In the spirit of Fall, we’re making slow cooker pumpkin risotto recipe. Rich, creamy and dairy free (unless you add Parmesan).
And best of all, it’s a super easy risotto to make.
If you have ever made risotto before, you know that it can be pretty labor intensive standing over the stove stirring and slowly adding your liquid in intervals.
In this slow cooker pumpkin risotto recipe from my good friend Mike (aka @omgchampagne), you just dump in your ingredients and walk away.
It doesn’t get easier than that. While the cooking time is 2 1/2-3 1/2 hours (see important note in recipe), the prep work is virtually non-existent. Simply throw everything in the crock pot and let it do its magic.
The pumpkin is the star of this easy risotto. It gives a great hit of orange color to the plate and is perfect for a main or side dish.
Pumpkin is also very high in Vitamin A for added nutrition. Make sure you use canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
It’s best to serve the slow cooker pumpkin risotto right away as the longer you let it sit around, the less al dente it becomes. Serve with a salad and some roasted pumpkin seeds on the side. Or as one of the vegetarian Thanksgiving side dish recipes on your buffet table.
Tailor To Your Taste
If you want to get fancy, you can add some sauteed mushrooms and onions to the mixture before turning on the crock pot.
Garnish the risotto with parsley, chives or fried sage
Add Parmesan cheese, stirring it directly into the risotto when complete or sprinkled on top.
In the spirit of Fall, we're making slow cooker pumpkin risotto. Rich, creamy and dairy free (unless you add Parmesan). And best of all, so easy to make.
1can of Pumpkin (398 ml) or pumpkin pureeNot pumpkin pie filling!
1 1/4cupArborio Rice
4Garlic Cloves, minced
1/4cupWhite Wine
1/4cupOlive Oil
pinchSalt & Pepper
3 1/2cupsVegetable Broth(or chicken broth)
1/3cupParmesan Cheese, grated (optional)
garnish: chopped parsley, chives or fried sage
Instructions
PREP: Put all ingredients (except Parmesan cheese) into slower cooker and give it a stir (put in the vegetable broth last without stirring it).
COOK RISOTTO: Put the slow cooker on the high setting and let it cook for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. (Note 1)
FINISH: When finished, stir in your Parmesan cheese if using and serve right away. The longer it sits around, the less al dente it will become.
Recipe Notes
Slow Cooker Times: We've tried this recipe with different slow cookers and the times varied from 2 to 4 hours (the longer time included a couple of peaks under the lid). As with all slow cookers, every time you lift the lid, you add 30 minutes or more of cooking time). So don't peak!Nutrition values are estimates and don't include the optional Parmesan cheese and garnishes.
Hi Nicole, The timing will largely depend on your slow cooker – temperatures can be different and size makes a difference as well. I would check the risotto after the time in the recipe, then add a bit of time, and keep checking every 10 minutes or so. Sorry I can’t be more specific. Good luck. I hope it works out.
Hi Kate, I haven’t tried it with fresh pumpkin, but I think you should be fine with it if you dice it small e.g. 1/4 inch. Cooking time should be about the same this way. Hope that helps.
Good morning. How many servings for a main dish would this make? Want to make it for a 2 night meal for my husband, myself and 2 little ones. Not sure if I should double the recipe or not. Going to make it in a few hours. Thanks!
If you have ever made risotto before, you know that it can be pretty labor intensive standing over the stove stirring and slowly adding your liquid in intervals.
In this slow cooker pumpkin risotto recipe from my good friend Mike (aka @omgchampagne), you just dump in your ingredients and walk away.
It doesn’t get easier than that. While the cooking time is 2 1/2-3 1/2 hours (see important note in recipe), the prep work is virtually non-existent. Simply throw everything in the crock pot and let it do its magic.
The pumpkin is the star of this easy risotto. It gives a great hit of orange color to the plate and is perfect for a main or side dish.
Pumpkin is also very high in Vitamin A for added nutrition. Make sure you use canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
It’s best to serve the slow cooker pumpkin risotto right away as the longer you let it sit around, the less al dente it becomes. Serve with a salad and some roasted pumpkin seeds on the side. Or as one of the vegetarian Thanksgiving side dish recipes on your buffet table.
How long should you cook it if you double the recipe?
Hi Nicole, The timing will largely depend on your slow cooker – temperatures can be different and size makes a difference as well. I would check the risotto after the time in the recipe, then add a bit of time, and keep checking every 10 minutes or so. Sorry I can’t be more specific. Good luck. I hope it works out.
Could you put pieces of uncooked pumpkin in this recipe instead of canned or pureed and cook for longer?
Hi Kate, I haven’t tried it with fresh pumpkin, but I think you should be fine with it if you dice it small e.g. 1/4 inch. Cooking time should be about the same this way. Hope that helps.
Good morning. How many servings for a main dish would this make? Want to make it for a 2 night meal for my husband, myself and 2 little ones. Not sure if I should double the recipe or not. Going to make it in a few hours. Thanks!