This sweet potato pea risotto is a creamy, comforting dish that’s dairy free and gluten free. If you’re looking for something cozy to make this winter, look no further than this comforting recipe.
Risotto is such a delicious dish for the winter months. And if you’re dairy free, you might wonder if you can still enjoy risotto, since it’s typically made with cheese.
Good news – you can have a creamy, comforting risotto without cheese. This sweet potato risotto is very creamy and has a wonderful flavor from the broth, sweet potatoes, peas, and garlic.
I topped this recipe with gluten free garlic breadcrumbs for a little crunch. They are optional, but I think they are a nice contrast to the risotto.
Ingredients
- vegan buttery spread
- onion
- garlic
- sweet potatoes
- arborio rice
- white wine
- broth
- salt and pepper
- green peas
Substitutions
- If you can’t have peas, you can leave them out. You could also do green beans instead.
- Feel free to use butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes.
- Vegetable broth or chicken broth will work well in this recipe.
Type of Rice
You need to use arborio rice to make risotto. It is a short grain white rice with a higher starch content. Arborio rice is able to absorb a lot of liquid, which results in a very creamy risotto.
I used Lundberg brand arborio rice. It’s easy to find in the grocery store or at a health food store. The last time I checked on Lundberg rice, they were made in an allergy friendly facility.
As always, please call and make sure an ingredient is safe for your dietary needs.
Tips for Success
Risotto does take a fair amount of time to make. Don’t rush the process! Take your time. Add the warm broth, and stir, stir, stir!
Since it does require a lot of stirring, it can be helpful to have a partner in the process. You don’t want to tire your arm or wrist out with all the stirring.
Taste the risotto from time to time. You don’t want the rice to have a hard middle. It should be soft and tender.
More Dairy Free Dinner Recipes
This recipe is part of my series, 31 Days of Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Egg Free Comfort Food.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Recipe
Sweet Potato Risotto with Peas and Garlic Breadcrumbs.
Ingredients
For the risotto:
- 4 Tablespoons vegan buttery spread divided into 3 Tablespoons and 1 Tablespoon
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 ½ cup sweet potatoes peeled and diced into small pieces
- 1 cup arborio rice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 6-8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¾ cup frozen green peas
For the garlic breadcrumbs:
- 2 slices gluten free bread dried out and crumbled
- ½ Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon vegan buttery spread
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
Instructions
- Saute the onions, sweet potatoes, and garlic in 3 tablespoons of vegan buttery spread in a large pot over medium heat. Cook until the onion softens, about 7 minutes.
- Pour the broth into a separate pan and heat on medium low.
- Add the rice to the pot with the vegetables. Stir to coat the rice with the buttery spread. Add the wine to the pot, and stir until the rice absorbs the wine. Once the wine is absorbed, add enough hot broth to the pot to cover the rice – about one and a half cups. Keep stirring until the broth is absorbed.
- Once the rice has soaked up the broth, add some more broth to the pot – not too much, just a cup or so at a time, constantly stirring until it is absorbed. Don’t add more liquid until the previous addition is absorbed by the rice.
- Keep adding broth and repeating this process until the rice is soft and has soaked up all the broth. The risotto should look very thick and creamy and there should not be excess liquid in the pot. Make sure the sweet potatoes are tender. You may not need all of the broth – once the rice is tender, you can stop adding more liquid.
- Once the risotto is creamy, add the peas, the remaining tablespoon of vegan buttery spread, and the seasonings. Stir to heat through. The peas should be cooked but stay fresh and green.
Make the garlic breadcrumbs:
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and garlic salt and heat, letting the breadcrumbs get crisp and golden brown. They crisp up quickly, after about five minutes.
- Spoon the risotto into bowls and top with the garlic breadcrumbs.
Jaren
Can I replace ‘vegan buttery spread’ with a healthy oil like avocado oil?
Darryl
Wonderfully delicious!
Shannon
This looks delicious!!! If I replace the rice in the recipe with dried California sprouted brown rice do I need to make any adjustments to the cooking instructions???
Kelly
I am not sure how sprouted brown rice will work in risotto, I haven’t tried that before. Sorry! Arborio rice is the traditional rice for making risotto, as it can absorb a lot of liquid.
Serena Ball
Looks DEEE-licious! And I agree: Sweetpotatoes are not just for Thanksgiving! Thanks goodness…as your yummy recipe demonstrates!
Kelly
Thank you, Serena!
Sarah
Your recipe looks amazing! I would never think to use a sweet potato like that… Hope you win!!! :)
Also, I will have to check out the others in the link-up too… so fun!!
Kelly
Thank you, Sarah! Yes, check out the others, there are so many great recipes!
Meme @ Living Well Kitchen
This looks absolutely delicious! I’ll have to try it with my leftover sweetpotatoes :)
Kelly
Let me know if you try it! :)
Janelle
Yum! I love sweet potatoes. :)
Kelly
I’m a big fan, too, Janelle!
Deanna Segrave-Daly (@tspbasil)
Yum – I’m a sucker for any type of risotto but never thought to make it with sweetpotatoes. Love the addition of those garlic breadcrumbs too :)
Kelly
Thanks, Deanna!