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    Home » Recipes » Italian Meals

    Vegan Spinach Risotto In The Instant Pot

    Published: Jun 9, 2021 · Modified: Aug 14, 2021 by Emily · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    This Vegan Spinach Risotto recipe takes all of the chore out of making risotto! No more standing over the stove and stirring for 30 minutes or more. Make this risotto in the Instant Pot and it only needs to cook for FIVE minutes!

    Photo of risotto in a bowl with a glass of wine and the instant pot in the background

    A big bowl of creamy risotto is one of my favorite comfort meals! Normally, this Italian delicacy is simple to make, but takes a while to stir. It's a labor of love. With this recipe, you get all the same richness and creaminess in just 5 minutes, compared to 30 or more.

    True traditional risotto is naturally low in dairy. Usually, the only dairy added is in the form of cheese at the end. This recipe omits the cheese entirely and uses vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. This can also be a great base recipe to add more to.

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    • Only 5 Minutes! Alright, I know I've already said it but seriously–risotto in 5 minutes deserves to be shouted from the rooftops!!
    • Dairy-Free Delicious - Most risotto uses butter, cheese, and (untraditionally but not uncommonly) heavy cream. This recipe is completely dairy-free!
    • Great Base Recipe - Since this recipe is so simple, it is easy to add other vegetables like mushrooms to change it up.

    What You Need For This Recipe

    Ingredients and Substitutions:

    photo of ingredients labeled
    • Extra Virgin Olive Oil - For the truest Italian risotto experience, be sure to use a high-quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil. For more fun, use a flavor-infused olive oil like garlic or basil. (Unpictured)
    • Shallot - Diced shallots are the best for this recipe. If you don't have shallots, sweet onion is the best alternative.
    • Garlic Powder - I used garlic powder sautéed right in with the oil, but feel free to use 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic.
    • Arborio Rice - For risotto, a short grain rice is absolutely necessary to release the starches. Arborio is the most common risotto rice, but Carnaroli or Vialone Nano are also wonderful options.
    • Dry White Wine - Be sure to not use a sweet white wine. This recipe only uses a small amount and the alcohol cooks out of it. But if you don't consume alcohol, using water or broth with a small squeeze of lemon juice will suffice.
    • Vegetable Broth - This gives the risotto most of its flavor, so be sure to use a good vegetable broth. Low sodium is fine as well.
    • Vegan Butter - Vegan butter aids to the creaminess of the risotto.
    • Baby Spinach - So easy to throw in at the end, but feel free to use another leafy green!
    • Salt

    Tools:

    • Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
    • Wooden Spoon
    • Knife
    • Cutting Board

    How to Make This Recipe

    Step 1: Sauté

    Turn the Instant Pot on and turn it to "sauté" mode. Allow it to heat up for about 1 minute.

    Then drizzle enough olive oil to lightly cover the base. Add shallots and sauté until translucent, about 1 minute.

    photo of shallots and olive oil in the instant pot

    Next sprinkle in garlic powder and combine with the shallots.

    Add in the arborio rice and immediately stir to ensure it does not burn. You do want the rice to toast slightly.

    Photo of rice inside the instant pot

    Step 2: Cook the Rice

    Once the rice is lightly toasted, deglaze the pot with the dry white wine.

    Use a wooden spoon or spatula and scrape any bits of onion or rice that are stuck to the bottom.

    Add the vegetable broth and combine well.

    Photo of rice with broth in the instant pot

    Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the vent to "Sealing."

    Cancel the sauce function. Then, press the pressure cook function (on high pressure) and set the timer to 5 minutes.

    Step 3: Natural Release

    After the Instant Pot comes to pressure and then pressure cooks for 5 minutes, use the natural release method for 10 minutes.

    To do the natural release, simply do not turn the vent to venting and keep it in the sealing position. The Instant Pot will slowly release pressure after the 5 minute timer ends. Basically–do nothing.

    After the 10 minutes of natural release, the floating pin should drop. If it hasn't dropped–don't worry! You can move the vent to venting and release the remaining pressure.

    Once the pin has dropped, remove the lid from the Instant Pot. The rice should be fully cooked and absorbed about 98% of the liquid.

    Photo of cooked rice in the instant pot

    Step 4: Finishing Touches

    Stir the cooked risotto and make sure nothing is sticking.

    Turn the Instant Pot to the "Keep Warm" function.

    Add the vegan butter and the raw spinach.

    Combine the spinach with the hot risotto until the spinach has fully wilted.

    Photo of cooked risotto with wilted spinach

    Season with salt to your liking, add to a bowl, and enjoy!

    Expert Tips

    • If the rice comes out a bit too "sticky" instead of creamy, feel free to add a few splashes of plain non-dairy milk.
    • Use this recipe and add extra veggies like mushrooms, zucchini, or tomatoes!
    • If you don’t consume alcohol, use water or broth with a small squeeze of lemon.

    Recipe FAQs

    Does traditional risotto have cheese?

    Yes. While traditional risotto doesn't use milk, cream, or even butter, it does typically include parmesan cheese at the end of the cooking process.

    What type of grain is the most suitable for making a risotto style dish?

    Arborio is by far the most common rice used in risotto. For other rice options, use Carnaroli or Vialone Nano. You can also make risotto style dishes without rice by using orzo, farro, pastina, or even quinoa.

    Should you wash rice for risotto?

    No! You should absolutely not wash the arborio rice used in risotto. Risotto is successful because of the starches in the rice. Rinsing the rice will remove those natural starches.

    finished photo of vegan spinach risotto

    If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like:

    Vegan Cauliflower Spinach Risotto Recipe

    Creamy Vegan Spinach Polenta

    Baked Spinach & Artichoke Dip

    Final photo of risotto

    Vegan Spinach Risotto In The Instant Pot

    This Vegan Spinach Risotto recipe takes all of the chore out of making risotto! No more standing over the stove and stirring for 30 minutes or more. Make this risotto in the Instant Pot and it only needs to cook for FOUR minutes!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, Italian, Vegan
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Pressure Release Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4 People
    Calories: 274kcal
    Author: Emily

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker

    Ingredients

    • 2-3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 Small shallot diced
    • 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
    • 1 cup Arborio rice
    • ¼ cup Dry white wine
    • 1¾ cup Vegetable broth
    • 1 tablespoon Vegan butter
    • 1 cup Baby spinach

    Instructions

    • Turn the Instant Pot on and turn it to "sauté" mode. Allow it to heat up for about 1 minute. 
    • Then drizzle enough olive oil to lightly cover the base. Add shallots and sauté until translucent, about 1 minute. 
    • Next sprinkle in garlic powder and combine with the shallots. 
    • Add in the arborio rice and immediately stir to ensure it does not burn. You do want the rice to toast slightly. 
    • Once the rice is lightly toasted, deglaze the pot with the dry white wine. 
    • Use a wooden spoon or spatula and scrape any bits of onion or rice that are stuck to the bottom. 
    • Add the vegetable broth and combine well. 
    • Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the vent to "Sealing." 
    • Cancel the sauté function. Then, press the pressure cook function (on high pressure) and set the timer to 5 minutes. 
    • After the Instant Pot comes to pressure and then pressure cooks for 5 minutes, use the natural release method for 10 minutes. 
    • To do the natural release, simply do not turn the vent to venting and keep it in the sealing position. The Instant Pot will slowly release pressure after the 5 minute timer ends.
    • After the 10 minutes of natural release, the floating pin should drop.
    • If it hasn't dropped–don't worry. You can move the vent to venting and release the remaining pressure. 
    • Once the pin has dropped, remove the lid from the Instant Pot. The rice should be fully cooked and absorbed about 98% of the liquid
    • Stir the cooked risotto and make sure nothing is sticking. 
    • Turn the Instant Pot to the "Keep Warm" function. 
    • Add the vegan butter and the raw spinach. 
    • Combine the spinach with the hot risotto until the spinach has fully wilted. 
    • Season with salt to your liking, add to a bowl, and enjoy! 

    Notes

    Recipe copyright Legally Healthy Blonde. For educational or personal use only.
    • If the rice comes out a bit too "sticky" instead of creamy, feel free to add a few splashes of plain non-dairy milk.
    • Use this recipe and add extra veggies like mushrooms, zucchini, or tomatoes!
    • If you don’t consume alcohol, use water or broth with a small squeeze of lemon.
    • Nutrition Information is for 1 serving, which is ¼th of this recipe. 
      • Calories: 274 cal
      • Total Fat: 11.3 grams
      • Total Carb: 40.9 grams
      • Protein: 3.6 grams

    Nutrition

    Calories: 274kcal
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @LegallyHealthyBlonde or tag #LegallyHealthyBlonde!
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    More Italian Meals

    • Stanley Tucci's Spaghetti Alla Nerano (Pasta with Zucchini)
    • Lemon Caper Pasta (Vegan Option!)
    • Risotto al Limone (Lemony Risotto)
    • Risotto al Tartufo (Black Truffle Risotto)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Chrissy

      June 29, 2021 at 10:48 pm

      This was amazing!!!! I want more! Can I double the recipe or do I need to do anything different?

      Reply
      • Emily

        June 30, 2021 at 3:34 pm

        You should be able to double all of the ingredients and leave the cook time instructions the same!

        Reply
    2. Chrissy

      June 29, 2021 at 11:12 pm

      5 stars
      This was AMAZING!!!! We are not dairy free so I used regular butter and added some Parmesan cheese and it was SO good! My new favorite side dish and I can’t wait to try more risottos!!!

      Reply
    3. Dawna

      February 10, 2023 at 2:58 pm

      Would like to add mushrooms and asparagus to this - when do I add them? Do I sauté them with the shallots?

      Reply
      • Emily

        February 10, 2023 at 3:01 pm

        Hi Dawna! I think it depends how cooked or potentially "mushy" you'd be okay with the mushrooms and asparagus becoming. You could just throw them in with the risotto before pressure cooking, but they may overcook that way. What I would do is saute them with the shallots until cooked about 90% of the way through, then remove and set aside while the risotto cooks. Once the risotto is cooked, add the mushrooms and asparagus back in and combine so they finish cooking in the heat of the rice! Let me know how it turns out!

        Reply

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    Welcome! I'm so glad you're here :)

    Hi, I'm Emily! I am the classically trained chef-recipe creator behind Legally Healthy Blonde. I love fancy pasta, a good martini, and cooking impressive meals for myself and friends! I created LHB to share my passion of cooking and entertaining with everyone! If you love feel-good food that looks & tastes impressive, you're in the right spot!

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