Take advantage of seasonal summer produce with this lighter Summer inspired Zucchini Squash Risotto.
Risotto is one of my favorite comfort foods. Sometimes it can be a little heavy though, even some vegan recipes which sometimes use cashew cream for that added creaminess.
Don't get me wrong I love cashew cream but since it is the middle of Summer, I am trying to keep things on the lighter side.
This Zucchini Squash Risotto is full of fresh veggies and loaded with lots of fresh herbs.
I wanted the ratio of vegetables to arborio rice to be about equal. Seasonal zucchini and summer squash are the real highlights of the dish.
Whenever I am trying to add a lot of flavor to a recipe but don't want to add a tone of extra calories, fresh herbs are my go-to. Using fresh basil and parsley add lots of flavor without adding a ton of extra calories.
I used a homemade vegetable broth that was lighter in color. If you broth is deeper in color, the risotto won't be as light in color.
For a little cheesy flavor, I added a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast. If you aren't that much into using nutritional yeast, it is ok to leave it out. I just happen to really like adding it to recipes when I want a little extra cheesy flavor.
This Zucchini Squash Risotto is:
Packed full of veggies
Bursting with fresh herbs
Satisfying plant-based meal
Also naturally gluten-free!
Zucchini Squash Risotto
Take advantage of seasonal summer produce with this lighter Summer inspired Zucchini Squash Risotto. A satisfying plant-based entree that is naturally gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion, finely diced
- 1 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 ½ Cups Arborio Rice
- ½ Cup White Wine
- 5-7 Cups Vegetable Broth, warmed
- 2 Medium Zucchini, diced small
- 2 Small Yellow Squash, diced small
- ¾ Cup Parsley, chopped
- ¾ Cup Basil, chiffonade
- 2 Tablespoon Nutritional Yeast, optional
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable broth in a saucepan until warm.
- Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large dutch oven. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the arborio rice and toast the rice for 3-4 minutes. Pour in the wine and stir. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated. Lower heat to medium.
- Add a ladleful of the broth and cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue stirring and adding the hot broth a ladleful at a time, until the liquid is absorbed each time before adding more.
- You might not need all the broth. When you add the the last third of the broth, add in the zucchini and squash. Continue cooking until the rice is tender and creamy, about 18-24 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from heat and add the parsley, basil, and nutritional yeast if using.
Xo Jeni
Jojo
This looks so gorgeous! Such a perfect summer recipe, I usually go for asparagus in my summer risottos but I love the idea of courgette and summer squash (although I don't think the latter is something that's easy to find in the UK)
Waller
This looks perfect. How much arborio rice did you use?
Jeni
1 1/2 Cups Arborio Rice. Somehow I must have missed adding the rice to the recipe.
Jennifer
This looks great, and I want to try to make it. One question though, how much rice should I use? I might just be missing it, but I don't see it. Thanks!
Jeni
Somehow I must have just forgot to add the rice to the recipe. Thank you so much for catching my error! It is 1 1/2 cups arborio rice for the recipe.
Thanks again for letting me know. Sometimes these errors happened.
Sydney
Any substitution recommendation for the wine? I don't have any and want to cook this today. I might just add extra broth. 🙂 thanks!
Jeni
You can sub more broth!