There are a few dishes everyone should learn to make, and risotto is one of them. Many cooking shows portray it as the nemesis of home cooks, but it’s actually simple if you follow a few clear steps and resist the urge to rush. Risotto requires patience and attention: it isn’t a dish to prepare while multitasking unless you’re an experienced cook who has made it many times.
Once you master this basic risotto, a world of variations opens up. The method is a foundation you can adapt: add vegetables, mushrooms, herbs, or proteins to suit your taste and experiment confidently.
I’ve kept the instructions clear and visual because there’s little room for error. I included multiple images to guide you through the process step by step. A bit of scrolling will help you understand how the risotto should look at each stage.
Now let’s get cooking and make a basic, creamy risotto!
How to Make Basic and Creamy Risotto
The Greedy Vegan
Pin Recipe
5 mins
15 mins
20 mins
Ingredients
- 600 ml vegetable stock (about 2 ½ cups)
- 125 ml white wine (½ cup) – optional
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 200 g risotto rice (about 1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Start by heating the vegetable stock in a small pot. Bring it to a gentle boil, then cover and reduce the heat to keep it hot but not rapidly boiling. You want hot stock ready to ladle in.
- In a large pan, heat the olive oil and gently sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic over low to medium heat for 10–15 minutes. The vegetables should soften without browning. When the onion can be pressed down with a wooden spoon, add the rice and increase the heat slightly.
- Stir the rice constantly as it toasts lightly; the grains should become translucent at the edges and look like tiny glass beads. This step helps develop flavor and texture.
- If you’re using wine, add it now. Stir until the liquid has evaporated. The alcohol will cook off, leaving a subtle flavor. If you skip the wine, continue to the next step.
- Add the first ladle of hot stock and reduce the heat to medium. Stir slowly and continuously until the liquid is absorbed. You’ll know it’s ready for the next ladle when you can draw a line across the pan with your spoon and the surface doesn’t immediately flood back with liquid.
- Continue adding stock, one ladle at a time, stirring and waiting until the liquid is absorbed before adding more. This process takes about 15 minutes. Taste the rice: it should be tender with a slight bite. If you run out of stock before the rice is done, add boiling water as needed.
- When the rice is cooked to your liking, remove the pan from the heat. To create a creamy finish without dairy, stir in the vegan butter and nutritional yeast, mixing well. Cover the pan and let it rest for a minute or two to meld the flavors and achieve a silky consistency.
Notes
Risotto is best served fresh. It doesn’t reheat well, so enjoy it immediately after cooking for the best texture and flavor.