Ever since I learned about the possibility of riceless risotto, it has become a staple lunch and dinner in our home. In this type of dish, rice gets replaced with rice-sized ‘grains’ made up of a chopped vegetable. I’ve made it my mission to try making ‘rice’ of all kinds of veggies, and so far I’ve really enjoyed riceless risotto made with broccoli stems, cauliflower and rutabaga.
Many winter vegetables work very well for replacing rice in risotto, and winter squash is at the top of that list. For this version, I used kabocha squash and curry spice for their warming wintery flavors, with a healthy dose of kale. The result is a very comforting and nourishing dish that can work as a main or side.
Since preparing this post, I tried out different types of winter squashes in the recipe, and all of them work equally well. The only thing to note is that cooking time varies according to the type of squash you use (for example, buttercup squash requires less cooking time than kabocha), so I recommend tasting and adjusting as you go.
serves 4-6
1 bunch kale – stems removed, leaves chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 medium kabocha squash or other winter squash – roughly chopped, skin removed
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large onion – finely chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder (I used homemade curry from this amazing book)
sea salt
1 1/2 cup warm good quality vegetable broth
1 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk, plus more if needed
1/2 lime – juice
Parmesan or sheep/goat milk feta – to taste, optional
freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add kale, blanch for 3 minutes, drain and rinse under cold water. Squeeze with you hands to remove water excess, set aside.
2. Pulse kabocha squash pieces in a food processor into rice sized pieces. You may need to work in batches, depending on the size of your food processor.
3. Warm coconut oil in a large pan over medium low heat, add onions and saute for about 7-10 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add curry, squash and large pinch of salt, saute for 1 minute.
4. Add 1 cup veggie broth and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add another 1/2 cup veggie broth and cook for another 5 minutes. Add coconut milk and cook for 2 more minutes.
5. Add kale, stir it into the risotto and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste the risotto at this point. If kabocha”rice” seems not soft enough to your taste, cook it for another 2-5 minutes. Add more broth or coconut milk, a little bit at a time, if needed.
6. Remove from heat, add a generous squeeze of lime juice and cheese if using. Taste for salt and spices, add salt and/or freshly ground black pepper, if desired. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.
Kimberly/TheLittlePlantation says
What a great idea!
The pictures look lovely and the dish super yummy. Thanks so much for sharing.
Anya says
Thank you Kimberly :)
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Definitely need to try this! We’re making sooo much curry lately so a squash version would fit in perfectly.
Anya says
Thanks Katrina! Curry is the perfect spice for the winter.
Amy @ Parsley In My Teeth says
You had me at “curry” and “kale”, but a healthy riceless risotto puts me over the moon. Absolutely beautiful!
Anya says
Thank you Amy!
Lindsey says
Love the sound of this rice-less risotto! I recently made a buckwheat risotto that was delicious, but I love all the flavors going on here!
Anya says
Thank you Lindsey! Buckwheat risotto sounds amazing, I have got to try that.
Natalia says
Can’t wait to try it tomorrow! Spasibo tebe, Anya!
Anya says
Спасибо Наталья :)
thefolia says
You always surprise me with your delicious burst of colors! Happy Nesting.
Anya says
Thank you!
Laura says
Yes! Vegetables as rice has been one of my favourite food discoveries of the last little bit. Just as satisfying and so nourishing. Your broccoli stem suggestion sounds too good to pass up–we always save the stems for juicing, but a risotto sounds so much cozier.
Anya says
Laura, I save my broccoli stems for juice as well, which is such a great tip. Between this risotto and juice, I never end up throwing broccoli stems away :)
Josefine says
Wauw, grain free risotto sound so delicious! Definitely trying this
Anya says
Hi Josefine, hope you enjoy it :)
Rosalie says
Hi Anya,
I tried this recipe this night and it was absolutely delicious!! I love all the ingredients and put some raw ‘parmesan crunch’ from pine nuts, sesam seeds and nutritional yeast’ on top in stead of goat cheese or feta. Your cookbook is also fantastic!
Warm greetings from the Netherlands
Anya says
Hi Rosalie, I’m so thrilled you liked it! Your ‘parmesan crunch’ sounds amazing.
kristie {birch and wild} says
As usual, the photos are stunning, the food looks delicious and I am left inspired to eat nutritiously. Beautiful!
Matiilda says
Insanely good.
My boyfriend even asked me to add it to the weekly classics.
I’ll definitely try more recipes on your website.
Thank you.