Vegan Farro Risotto with Butternut Squash

Name: Vegan Farro Risotto with Butternut Squash
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 small yellow onion (finely diced); 3 cups diced butternut squash (about 1 ½ lb squash); 1 cup farro; 4 cups water (divided); 4 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian Chicken (or omit and swap water for broth); 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; ¼ cup cashew cream (or storebought vegan culinary cream); 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast; 14 ounce can white beans (rinsed and drained, optional); homemade chile oil (or dried chile flakes)

By Desiree Nielsen, RD

5 from 2 ratings

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This comforting vegan farro risotto comes together on the stovetop without hours of stirring! Made with butternut squash and optional white beans for extra protein, this satisfying farrotto is perfect for guests or a cozy night in! I love it with a quick homemade chile oil.

butternut squash vegan farro risotto on white plate with gold fork — This vegan farro risotto is craveable, restaurant-worthy dinner with minimal effort!

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I try not to play favourites with my plant-based recipes…it’s kind of like saying you have a favourite kid. Buuuuuut…if I’m being honest, this incredibly flavourful, satisfying vegan farro risotto is one of my favourite recipes I’ve ever created.

Like, if I opened a cafe I would put this on the menu because I know people would go crazy for it. What else would I put on that menu? My vegan cashew alfredo never fails. Neither does the carrot, ginger and lentil soup spiked with Thai red curry. Oh, and the Blood Orange, Beet and Pistachio Salad from my cookbook Good For Your Gut.

Farro is one of those whole grains that doesn’t get enough plant love. Farro is an ancient wheat varietal that’s been eaten around the Mediterranean for thousands of years and it’s popular in Italian cuisine…hence this take on risotto, also called farrotto.

If you aren’t gluten free, farro is an incredible whole grain to get into your rotation. Let me put on my dietitian hat to show you just how nutrient dense this ancient grain is: just ¼ cup of dry farro contains 5 g fibre (making it a high fibre food), 6 grams of plant-based protein and minerals like 2 mg of iron.

Plus, it retains a satisfyingly chewy texture when cooked, whether you boil, steam or bake it so I find that it’s more filling that some other grains…which makes it fantastic for a vegan risotto! You can add in a can of white beans for extra protein to make this a complete vegan dinner.

And if you’ve shied away from making risotto in the past, fear not: you do not have to spend an hour stirring on the stove. Instead, you’re just sauteing the onion and squash on the stovetop, adding the farro and letting it simmer away. Magically, it will have that silky texture without all the stirring but I like to add a splash of cashew cream to take it over the top. A vegan risotto with only 20 minutes of hands on time? Sign me up!

Whip it up for a cozy night on the couch, or make it for a dinner party, along with my vegan caesar salad and chocolate mousse. This is one of those recipes that will wow anyone who tries it and they will never guess it’s vegan!

How to make this vegan farro risotto with butternut squash

Making this nourishing vegan risotto is so much simpler than you might expect. A couple of tricks to getting that craveable flavour: first, dice the onion and squash nice and small (about ⅓ inch cubes) so they cook faster. If you buy pre-cut squash to save time, just cut them smaller!

And instead of buying vegetable broth, make this with the recommended vegetarian “chicken” better than bouillon. It’s 100x more flavourful than boxed broth (and more affordable per serving!)

butternut squash, onion and farro in bowls — Just 10 – mostly pantry! – ingredients for a craveable vegan dinner.

Step One: Gather your (10!) ingredients. You’ll need a small onion, about 1.5 lb of butternut squash, farro, Better than Bouillon, dried thyme, garlic powder, nutritional yeast and cashew cream or storebought vegan cream. If you want, grab a can of white beans. And use chile flakes or, while the risotto is cooking, take 5 minutes and whip up a basic – and incredibly delicious – chile oil.

hand pouring farro into skillet with butternut squash — Start by sautéing the squash and onion and then add the farro to the pan.

hand pouring broth into skillet with farro and squash — Start by sautéing the squash and onion and then add the farro to the pan.

Step Two: Saute the onion and squash on medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent, about 7-8 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.

Step Three: Add the farro and saute for one minute, stirring constantly. Then add ½ cup of water and stir until it’s almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes.

Step Four: add the rest of the water, Better than Bouillon, thyme, and garlic powder and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to medium heat and let it simmer away, stirring occasionally, until the farro has absorbed most of the liquid, about 30 minutes.

Step Five: if using beans, add them now and let them heat through along with the cashew cream and nutritional yeast. Adjust salt if necessary (I find it’s not!) and serve with chile flakes or homemade chile oil.

Skillet with water and squash — Then, you’ll add the rest of the water and seasonings and let cook for about 30 minutes…no constant stirring!

hand pouring cashew cream into vegan farro risotto — Then, you’ll add the rest of the water and seasonings and let cook for about 30 minutes…no constant stirring!

Leftovers keep really well in the fridge for 3-4 days. Just reheat with a generous splash of water.

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