Easy Risotto Recipe with Butternut Squash and Green Beans

A truly easy risotto recipe! No standing over the pot stirring and stirring for this dish. This creamy risotto with butternut squash and green beans is a delicious entrée or side dish. It is perfect for a weeknight dinner or when entertaining family and friends.

why I love this easy risotto recipe

I was never a fan of making risotto.  The slow process of adding cupful by cupful of stock to Arborio rice and stirring constantly while it was almost absorbed seemed laborious to me.

Inevitably I either had the heat too high and the stock was absorbed too quickly.  The result was a batch of crunchy, under cooked rice.

Or I had the heat too low.  My risotto ended up being a pot of mush after all my stirring and stirring and stirring. When I discovered a no stir recipe, this lazy risotto became a favorite dish.

There is no need to be tied to the stove to make a perfect risotto. With a hands-on time of about 10 minutes followed by another 20 minute simmer, the end result is a creamy rice dish that is a snap to prepare.

The addition of butternut squash and green beans are delicious, colorful, and super flavorful.

The squash has a slightly sweet and nutty taste while the steamed crisp green beans add a bright green splash of color and fresh flavor. A combination of both Parmesan and blue cheeses give this easy risotto recipe a sharp and salty edge.

ingredients and substitutions

• reduced sodium chicken stock ~ For a vegetarian dish use reduced sodium vegetable stock.
• salted butter
• onion ~ Yellow or Vidalia onions are my first choice. Skip red onions. When sauteed, they can turn the risotto a purple hue.
• butternut squash ~ Other hard squashes such as acorn, delicata or carnival are delicious substitutes.
• fresh thyme ~ Use 1 teaspoon dried thyme in a pinch.
• Arborio rice
• dry white wine ~ Chardonnay, pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc are my faves.
• green beans ~ Try green peas too.
• Parmesan cheese
• kosher salt
• black pepper ~ fresh ground is my choice. Do you have a pepper mill?
• blue cheese ~ I also like Gorgonzola or Roquefort in this recipe. For a less pungent cheese, try feta.

what is Arborio rice?

Arborio rice, an Italian short-grain rice, is the superstar in the dish. With its high starch content, it is ideal for any risotto recipe. When cooked, the rice becomes slightly creamy, each grain slightly chewy and firm.

the recipe details

This easy risotto recipe is perfect for beginners as it needs little attention. It was one of my most popular fall dishes when I was the chef at a quaint gourmet café.

My current personal chef clients love it too! It's an ideal low maintenance and easy risotto dinner recipe to enjoy at home.

Heat the chicken stock and set aside.

Sauté the vegetables. Sauté onion in butter until translucent. Add in cubed butternut squash and fresh thyme. After a few more minutes of sautéing, stir in the Arborio rice and cook and toast for 2 minutes.

Add the liquids. Pour a few splashes of white wine into the sauté pan and cook until it evaporates.

Now for my favorite step in this easy recipe. Add all of the warm chicken stock all at once. Bring the risotto mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. There is no babysitting this risotto recipe.

Just stir once or twice while the rice soaks up the chicken stock, and the butternut squash cooks to a nutty, earthy deliciousness.

Stir in green beans and cheeses. Add steamed green beans, grated Parmesan cheese and crumbled blue cheese. Taste and season with kosher salt and pepper.

suggestions and cooking tips

• Chicken stock adds rich flavor to this easy rice recipe. To make a vegetarian dish, use vegetable stock.
• Cut the butternut squash in bite sized pieces to ensure that it cooks in the same amount time as the rice.
• Fresh thyme is my first choice, but dried thyme is an acceptable substitution.

how to reheat risotto

It's best to enjoy risotto as soon as it is prepared. But follow these steps and it will be delicious!

• For each cup of risotto, bring about ¼ cup of reduced sodium chicken stock to a boil.
• Turn the heat to low and add the risotto. Gently stir until the stock is absorbed and the rice is warmed through.
• Serve with additional Parmesan and blue cheeses.

more side dish recipes

• Apple and Bacon Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Pomegranate
• Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Fries
• Easy 20 Minute Cauliflower Rice Pilaf
• Roasted Fall Squash with Cinnamon and Nutmeg
• Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey and Mustard

just one more thing

If you make this easy risotto with green beans, I’d love hearing from you all.

Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.

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