Butternut squash risotto with kale is the ultimate cozy, healthy comfort food! Made with roasted butternut squash, tender kale, and creamy arborio rice, this easy vegetarian risotto recipe is perfect for fall and winter dinners.
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I'm just gonna say it - butternut squash risotto tastes like mac and cheese for adults.
Sure, it takes a little more work, but trust me when I say it's worth it! This risotto feels fancy while still being hearty and wholesome. The rice is rich and creamy, white wine adds that classic restaurant-style flavor, and the butternut squash brings out all the best autumn vibes.
Enjoy this butternut squash risotto own its own for a satisfying meatless main, or serve it alongside stuffed mushrooms, balsamic tofu, or an easy vegan salad for a full vegetarian dinner!
Ingredients
- Butternut squash
- Olive oil
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable stock
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Arborio rice
- White wine
- Parmesan cheese
- Kale
How to make butternut squash risotto
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Toss butternut squash with one tablespoon olive oil and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast squash in the oven, stirring once or twice, until soft and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring vegetable stock to a boil in a medium pot, then reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer.
- In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for one minute.
- Add the rice and stir to coat with the shallot mixture. Add the wine, stir, and allow to simmer for a minute. Add one ladleful of the simmering stock to the rice and stir. Stirring continuously, keep adding a ladleful of stock to the rice as soon as the rice absorbs the last addition. Continue this for twenty minutes. When it is almost done, add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil.
- Remove the rice from the heat and gently fold in Parmesan cheese, kale, and roasted butternut squash. Serve immediately, with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
Top tips
How to roast butternut squash
The process for roasting the butternut squash is similar to making butternut squash puree. You'll want to cut your butternut squash into cubes, then toss with olive oil, salt and pepper before baking in a hot oven until soft and golden.
Add stock gradually
The key to making a creamy risotto is to stir in ½-1 cup of warm stock at a time, letting the rice absorb it before adding more. Keep your vegetable stock simmering nearby in a separate pot. Adding cold stock will slow the cooking and could result in gummy rice.
Make sure to stir the risotto often to prevent the rice from sticking to the pot!
How to store risotto
Risotto is best enjoyed day of, but leftover risotto will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container. It will thicken as it chills, so plan to reheat with a splash of water or broth to help loosen it back up.
I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Tips for customizing butternut squash risotto
- Add toasted pine nuts to the top
- Swap the kale for another leafy green, like spinach
- Swap the butternut squash for another type of squash or sweet potato
- If you prefer not to cook with alcohol, replace it with more vegetable stock
- Leave out the parmesan cheese, add a scoop of butternut squash puree, or use a vegan parmesan to make this a vegan butternut squash risotto
FAQs
Risotto is a creamy rice dish that is generally made from arborio rice (affiliate link), white wine, fat (such as oil or butter), and stock. It's very hands on, but easy to make and can be flavored a number of different ways.
Arborio rice is the most common rice to use for a creamy risotto. Regular long-grain rice or jasmine rice won't give it the same texture.
More butternut squash recipes
- Butternut Squash Casserole
- Vegetarian Enchiladas with Butternut Squash
- Butternut Squash Cake
- Crispy Butternut Squash Ravioli
- Pan Fried Butternut Squash Pasta
- Butternut Squash and Sage Pesto Grilled Cheese
- Butternut Squash and Sage Pesto
- Black Bean and Butternut Squash Quesadillas
- Winter Salad with Butternut Squash
- Butternut Squash Pizza with Kale
- Butternut Squash Puree
- Butternut Squash Rolls
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Butternut Squash and Kale Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 cup butternut squash, peeled and diced
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 quarts vegetable stock
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 1 tablespoon diced garlic, (about 3 cloves)
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 1 cup white wine
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup kale leaves, stems removed and leaves torn into bite size pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Toss butternut squash with one tablespoon olive oil and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast squash in the oven, stirring once or twice, until soft and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring vegetable stock to a boil in a medium pot, then reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer.
- In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for one minute.
- Add the rice and stir to coat with the shallot mixture.
- Add the wine, stir, and allow to simmer for a minute.
- Add one ladleful of the simmering stock to the rice and stir. Stirring continuously, keep adding a ladleful of stock to the rice as soon as the rice absorbs the last addition. Continue this for twenty minutes. The timing is more important than the amount of stock you use, you may have some stock leftover. When it is almost done, add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil.
- Remove the rice from the heat and gently fold in Parmesan cheese, kale, and roasted butternut squash. Serve immediately, with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
Tips for customizing your butternut squash risotto
- Add toasted pine nuts to the top
- Substitute spinach or another leafy green for the spinach
- Swap the butternut squash for another type of squash or sweet potato
- If you prefer not to cook with alcohol, replace it with more vegetable stock
- Leave out the parmesan cheese, add a scoop of butternut squash puree, or use a vegan parmesan to make this a vegan butternut squash risotto
Marce says
Hi.
I just wanted to say I tried this recipe and it was delicious!!!
My rice didn't end up looking as yellow as the one int he picture, but nonetheless it tasted amazing. I've never cooked with a butternut squash and what a wonderful way to start using it.
I did it in a vegan version (substitute the parmesan cheese for nutritional yeast/veganparmesan) and shared it with my non-vegan family. They all liked it, it was just delightful
Thank you so much!
Christina says
This looks amazing! Thanks for sharing. Do you think I could use brown rice or spelt instead? Thanks!
Lindsay Moe says
I'm not sure about the brown rice or spelt. If you've cooked them like risotto before and feel confident with that then go for it! Otherwise I would recommend cooking the substitution according to package directions and then adding the cheese, kale, and squash.
Julia says
Sorry this feels like a silly question, but the kale is supposed to go in raw after everything has cooked? Does it cook as it is being stirred in then? Or does or remain raw?
Lindsay Moe says
Not silly at all! The kale will soften a bit as you stir it into the heat of the cooked risotto. It will remain a bit of it's raw texture, which is one of the things I like about it!
LizzyK says
Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe! Risotto used to intimidate me but no mo re!! This recipe was easy to follow and it turned out wonderfully. Our all family enjoyed it...I hope yours does too!
Beth says
love love love this! Make it for the hubster because he's on a health kick. It also appeased me need for the creamy cheesy pasta. Great dish! Also your text cracked me up! Thank you!
Stacey says
Could you leave the Kale out of this recipe? Thanks.
Lindsay Moe says
Absolutely! No alterations to the rest of the recipe necessary.
Cynthia B. says
It doesn't say how many servings this makes, nor what a serving size is. Please let me know. Maybe I overlooked that information...?
Lindsay Moe says
Yes, some of this information is in the recipe card. There are 8 servings in this recipe, each servings is about 3/4 cup. It will vary based on how you chop and cook your vegetables.
Manuela says
delicious combination of kale, roasted butternut squash and toasted pine nuts! I cooked the kale in advance with some olive oil, because we don't like raw kale.