Vegan Black Bean Mexican Risotto
This Vegan Mexican Risotto is ultra creamy and delicious! It's full of veggies, spices, and flavor! A tasty meatless dinner the whole family will love!
Servings: 6
Calories: 338kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups arborio rice
- ½ cup dry red wine
- ½ cup pure pumpkin purée
- 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast optional
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup or agave syrup
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups cooked beans)
- 1 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen
Toppings, optional
- sliced avocado
- chopped tomato
- chopped cilantro
- diced green onion
Instructions
- Gently heat the vegetable stock in a sauce pan keep it warm on low heat.
- In a large non-stick skillet, heat the butter (or oil) over medium heat. Add the diced onion and red bell pepper and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, chili powder, cayenne, and black pepper. Stir well to combine and sauté 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until toasty.
- Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is fully absorbed.
- Add ½ cup of warm broth and stir until absorbed. Continue adding broth ½ to 1 cup at a time until it's absorbed, stirring frequently, until the rice is creamy and tender yet still al dente. This whole process could take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes. You may not use the full 6 cups of broth, but it's better to have too much than too little. Any leftover broth can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge.
- When you are happy with the texture of the rice, add the pumpkin purée, diced green chiles, nutritional yeast, if using, lime juice, and maple syrup. Stir well until creamy.
- Add the black beans and corn. Stir to combine. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes to heat through. Add additional veggie broth to loosen the risotto, if needed.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, as necessary. Serve hot with the toppings of your choice.
Notes
~ Warm the broth before you start and keep it warm over low heat.
~ Use arborio or carnaroli rice. Do not sub with another rice variety.
~ Cook over medium heat. It's a process, but you don't want the rice to cook too fast or it won't be as creamy.
~ Use just 1/2 to 1 cup of broth at a time and allow all the liquid to be absorbed before adding more. This will allow the starches to thicken and create a super creamy texture.
~ Stir the rice frequently, but not constantly.
~ Stop adding broth when the rice is al dente. Like pasta, it should be tender with a little bite, not mushy.
~ Add the beans and corn after the risotto has cooked to retain the texture.
~ To make this alcohol-free, simply skip the wine.
~Nutrition facts calculated without any toppings.
~Nutrition facts calculated without any toppings.
Nutrition
Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 650mg | Potassium: 660mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 6g