Sweet Potato & Spinach Risotto
with Toasty Walnuts
- Tree Nuts
- Milk
Get ready for a comforting, fall-inspired risotto! The starchiness of arborio rice gives this classic dish its signature richness and creamy texture. Simmer with sweet potato, garlic, and sage, then stir in leafy green spinach that wilts perfectly. Finish this delicious vegetarian dish with a sprinkle of toasted walnuts for crunchy contrast.
Ingredients
2 unit
Veggie Stock Concentrate
¼ ounce
Thyme
½ ounce
Walnuts
(Contains: Tree Nuts)
2.5 ounce
Spinach
4 ounce
Cream Sauce Base
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Sweet Potato
1 clove
Garlic
¾ cup
Arborio Rice
Not included in your delivery
1 tablespoon (tbsp)
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• In a medium pot, bring 5 cups water (8 cups for 4 servings) to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Wash and dry produce. • Peel sweet potato if desired; cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces. Strip thyme leaves from stems; roughly chop leaves until you have 1⁄2 tsp (1 tsp for 4). Peel and mince or grate garlic.
• Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, 2-3 minutes. • Add thyme, garlic, and 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings). Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. • Add rice and stir until evenly coated, 15-20 seconds.
• Carefully add 1 cup simmering water to pan with rice mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until liquid has mostly absorbed. Repeat with remaining simmering water—adding 1⁄2 cup at a time and stirring until liquid has absorbed—until rice is al dente and risotto is creamy, 22-25 minutes. TIP: Depending on the size of your pan, you may need a little more or a little less water. • Reduce heat to medium low. Stir in spinach, cream sauce base, and stock concentrates. Cook, stirring, until risotto has thickened and spinach is wilted, 2-4 minutes. TIP: If risotto seems too thick, stir in more water 1 TBSP at a time until desired consistency is reached. • Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.
• While risotto cooks, roughly chop walnuts. Place in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave until fragrant and toasty, 1 minute. TIP: If walnuts are not yet toasty, continue to microwave in 30-second increments until fragrant. • Divide risotto between plates; garnish with toasty walnuts and serve.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Some found it bland, while others loved the taste; many suggest adding cheese or extra seasoning for more oomph 🧀.
- Ease of prep: First-time risotto makers found the instructions helpful, but stirring constantly can be time-consuming and tiring.
- Suggestions: Consider roasting sweet potatoes separately and adding at the end for better texture and flavor.
- Portions: Very filling meal with large portions; some prefer it as a side dish or with added protein.
- Texture: The creamy risotto was praised, but some found the sweet potatoes too soft when cooked together.
Reviews from our home cooks
Delicious but my only complaint is that the sweet potato was still hard even after cooking it for longer than the directions said and even despite cutting it into even smaller pieces than the directions said. I think it would be better to roast the chopped sweet potato separately and then add it into the risotto at the end.
Risotto can be finicky. Hello Fresh has clear and complete and easy directions to create a wonderful, creamy risotto. We love sweet potatoes in this house - so we thoroughly enjoyed this dish. Would suggest a rough cut of the spinach prior to adding for more even distribution.
It's definitely not fast to cook, but that's to be expected. This was on the bland side. The fresh thyme was good, but it didn't add enough flavor. Maybe include optional red pepper flakes? Even with the 2 packets of veggie base, it was very bland.
Very filling and the toasty walnuts top it off well
Really good! Never made risotto before, a bit intimidating. Instructions well written, turned out great!
A good healthy meal! I liked that the sweet potato was ready to use which was one less step. A great meal for the cold weather.
This was really good dish! It would be great as a Thanksgiving side. I added Italian sausage to make it a meal.
This was absolutely delicious. Even my picky 13 year old said it was amazing.
So good and so much easier to make than I thought! I was worried that my minimal cooking skills wouldn't be enough!
I am so accustomed to your meals being very flavorful, I found this risotto very bland. I was missing the sharp saltiness of parmesan cheese usually included in a risotto recipe.
