An impromptu dinner with my family last night lead to the creation of this fall inspired dish! This was actually my first time cooking with black rice (I purchased it from Trader Joe’s), and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it! It worked perfectly as a risotto, and I will definitely be using it again!

I’m excited to share that I was able to source half of the ingredients for this recipe from my backyard garden. I picked the kale, calamansi, thyme and butternut squash from my garden just before I got cooking. All organic, and grown with love <3 (If you grow any fruits or veggies in your home, share below, I’d love to read about your gardens!)

Substitutions:

• Quinoa can be used instead of black rice: I have made it with both and yes they do have different flavors, but both are delicious nonetheless.
• Your favorite type of squash or sweet potato can be used in place of butternut squash
• Lemon can be used instead of calamansi

Make sure you tag my Instagram and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of the recipes! I love to see your photos and share them!

Herbed Black Rice Risotto With Kale and Butternut Squash (gf, low-fat)

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• Author: Jasmine Briones / Sweet Simple Vegan
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 2-4

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Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash, cubed
• 1 cup black rice, rinsed
• 2 cups kale, destemmed and roughly chopped (I used curly)
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water
• 1/2 cup white onions, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme, leaves only
• 2 tbsp fresh sage, finely sliced
• Fresh black pepper to taste
• Healthy green salt substitute or salt to taste, if desired
• Calamansi or lemon, to taste

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Instructions

Butternut Squash

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a large baking sheet.
2. Peel and dice the butternut squash. Place onto a prepared baking sheet, and roast for 30-40 mins, or until cooked through.

Rice

1. Rinse the black rice until the water is fairly clear, or at least substantially clearer than the start. Set aside.
2. Into a nonstick pan, add in 2 tbs vegetable broth, the onions, sage, thyme and garlic. Cook until fragrant but not clear.
3. Add in the remaining ingredients (except for the squash and calamansi) and bring to a boil on medium heat. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cover for 20 mins. Taste, and add seasonings to taste.

Kale

1. While the rice cooks, lightly steam the kale in a steaming pot. I steamed mine for less than 5 minutes, just until it was bright green.

Assembly

1. Slowly fold together the kale, squash and rice. Slowly! The rice may mush with too much work. Serve with a drizzle of calamansi.

Notes

Substitutions:
Quinoa can be used instead of black rice: I have made it with both and yes they do have different flavors, but both are delicious nonetheless.
Your favorite type of squash or sweet potato can be used in place of butternut squash
Lemon can be used instead of calamansi

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Entree
• Cuisine: Vegan