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This Pumpkin Risotto recipe post is sponsored by Lundberg Family Farms, although the content represents my own personal opinion/experience.
Easier to make than a traditional risotto, this simple pumpkin risotto is perfect to serve up this fall for a comforting delicious dish. Full of flavor, it’s quick enough to make for a weeknight meal with just a handful of ingredients, but fancy enough for a family gathering!
Did you know you can make risotto with Jasmine rice? Typically, you use medium grain varieties, such as arborio, because of their high starch content. However, you can also use varieties like Jasmine to make pantry-friendly risotto! And I prefer Jasmine to white rice because it’s less processed and it’s a whole grain, so it gives you more fiber and nutrients in general.
I love this quick version of pumpkin risotto that doesn’t require stirring or hard-to-find ingredients. It’s simple enough for a weeknight meal and a great addition to a holiday spread. It’s hearty, healthy and has an undeniably fall fragrant and taste – thanks to the sage and pumpkin!
Ingredients to make pumpkin risotto
- Lundberg Farms Organic Jasmine Rice: Jasmine rice works really well and doesn’t affect the cooking time much. Lundberg’s focus on organic, non-GMO and diverse grains helps create a sustainable food system! They are the highest quality grains. And I feel good about feeding them to my family because of their minimal processing and high nutrients!
- Pumpkin puree: Use pure pumpkin puree for this recipe, not one with added spice or sugar. You can also swap with homemade pumpkin puree.
- Vegetable broth: For this vegetarian risotto, I used vegetable broth, but you can use chicken if you prefer.
- Oil: For cooking. I used olive oil, but vegetable or canola will work well too.
- Onion and garlic: For a nice base level of flavor.
- Sage: Fresh sage works so well with pumpkin. It adds a great earthy and herbal flavor.
- Parmesan cheese: Use freshly grated rather than pre grated for the best flavor and added creaminess to the risotto.
How to make pumpkin risotto
Soak the rice
- Blend the pumpkin puree together with the vegetable broth.
- Pour over the rice and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Drain and save the broth mixture.
Cook the rice
- Cook the sage in oil, add the drained rice, onions and garlic.
- Stir and toast the rice. The Jasmine rice gets so fragrant with the fried sage.
- Add the strained broth, season and simmer.
- Once the liquid has been absorbed, stir in the cheese and serve.
Tips for making pumpkin risotto
- Add milk or cream. Since we’re not using high starch rice, it may help to add a touch of milk or cream to achieve the creamy texture that risotto is known for.
- Don’t rinse the rice. While I usually recommend rinsing rice to remove the starchy layer so your cooked rice is not sticky, we want risotto to be sticky! So, don’t rinse it. That will help enhance that classic creamy texture.
- Don’t overcook the rice. Once the liquid has been absorbed, your pumpkin risotto is ready. If you overcook it, it can become soggy and lose its notable al dente texture.
- Enhance the pumpkin flavor by saving it until the end. I like giving the rice a strong orange hue by soaking it in the vegetable broth and pumpkin. However, you can save a step and just stir in the pumpkin with the cheese at the end.
Frequently asked questions
Cooked rice is boiled in water, whereas the rice in risotto is cooked in stock and vegetables (in this case pumpkin). This adds an incredible flavor to the rice.
Traditionally arborio rice is used to make risotto, and you can still use that in this recipe. But I don’t always have that in my pantry. Jasmine rice works really well in it’s place and you still end up with a great texture and flavor.
Risotto is best served as soon as you’ve made it. As it sits, the rice will soak up more and more liquid and can become soggy. Leftovers will keep for 2 to 3 days, and can be reheated, although you may want to stir in a little extra broth or milk to loosen it back up. For best results, reheat in the microwave with a little liquid.
Learn more about what makes Lundberg Family Farms stand out from other brands of grains by visiting their site. Their commitment to bringing families together in the kitchen with nourishing, healthful grains
and snacks is one that transcends generations.
More rice dishes to try:
- One Pan Shrimp and Rice
- Stuffed Eggplant
- Wild Rice Mushroom Soup
- Jollof Rice
- Mexican Chicken and Rice
- One Pot Chicken and Rice
- Lebanese Rice
- Chicken Lemon Rice Soup
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Pumpkin Risotto recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
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Pumpkin Risotto
Ingredients
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup Lundberg Family Farms Organic Jasmine rice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup white onion minced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 5 sage leaves chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Combine pumpkin puree with the vegetable broth in a blender and blend until well pureed, pour over the rice and let stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the rice, keeping the broth mixture separately, and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Heat olive oil in a pot over medium high heat; add the sage and fry briefly, about 15 seconds. Add the drained rice followed by the onion and garlic, stir to toast rice, about 1 minute. Add the previously strained liquid, salt, and black pepper and bring to a boil, reduce to a very low simmer. Cover pot and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- Add the parmesan cheese and stir until cheese has fully melted. Cover and simmer for 5 more minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
