Healthy Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto
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Healthy Pumpkin 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 sweet treats, but it is SO delicious in savory recipes (like our Pumpkin Soup or chili).
PS – if you love pumpkin, you have to try these 40+ Healthy Pumpkin Recipes!
This healthy risotto has a super creamy texture and is full of flavor, but low in fat and made without heavy cream, butter, and loads of cheese like most risotto recipes are. The pumpkin 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!
liz’s tips for healthy pumpkin 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
Ingredients
Substitutions
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, short-grain rice, 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!
How to make healthy pumpkin risotto:
- 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!
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.
What to serve with Pumpkin Risotto
This risotto pairs well with almost any protein, like our Crockpot Turkey Breast or Crockpot Whole Chicken. It’s also great alongside Spinach and Artichoke Chicken or Slow Cooker Pulled Pork.
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.
Other healthy side dishes you might like:
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 grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black 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)
Good
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!
So glad you liked it! Thank you!
Can this dish be frozen?
We haven’t tried freezing this, Michelle so I’m not sure. Sorry!
One of my favorite fall recipes. It tastes so rich + creamy, you’d never know it is healthy!
Thank you, Lynne!! It’s one of our favorite side dishes too!