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 FIVE minutes!

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:

• 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like:

Vegan Cauliflower Spinach Risotto Recipe

Creamy Vegan Spinach Polenta

Baked Spinach & Artichoke Dip