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    Home » Vegetarian Recipes

    Butternut Squash Risotto with Kale

    Lindsay Moe

    12114 shares
    pinterest image for butternut squash risotto

    This Butternut Squash Risotto is hearty, healthy comfort food! Filled with roasted butternut squash chunks, kale, and creamy arborio rice, this is one vegetarian dinner that is perfect for those cooler months.

    a big pot of butternut squash risotto with kale and a striped towel
    Jump to Recipe

    I’m just gonna say it – butternut squash risotto is the new mac and cheese.

    Sure, it takes a little more work, but this is some fancy, dare I say healthy, comfort food that tastes like jazzed up mac and cheese. The rice gets so creamy, the white wine makes it taste like a dinner party, and the butternut squash screams wholesome fall flavor.

    I’ve been enjoying this recipe for years by itself, but it would also be delicious alongside stuffed mushrooms, balsamic tofu, or an easy vegan salad.

    arborio rice in a white bowl

    What is risotto?

    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.

    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.

    roasted butternut squash on a baking sheet

    How to make risotto

    Start by warming your oil and cooking the shallots and garlic. Add the rice and stir to coat it in the oil.

    Add the wine and let it cook off. Now add simmering vegetable stock, one ladleful at a time, stirring, until the rice has absorbed it. 

    You’ll want to keep adding stock and stirring for 20 minutes. The time is more important than the amount of stock you use.

    butternut squash and kale risotto in a big pot

    I always keep more stock boiling than I will need because it tends to cook down a bit in that time, and you don’t want to get caught without enough stock!

    Once the rice is done cooking, fold in the kale, squash, and parmesan cheese (look for a vegetarian parmesan if this is important to you). Be sure to watch the video to see just how easy it is!

    butternut squash risotto in a speckled bowl

    Butternut Squash Risotto can be customized! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

    • 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

    More butternut squash recipes

    • Butternut Squash Pizza with Kale
    • Butternut Squash Quesadillas
    • Butternut Squash Enchiladas
    • Pan Fried Butternut Squash Pasta
    close up photo of butternut squash risotto in a speckled bowl with extra squash and kale on top

    If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!

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    butternut squash risotto in a speckled bowl with extra squash and kale on top

    Butternut Squash and Kale Risotto

    Butternut squash risotto pairs a creamy base of arborio rice with white wine, roasted squash, and kale to make a vegetarian main dish that is anything but ordinary!
    3.75 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 320kcal
    Author: Lindsay Moe

    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

    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. 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

    Nutrition

    Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 1002mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3230IU | Vitamin C: 14.7mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2.7mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @theliveinkitchen or tag #theliveinkitchen!

    More Vegetarian Recipes

    • Apple and Honey Goat Cheese Appetizer
    • Instant Pot Wild Rice
    • Stuffed Mushrooms
    • White Bean Crostini Appetizer

    Reader Interactions

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    1. Marce says

      September 04, 2014 at 12:43 am

      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!

      Reply
    2. Christina says

      September 08, 2014 at 7:14 pm

      This looks amazing! Thanks for sharing. Do you think I could use brown rice or spelt instead? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Lindsay Moe says

        September 09, 2014 at 2:31 pm

        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.

        Reply
        • Julia says

          September 25, 2014 at 12:49 am

          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?

          Reply
          • Lindsay Moe says

            September 25, 2014 at 1:58 pm

            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!

            Reply
    3. LizzyK says

      September 11, 2014 at 1:41 pm

      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!

      Reply
    4. Beth says

      January 14, 2015 at 4:54 pm

      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!

      Reply
    5. Stacey says

      January 27, 2015 at 4:35 pm

      Could you leave the Kale out of this recipe? Thanks.

      Reply
      • Lindsay Moe says

        February 02, 2015 at 1:52 pm

        Absolutely! No alterations to the rest of the recipe necessary.

        Reply
    6. Cynthia B. says

      February 02, 2022 at 11:59 am

      It doesn’t say how many servings this makes, nor what a serving size is. Please let me know. Maybe I overlooked that information…?

      Reply
      • Lindsay Moe says

        February 03, 2022 at 7:55 am

        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.

        Reply
    7. Manuela says

      December 01, 2022 at 11:27 am

      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.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Lindsay! I've been creating easily customizable vegetarian recipes since 2011. I love the outdoors, brownies, and brand new books. I live and work in La Crosse, Wisconsin and founded Wild Flour Media to expand on my love for food photography and videography to my community and beyond.

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    12114 shares