Creamy CrockPot Pumpkin Risotto

This is a guest post from Beth at Tasty Yummies. See her bio below and make sure to visit her fabulous website. We at TBP think Beth is quite incredible!! We know you’ll agree after trying her pumpkin risotto.

I am sure some of you get sick of all the pumpkin recipes this time of year, but for me, I simply cannot get enough of them. I want pumpkin everything! Though as much fun as the sweet recipes are to make and share, I still prefer savory over sweet, every single time. So, I wanted to come up with a fun, easy and comforting savory pumpkin recipe to share with you guys.

This easy-to-make crock-pot pumpkin risotto makes standing over the stove, slaving over each ladle of broth for a traditional risotto, seem pretty silly. I love risotto and it is always worth the time, but usually with all of the attention it deserves, by the time it is ready to serve, I have very little interest in actually sitting down and enjoying a hot meal. Plus, to be totally honest, I always love a good reason to pull out the crock-pot. It is, after all, the closest I will ever come to my own personal chef.

This risotto is creamy, rich and comforting without any dairy at all. It’s quite unbelievable that this is not only gluten-free, but it is also vegan. The roast pumpkin and the pumpkin puree and not only provide a beautiful rich autumn-inspired hue to the dish, but a delicious hearty flavor. If you aren’t vegan and/or dairy-free this would also be quite delicious with a good chicken stock and some Parmigiano-Reggiano at the end, though I can say with confidence neither are needed or missed.

What is your favorite way to enjoy pumpkin?

Creamy Crock-Pot Pumpkin Risotto – Gluten-free + Vegan
serves 6-8

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 leek, cleaned, halved the long way then thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
1 small onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
1 teaspoon sea salt
5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, split in half.
1 cup pumpkin puree, canned or fresh (here’s how to make fresh)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small pie pumpkin, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1-inch cubes
salt and pepper

Optional – 1/2 to 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese — preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano

Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat and sauté the leeks, onions and red bell pepper until they have softened up a bit, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two, then add all of the veggies to the crock-pot. Next pout the wine into the pan that the veggies were cooked in and scrape up any leftover bits in the pan, then add in the rice, stir around and cook until all of the wine has been absorbed. Add the rice to the slow cooker along with the broth, salt and half of the fresh thyme. Cover and cook on HIGH for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until all the liquid is absorbed.

While the risotto is cooking roast the pumpkin. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Toss the pumpkin cubes with olive oil and a little salt, and roast for 30-40 minutes until lightly browned and tender. Stirring after 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Just before serving, stir in the pumpkin puree, roasted pumpkin and the remaining thyme. If you are adding cheese, add it now. Stir it all together, cover and let sit for another 3-5 minutes, then serve.

Hi! I am Beth, the lady behind the blog Tasty Yummies. I am a yoga-obsessed graphic designer, illustrator and printmaker living in Western New York with my hubby and business partner, Mark, our mini bull terrier, Seri and two cats Indie and Jpeg. I have been gluten-free for nearly 8 years after finding I had an intolerance. In addition to a fully gluten-free diet, over 2 years ago I decided to make a huge lifestyle change and cut out all processed and packaged foods and quickly lost 30lbs and recently in the last year, I also cut out dairy. I consider myself to be a “conscientious omnivore”, though I eat a mostly vegan diet. I love cooking and I love sharing my food with the people I love.

You can find me on Twitter  and Facebook.