Risotto is often considered a side dish, but when loaded up with the right ingredients, it can be the star of your meal. Butternut squash brings a ton of flavor and a delightful sweetness to the risotto while kale adds some heartiness with its high fiber content. In addition to the rice(I like to use brown rice), I’ve added some white cannelleni beans to add even more substance to make this risotto a complete one-dish meal.
- 1 small butternut squash
- 1 white onion
- 3 cups raw kale
- 1/2 cup brown rice
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 15 ounce can of cannelleni beans
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon sage
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and place face down on a plate with 2 tablespoons of water. Pop in the microwave for 5 minutes. This helps to soften the squash so you can more easily peel and cut it into small cubes. Be careful to let it cool before handling!
- Dice your onions and saute them in the olive oil with the cubed butternut squash in a skillet for 10 minutes. Add the rice, garlic, spices and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cover with a lid. Simmer on low for 30 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure there is enough liquid and adding more broth if necessary.
- While the risotto is cooking, wash the kale and remove the leaves from the long, hard stems. Chop the leaves. Once the rice is fully cooked, add the kale on top and put the lid back on, letting it steam for another 10 minutes.