan Blog says
Thanks for your kind words Janice 🙂