Healthy Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto is a delicious, gluten free side dish that feels decadent but is actually good for you! Rich & creamy while being low fat, this healthy risotto recipe is delicious year round!
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Pumpkin mushroom risotto MIGHT just be my new favorite fall side dish. I know that typically we put pumpkin in pies, cakes, cookies.. and all things sweet- but it is SO so delicious in savory recipes (like our Pumpkin Soup).
PS – if you love pumpkin, you have to try these 40+ Healthy Pumpkin Recipes!
This healthy risotto is super creamy and full of flavor, but low in fat and made without heavy cream/ loads of cheese like most risotto recipes are. It’s much healthier!
What makes this risotto healthy?
- Less fat – traditional risotto is made with heavy cream, butter, and lots of cheese. I used less cheese and cooked the risotto low and slow in broth to achieve a rich texture without a ton of fat
- Minimal ingredients– This recipe only has 10 ingredients, all of which you probably already have in your fridge or pantry!
- Sneaky Veggies– The pumpkin in this is loaded with nutrients, and there are also mushrooms and onions so you get a full serving of veggies in each serving!
Even though this risotto is healthy, it totally doesn’t taste like it. It’s rich, creamy, and delicious!
Ingredients for Pumpkin Risotto
You’ll only need 10 ingredients to make this pumpkin risotto. You’ll need:
- olive oil
- chicken broth
- rice (we use plain white rice. you can also use arborio)
- white wine
- pumpkin puree
- almond milk
- onions
- cheese
- spices
You can find substitutions for all of these ingredients below in the green shaded substitutions box.
How to make pumpkin mushroom risotto:
Making risotto is a lot easier than you think!
- Sauté your mushrooms and onions until they are slightly softened.
- Add your rice and allow it to cook for a few minutes
- Add in your pumpkin, cheese and broth. Let it cook, stirring occasionally until all broth has been absorbed.
See! So creamy without loads of heavy cream and tons of cheese!
Tips for making healthy risotto
- Stir. Make sure to continuously stir the risotto to avoid it from burning
- Cook over low heat. Be sure to cook the risotto low and slow – you don’t want to overcook it!
- Use good quality cheese. You don’t want to be using parmesan from the green bottle in this recipe! Get a real block of parmesan and grate it yourself for the best results
We make this risotto a lot in the fall, but it’s honestly great all year round! This Healthy Lemon Basil Risotto is another one of our favorite risotto recipes.
Substitutions for pumpkin mushroom risotto
Here are some ways you can substitute ingredients in this pumpkin risotto recipe.
Wine: You can omit the wine and substitute it with chicken stock if you prefer to not cook with alcohol
Herbs: You can substitute rosemary for your favorite herb. Parsley, sage or basil will all be delicious! I highly recommend using fresh herbs! If you don’t have fresh rosemary you can sub with 1/2 the amount of dried rosemary
Mushrooms: If you don’t like mushrooms, simply omit them from this recipe.
Rice: White or arborio rice will also work in this recipe
Dairy free: You can omit the parmesan cheese from this recipe and use non-dairy milk but it will not be as creamy!
Storing Risotto:
Refrigerator: This recipe will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
Freezing: I haven’t tried freezing this risotto, but I don’t think it would work well. We don’t recommend it.
Healthy Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onion finely chopped
- 2 cups mushrooms chopped
- 2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth I use no sodium added
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan. Saute onions for 5-8 minutes until translucent. Add in mushrooms (it will seem like a lot, but they will shrink!), saute 2 minutes.
- Once mushrooms start to soften, stir in uncooked rice.
- Add in 2 cups of broth, wine + spices. Simmer for 15 minutes on high until the rice starts to absorb the liquid.
- Stir in pumpkin, milk, and parmesan cheese, stirring constantly on medium heat for 5-10 minutes.
- Add in final 1/2 cup broth and continue to stir until rice is cooked (Approximately another 5-10 minutes)
lynne says
One of my favorite fall recipes. It tastes so rich + creamy, you’d never know it is healthy!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you, Lynne!! It’s one of our favorite side dishes too!
Michelle says
Can this dish be frozen?
The Clean Eating Couple says
We haven’t tried freezing this, Michelle so I’m not sure. Sorry!
Kaitlin says
So dang yummy! I used almond milk and white rice as that’s what I had on hand and it turned out amazing and made plenty of leftovers. 10/10 would make again with 0 changes!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it! Thank you!
Tina Eavers says
Good