Healthy and delicious dairy free brown rice risotto is a wonderfully comforting dish that’s allergy friendly and vegan, too! This recipe is just right for an easy weekend dinner.Â
It’s January, and it’s chilly, and we’re all huddled into our homes as much as possible these days, right? (Unless you’re somewhere nice and warm, in which case, you probably want something like ice cream rather than risotto). :)
But if you are indeed in a place with subzero temps and frost and snow, then there’s nothing better than being cuddled up on the sofa under a cozy blanket with a bowl of creamy, comforting, dairy free brown rice risotto.
You may have read the title of this recipe and had a few questions. Dairy free risotto? Made from brown rice?!
I hear you. When we eliminated dairy from our diets, I wondered if I would ever have a good risotto again. But it’s very possible, because a lot of the creaminess in risotto comes from the starch in rice. So the rice plus the broth, plus the vegan buttery spread results in a delicious, creamy risotto.
As for the brown rice, I actually had a reader email me to ask if it was possible to make risotto with brown rice. I had to do a little research and testing, but the answer is, YES. Brown rice risotto is so good, and it’s a bit better for you than risotto made with white rice.
Because the traditional stirring and adding liquid bit by bit would take a lot longer with brown rice, it’s nice to take a shortcut where you let the oven do most of the work. Believe me, this is a time saver (and an arm saver), and it still results in AWESOME risotto.
You’ll make this in a dutch oven, and you’ll do some of the cooking on the stovetop, but then the oven will do the rest. And since you’re only using one pot, clean up is even easier!
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Recipe
Creamy and Comforting Dairy Free Brown Rice Risotto.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small red onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 32 ounces vegetable broth
- 1 cup short grain brown rice
- ¼ cup white wine
- 3 tablespoons vegan buttery spread
- 3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups frozen green peas
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Place the olive oil, chopped red onion, and garlic in a medium sized dutch oven. Cook over medium heat for about 7 minutes, or until softened.
- Add the broth and the rice and bring to a boil. Once it boils, turn off the heat and put the cover on the pot and place in the oven.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 55 minutes. Right before the baking time is up, cook the peas (either steam in a pan, or cook in the microwave).
- Remove the risotto from the oven and place on a burner turned to medium heat. Add the white wine, nutritional yeast, vegan buttery spread, and salt. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes or until the risotto thickens up.
- Drain the peas and add to the risotto. Stir well. Season with more salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Inspired by this recipe.Â
This dairy free brown rice risotto is:
- creamy and delicious
- perfect for a chilly night
- allergy friendly and gluten free
Don’t be afraid to experiment with this dish. Peas aren’t your thing? Try carrots, green beans, or even diced butternut squash. Want to add a little something extra? Go ahead! If you can do dairy and want to add cheese, you can do that. If you want to stir in some spinach at the end, go for it! Make this dish your own.
Malissa
Which brand of white wine do you like to use that’s gluten free for cooking? Thanks!
Sara
Hi there! I second the question about leaving out white wine. I want to feed this to my three year old and the internet gives mixed messages about whether cooking wine – particularly only 5 minutes on stovetop – removes the alcohol content. What do you think? If I just leave it out, how does it affect the final product?
Denise Morrow
Easy, nice and creamy.
Icela
What could u substitute for white wine?
Laura | Petite Allergy Treats
I love the idea of cooking this in the oven and using healthier Brown Rice! This is must try for us.
Kelly Roenicke
I hope you love it!
Maria
This looks yummy! I make baked risotto all of the time in my Dutch oven using regular Arborio rice. I put it in the oven at 400 for 20 min. Will have to try it with brown rice next time! I have used nutritional yeast & non dairy spread as well. Still tastes great!
Kelly Roenicke
Yum, sounds delicious!
Sarah | Well and Full
This risotto looks absolutely fabulous, Kelly! I love a healthified spin on my favorite carb-y dishes :)
Kelly Roenicke
Thank you, Sarah!
Betty
Hi Kelly – I haven’t been polite enough to say Thank You for your delicious recipes – Thank You for your delicious recipes:] – am intolerant to wheat, dairy, eggs and yeast!!! Would I use a combination of baking powder or bi-carb soda with apple cider vinegar instead of yeast or just eliminate it altogether to achieve the same result?
Kelly Roenicke
Thank you for your nice note, Betty! You can just leave the nutritional yeast out – it’s only there for flavor reasons. It adds a slightly cheesy flavor, but this risotto will still be good without it! You can also add any other seasoning of your choice. :)