Easy Recipe: Dairy-Free, Vegan Vegetable Risotto for Under $1 a Serving

Add this creamy, comforting, flavorful vegetable risotto to your kitchen repertoire – It’s the perfect way to use up all those leftovers hanging out in your fridge for a romantic dish to serve.

In this version, savory mushrooms, bright bell peppers, and sweet green peas pair together extremely well – but feel free to use whatever vegetables are available and in season.

Made in 30 minutes or less, you can easily throw it together for a quick weeknight dinner or last-minute side dish. For an even more well-rounded meal, serve your risotto with some extra plant-based proteins like tofu, tempeh, or chickpeas.

While not exactly a traditional recipe (no butter or parmesan cheese here), this plant-based version of risotto contains zero cholesterol or saturated fats. Plus, it’s loaded with vegetables that are high in vitamins and minerals essential to a healthy diet!

Want to make this meal more budget-friendly?

• Replace ½ of the vegetable broth with water.
• Use vegetables that are in season.
• Skip the olive oil and use water instead.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Cost: $3.72 recipe | $0.93 serving

Vegan Mixed Vegetable Risotto

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil ($0.22)
• 125 grams of brown mushrooms, sliced ($0.25)
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced ($0.23)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.08)
• 1 teaspoon thyme ($0.01)
• 1 ½ cups arborio rice ($2.43)
• 6 cups vegetable broth ($0.18)
• 1 cup green peas ($0.21)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice ($0.09)
• Salt & pepper to taste ($0.02)
• Fresh parsley (optional)
• Vegan parmesan (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat vegetable broth in a saucepan over medium until simmering, then reduce heat to low to keep warm.
2. In the meantime, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium and sauté mushrooms and bell pepper for 3-4 minutes, or until tender. Add in garlic and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. Season with 1 teaspoon thyme, salt, and pepper to taste.
3. Mix in arborio rice and cook for 60 seconds, stirring frequently. Pour in ½ cup vegetable broth and continue stirring for another 60-90 seconds until the liquid absorbs.
4. While continuing to stir, add heated vegetable broth ½ cup at a time. Note: Make sure to keep the risotto at a simmer (not a boil).
5. Continue this process with ½ cup of vegetable broth at a time until the rice is “al dente” — about 20-22 minutes. Add green peas to the risotto with the last ladleful of broth.
6. Cook for another few minutes, or until heated through.
7. Add lemon juice and 3-4 tablespoons of vegan parmesan (optional). Taste and season with more salt and pepper to your liking.
8. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of extra vegan parmesan, fresh parsley, and lemon zest. Enjoy!

Notes: 

• You can replace ½ cup vegetable broth with dry white wine (check that it’s vegan-friendly).
• To avoid any pauses in the cooking process, make sure to use heated vegetable broth.
• Make your own vegan parmesan by blending nutritional yeast, cashews, salt, and garlic powder.
• For a less hands-on approach, add all of the broth at the same time. Just make sure to stir the rice fairly frequently to avoid sticking.

Nutrition: 1 of 4 servings
Calories 364 | Total Fat 8.8g | Saturated Fat 0.1g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 931.4mg | Total Carbohydrates 64.8g | Dietary Fiber 4.3g | Total Sugars 5.5g | Protein 11.6g | Calcium 24.9mg | Iron 1.1mg | Potassium 273.8mg |