Creamy Vegan Risotto (No Butter, No Cheese)
A creamy vegan risotto where good olive oil does the work of butter, folding in that glossy, luxurious texture, with nutritional yeast for a savory, cheesy depth. Naturally dairy-free and ready in about 40 minutes.
Recipe Success Tips
Keep your broth hot and ready.
Warm the vegetable broth in a separate pot and hold it at a gentle simmer beside the risotto. Ladling in hot broth keeps the rice cooking at a steady temperature, so the grains soften evenly and release their starch instead of seizing up when cold liquid hits the pan.
Toast the rice before any liquid goes in.
Stir the arborio in the oil for about two minutes until the edges look translucent and the pan smells nutty. This step sets up the risotto's structure, helping each grain stay separate and giving the finished dish its signature bite.
Add broth one ladle at a time.
Risotto cannot be rushed. Pour in roughly half a cup of hot broth, stir until it is almost fully absorbed, then add the next ladle. The slow coaxing of starch out of the rice is what builds the creaminess, no dairy required.
Finish with olive oil instead of butter.
The final swirl of oil off the heat is the mantecatura, the step that makes risotto glossy and luxurious. Beating in a good extra virgin olive oil at the end delivers that same silky finish while adding a fresh, fruity note butter never could.
Reach for a fresh, peppery bottle to finish.
Polyphenols and flavor are highest in a fresh high-phenolic oil, so a raw finishing drizzle from a recently opened bottle brings the most of both to the bowl. Look for that grassy aroma and gentle peppery catch at the back of the throat, which is the sign of a lively oil.
Ingredients
4
servings
- 1/4 cup High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, kept hot
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon, or to taste fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to serve
Kitchen Tools You'll Need
Wide Heavy-Bottomed Skillet or Saucepan
Medium Saucepan (for broth)
Wooden Spoon
Ladle
Chef's Knife
Cutting Board
How to Cook Creamy Vegan Risotto (No Butter, No Cheese)
PREP
1
Pour the vegetable broth into a medium saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer, then keep it warm over low heat beside your main pan.
2
Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic so they melt into the rice rather than standing out in the finished dish.
COOK
3
Warm 3 tablespoons of High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a wide heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, then add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. The smooth, balanced oil carries the aromatics evenly and rounds out the base without ever fighting the other flavors.
4
Add the arborio rice and stir for about 2 minutes, until the grain edges turn translucent and the pan smells lightly nutty.
5
Pour in the white wine and stir until it is almost fully absorbed, scraping up anything caught on the bottom.
6
Begin adding the hot broth about half a cup at a time, stirring often and waiting until each addition is nearly absorbed before adding the next. Continue for 18 to 22 minutes, until the rice is creamy and al dente with a slight bite at the center.
FINISH
7
Turn off the heat and stir in the nutritional yeast, peas, and lemon juice. Beat in the remaining 1 tablespoon of High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which stands in for butter in the mantecatura and folds the risotto into a glossy, silky finish. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8
Spoon into warm bowls and finish each serving with a thread of raw Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a fresh, grassy, peppery lift, then scatter with parsley and serve right away.
Recipe Notes
This risotto is a full meal on its own, but it loves a bright, acidic side. Pair it with an arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette or some roasted asparagus with lemon to cut the richness. A glass of dry white wine rounds it out nicely.
Swap the peas for sauteed mushrooms if you want a heartier, earthier bowl, along the lines of a wild mushroom risotto, or fold in blanched greens for a spring-forward version like asparagus risotto. For a nuttier, chewier base, try the same method with barley in place of arborio, as in this barley risotto, or keep it classic with a straightforward vegetable risotto.
Cook the base in the smooth, balanced High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is suited to everyday cooking heat and folds beautifully into the finished rice in place of butter. To finish, reach for the bold, peppery Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil as a raw drizzle over each bowl, where its fresh grassy bite lands directly on the palate.
Risotto is best eaten fresh, but leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of broth or water, stirring until loose and creamy again, then finish with a fresh drizzle of olive oil. Store your olive oil in a cool, dark cupboard with the cap tight to protect its flavor and freshness.
Nutrition Facts per Serving
Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 generous bowl (about 1 1/2 cups)
Calories
430
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g19%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Trans Fat 0g
Unsaturated Fat 12g
Monounsaturated Fat 10g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5g
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 520mg23%
Total Carbohydrate 64g23%
Dietary Fiber 4g14%
Total Sugars 4g
Includes 0g Added Sugars 0%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 38mcg4%
Vitamin C 14mg16%
Vitamin D 0mcg0%
Calcium 38mg3%
Iron 3mg17%
Potassium 340mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
The Best No-Cook Way to Get Olive Oil Benefits
Finishing this risotto with a raw drizzle of fresh olive oil is one of the easiest ways to bring its polyphenols and flavor to the table. For an equally simple daily habit, the Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement offers a convenient, no-cook way to get olive polyphenols every day.
Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement
$40.00
Add to Cart
Frequently Asked Questions
The creaminess in risotto comes from the starch released by arborio rice as it slowly absorbs hot broth, not from dairy. Stir the broth in gradually, then beat in extra virgin olive oil off the heat for the glossy, silky finish that butter usually provides. Nutritional yeast adds a savory, cheesy depth.
Arborio is the classic choice because its high-starch, short grains release the creaminess risotto is known for while keeping a pleasant bite. Carnaroli works well too if you can find it, holding its shape even better through the long stir.
Yes. Replace the white wine with an equal amount of vegetable broth plus a teaspoon of lemon juice or white wine vinegar to keep that bright acidity. The dish will be slightly less complex but still delicious.
Yes, as written it is naturally gluten-free since arborio rice contains no gluten. Just double-check that your vegetable broth and nutritional yeast are certified gluten-free if you are cooking for someone with celiac disease.
A good vegan parmesan works well as a one-to-one swap and melts into the rice for a similar cheesy note. In a pinch, a spoonful of white miso stirred in at the end adds comparable savory, umami depth.
Use a smooth, balanced extra virgin olive oil suited to cooking heat for the base, like the High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, then finish each bowl with a raw drizzle of a bold, peppery Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Finishing with a fresh, high-phenolic oil brings the most flavor and polyphenols to the plate.
Adding hot broth gradually lets the rice release its starch slowly and evenly, which is what builds risotto's creamy body. Dumping it all in at once boils the rice instead of coaxing out that texture.
Risotto is best served fresh, but you can partially cook it, stopping about three-quarters of the way, then spread it to cool and finish it later with hot broth. Fully cooked leftovers keep for up to 3 days and reheat well with a splash of broth.
Peas, asparagus, mushrooms, spinach, and roasted squash are all excellent. Fold delicate vegetables in at the end and stir heartier ones in earlier so they cook through.
It can be a nourishing, plant-forward meal built on whole ingredients, fiber-rich rice, and vegetables, with olive oil as its cornerstone fat in the Mediterranean-diet pattern. Keeping it dairy-free and finishing with a fresh drizzle of extra virgin olive oil makes it both satisfying and wholesome.
