I used to love chicken and mushroom risotto, but mushrooms are high in histamine! So I hunted around for some alternative options. Butternut squash and sage is a wonderful traditional Italian flavour. Risotto is very easy to make and this version is delicious, low histamine and vegan! Usually, butter and oil are used in classic risotto recipes, so you can replace half of the oil with butter if you prefer a creamier result.
Find out which foods are low and high in histamine and how to shop store and cook them in the Happy Without Histamine low histamine foods list.
Butternut squash and sage risotto
Ingredients
- 1 kg butternut squash 1 whole medium, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks.
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch sage 1/2 roughly chopped, 1/2 left whole
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 ltr homemade vegetable stock see recipe to make your own
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice rinsed
- 2 tbsp whole flax seeds
Instructions
- Before you make the risotto, heat oven to 220C/fan 200C. Toss the squash in 1 tbsp oil together with the chopped sage. Scatter into a shallow roasting tin and roast for 30 mins until it is brown and soft.
- While the squash is roasting, prepare the risotto. Bring the stock to the boil and keep on a low simmer. In a separate pan, pour 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and set on medium heat. Stir in the onions and sweat gently for 5 minutes then add the garlic cook until soft but not coloured, stirring occasionally. Stir the rice into the onions until completely coated in the olive oil, then stir continuously until the rice is shiny and the edges of the grain start to look transparent.
- Add the stock, a ladleful at a time and stirring the rice over low heat for 25-30 mins, until the rice is cooked al dente (with a slightly firm, starchy bite in the middle). The risotto should be creamy and slightly soupy. When you draw a wooden spoon through it, there should be a wake that holds for a few moments but not longer.
- At the same time, gently fry the whole sage leaves in a little olive oil until crisp, then set aside on kitchen paper.
- When the squash is cooked, mash half of it to a rough purée and leave half whole. When the risotto is just done, stir through the purée, and leave to rest for a few mins.
- Serve the risotto scattered with the whole chunks of squash, flax seeds, and the crisp sage leaves.
Notes
Fresh or dried
If you don’t have fresh sage, you can sprinkle 2 tsp dried sage over the squash before roasting.More traditional option
You can use 1/2 butter and 1/2 olive oil for a more traditional buttery flavor.Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content may vary.
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Get more low histamine recipes here
This recipe features in the low histamine plant-based recipe eBook along with many more. Simplify your low histamine elimination diet with 71 recipes, a 7-day meal plan, a prep guide, and shopping list.
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