Vegan Leek Risotto Recipe (2024)

Published: by Megan Calipari · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

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This Vegan Leek Risotto recipe is a comforting, dairy free one-pot-meal that is creamy and full of flavor. Its simple enough for any day but feels fancy enough for a special date night. Best of all you only need 9 ingredients to make it!

Vegan Leek Risotto Recipe (1)

Its always good to have a couple nice dinner recipes in your repertoire. You never know when you will need them. I love to make my Vegan Garlic Butter Cauliflower Steaks and Creamy Vegan Tomato Orzotto when I need something nice, but my favorite thing of all to make this vegan risotto recipe.

Risotto is a creamy Italian rice dish. Its one of those recipes that feels fancy, but its so simple to make. Its warm, cozy and this recipe is dairy-free, gluten free and vegan!

Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredient Notes
  • How to Cut Leeks
  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • What to Serve it With
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Expert Recipe Tips
  • Looking for More Easy Vegan Recipes?
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This recipe is one of my most frequently made recipes. Here are the top 5 reasons why I love it:

  • This vegan risotto recipe only requires 9 ingredients.
  • The risotto is creamy and absolutely delicious!
  • Its easily customizable- add any roasted vegetables or crisy tofu on top of the finished dish.
  • This recipe is dairy free and gluten free, so anyone can enjoy it.
  • And its fancy enough for a date night, but simple enough to make any day of the week.

Ingredient Notes

Vegan Leek Risotto Recipe (2)

Vegan Butter: I like vegan butter for this risotto recipe, but you can use olive oil if you prefer.

Leeks: Leeks are in the same family as onions but they are much more mild than a regular onion.

Arborio Rice: Arborio rice is an Italian short grain rice with a high starch content. As you stir the risotto, the starch is released and creates a creamy sauce and velvety texture. Arborio is the only rice that will make a good risotto.

Dry White Wine: Any dry white wine will work, but I usually go for a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

Vegetable Stock: I like to use Better Than Boullion Lower Sodium Vegetable Base.

Lemon Zest: A bit of lemon zest brightens this Vegan Leek Risotto recipe up without making it too lemony

How to Cut Leeks

Vegan Leek Risotto Recipe (3)

Leeks are one of the few vegetables that should be washed after cutting. They grow in very sandy soil, and dirt often gets trapped between the layers of the leek. So here are the steps to cut them:

Step 1. Grab a large cutting board and a chefs knife.

Step 2. Cut the dark green tops off of the leeks.

Step 3. Slice the leeks in half lengthwise.

Step 4. Slice the leeks into about ¼ inch slices crosswise. Then, wash and dry the leeks from here.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Vegan Leek Risotto Recipe (4)

Step 1. Sauté the leeks over medium heat in non-dairy utter until they are translucent. Add minced garlic and crushed red pepper flake and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

Vegan Leek Risotto Recipe (5)

Step 2. Add the arborio rice and toast the rice for about 1 minute.

Vegan Leek Risotto Recipe (6)

Step 3. Reduce the heat to low, then add white wine and cook, stirring frequently until the wine is absorbed.

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Step 4. Now, add about ¾ cup of vegetable stock and stir constantly, until most of the stock is absorbed. Repeat this process until the rice is tender and most of the stock is gone, about 25-28 minutes.

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Step 5. Once the rice is tender, add nutritional yeast and lemon zest and stir.

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Step 6. Serve the vegan leek risotto immediately.

What to Serve it With

This dairy free and Vegan Leek Risotto recipe is delicious as is, but you can also customize it with whatever you have on hand. Here are some things I like to add to it or serve it with:

  • Add a handful of kale or spinach and the end of cooking.
  • Or add some frozen peas at the very end.
  • I like to serve it with Vegan Maple Dijon Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
  • And of course, some Vegan Garlic Bread.

Recipe FAQs

How should I store the Vegan Leek Risotto?

To store, transfer the risotto to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Its best to reheat risotto on the stove top. You will need to add more vegetable stock to loosen it up.

What is the secret to good risotto?

Stirring. Stirring releases the starch from the arborio rice and creates that velvety, creamy texture that makes risotto special.

What does leek taste like?

Leek tastes like a mild onion.

Expert Recipe Tips

Its important to stir the risotto frequently. This action is what makes this Vegan Leek Risotto recipe creamy.

Keep the risotto at a simmer throughout the cooking process. You may need to slightly adjust the heat of your stovetop heat a few times.

Vegan Leek Risotto Recipe (10)

Looking for More Easy Vegan Recipes?

  • Beet Cucumber Salad (Vegan Friendly!)
  • Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges with Hot Honey Butter
  • Grain-Free Tabbouleh Salad Recipe (Tabouli)
  • Garlic Butter Butternut Squash Steaks

If you tried this Vegan Leek Risotto recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!

📖 Recipe

Vegan Leek Risotto Recipe (15)

Vegan Leek Risotto Recipe

Megan Calipari

This Vegan Leek Risotto recipe is a comforting, dairy free one-pot-meal that is creamy and full of flavor. Its simple enough for any day but feels fancy enough for a special date night.

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 438 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 3-4 Quart Dutch Oven

  • 1 2 Quart Sauce Pan

  • 1 Cutting Board

  • 1 Chefs Knife

  • 1 Ladle

  • Measuring Cups and Spoons

Ingredients

  • 5 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
  • 2 tablespoon Vegan Butter
  • 2 Medium Leeks, trimmed, halved and cut into ¼ inch slices this is about 4 cups of sliced leeks
  • 3 Medium Cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 ½ Cups Arborio Rice don't rinse the rice!
  • ½ Cup Dry White Wine
  • ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flake
  • 2 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast optional
  • Zest of ¼ of a Lemon
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste

Instructions

  • Pour the vegetable stock into a 3 quart sauce pan. Set it over a burner that is set to low heat.

  • In a large dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter and add leeks. Sauté until the leeks are translucent at soft. 7-9 minutes. See note.

    2 tablespoon Vegan Butter, 2 Medium Leeks, trimmed, halved and cut into ¼ inch slices

  • Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

    3 Medium Cloves Garlic, minced

  • Add the arborio rice and toast the rice for 1 minute.

    1 ½ Cups Arborio Rice

  • Add wine and red pepper flake. Stir well allowing the alcohol to evaporate. Reduce the heat to low.

    ½ Cup Dry White Wine, ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flake

  • Add the warm vegetable stock using a ladle in ¾ cup increments, stirring constantly between each addition and allowing most of the liquid to absorb before adding the next addition of liquid. See note!

    5 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable Stock

  • Repeat stirring and adding liquid until the rice is tender. This will take 24-26 minutes. You may not use all of the liquid and thats okay.

  • Remove from heat and stir in nutritional yeast and lemon zest. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

    2 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast, Zest of ¼ of a Lemon, Salt and Pepper to Taste

  • Serve.

Notes

This is going to seem like a ton of leeks! But they are very mild and will cook down so trust the process.

When adding the vegetable stock and stirring, you want to keep the risotto at a simmer the whole time. So you may need to adjust the heat of your stovetop a couple of times.

To store: scoop the risotto into an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To reheat, place the risotto in a pot over low heat and add a bit of vegetable stock to loosen it up, as it will get quite thick.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 438kcalCarbohydrates: 81gProtein: 10gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.03gSodium: 1267mgPotassium: 500mgFiber: 7gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 7402IUVitamin C: 58mgCalcium: 192mgIron: 6mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Erin

    I love this - I'm getting a lot of leek and kale in the veg box subscription I have at the moment and I've been looking for more recipes to use them up. Going to have to give this a try!

    Reply

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Vegan Leek Risotto Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can I use leek instead of onion in risotto? ›

Replacing onion and garlic in risotto

Replace onion: for an onion flavour you can choose to add the green part of spring onions, the green part of leek or chives to your dish. Unlike regular onion, which you immediately sauté in the beginning, you prefer to add these substitutes to the dish when it is almost ready.

Can vegans eat risotto? ›

Traditional risotto is made with parmesan cheese, chicken broth and sometimes cream which makes it very much not vegan friendly. This recipe uses vegetable broth, no cream and cashew parmesan to keep it completely dairy free and vegan friendly. If you are not vegan, try my gluten free parmesan risotto!

How much risotto rice per person? ›

As a general rule, 60g per person is perfect for a starter, light meal, or if you've bulked out the dish with other ingredients. For more generous portions, go with 75g each. Whatever type of risotto you're making, use piping hot stock – it means the grains will start to soften and cook straight away.

What part of the leek do you eat? ›

Mostly just the white and light green parts are eaten, though the darker green parts have plenty of flavor and can either be cooked longer to tenderize them, or used when making homemade soup stock.

How many leeks to replace an onion? ›

Sweet onions are better suited to dishes that require cooked leeks. Due to their high sugar content, they caramelize well, making them perfect for roasting or sautéing. As a general rule of thumb substitute one large leek with one medium onion in any recipe.

Why use leeks instead of onions? ›

Leeks are the mildest of the onion family and really shine when they're cooked, offering a lovely subtlety to dishes and a delicate, melty texture. Typically, the white and light green parts are consumed, while the dark green tops are left out, being full of fibers and hard to chew.

Why is basmati rice not vegan? ›

Is basmati rice vegan? A long, slender rice with a lighter fragrance, taste, and texture than jasmine rice, basmati rice served steamed or boiled is indeed vegan. Look for basmati in dishes from India, Nepal, and Pakistan which can contain non-vegan meat and dairy.

What is a substitute for cream in risotto? ›

A last-minute alternative if you're out of heavy cream and need it for a recipe is to combine milk and butter. It's an easy substitute that'll work for most recipes. The butter adds extra fat to the milk, making its fat percentage similar to that of heavy cream.

What cheese can vegans not eat? ›

Vegans do not eat cheese or any other dairy products because they are derived from animals. Dairy products involve the exploitation of animals for their milk, and so cheese made from animal milk is not considered part of a vegan diet. this includes cheeses made from sheep and goat's milk.

Why add butter to risotto? ›

La mantecatura is everyone's favorite stage because you add more flavor and creaminess to the risotto though the addition of butter, cheese or oil. Grab your rested risotto and cold butter or cheese, gently stirring until melted and evenly distributed.

Why do you put butter in risotto? ›

It comes from the Spanish word for butter and means to gently work something—usually a dish—into a creamy consistency by blending in some sort of fat or butter. With risotto, at the very end, melt some butter in a spoon of hot stock (or wine) and work it into the rice to form a creamy texture.

Do you add butter to risotto? ›

According to Salvatore, it all depends on the ingredients. The chef prefers oil over butter (and oil works particularly well with seafood risottos), but butter is better for vegetable-based dishes like Rampoldi's black truffle with mushroom or mixed vegetable and ginger risotto.

Can you eat too many leeks? ›

Additionally, leeks contain high levels of oxalates, which can bind to calcium and other minerals in the gut and cause health problems for people who are prone to oxalate kidney stones. It is generally safe to eat moderate amounts of leeks as part of a balanced diet.

Is any part of a leek poisonous? ›

Edibility: Flowers have a mildly bitter flavor and like young leaves can be eaten in small quantities raw in salads and sandwiches or cooked in tea and soups. Bulbs and stems can also be eaten raw or cooked.

What can you substitute for an onion in risotto? ›

Traditionally, risotto begins with sautéing chopped onion in oil or a combination of oil and butter. No onion? You can use chopped leeks or celery.

What is a good substitute for onions in risotto? ›

A spring onion looks like a scallion on steroids; it is the young onion before the bulb gets really large. There are different varieties out there, but they all work. If you can't find spring onions, leeks are a good substitute here.

Can you use leeks just like onions? ›

Leeks are known for their delicate taste and are often used to add a gentle onion-like essence to recipes without overpowering other flavors. They're frequently used in soups, stews, and various cooked dishes for their unique contribution to flavor.

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