Butternut Squash and Vegan Bacon Ris-OAT-O

This creamy, smoky butternut squash and vegan bacon ris-oat-o is so easy to make and features nutritious steel cut oats.

I especially love the steel cut oats from One Degree Organics because not only are they organic and sprouted, but they’re also certified glyphosate-free. You’d think that being organic would automatically mean that a product is also free of herbicides and pesticides, but that isn’t always the case. Pesticide (or chemical) drift, which occurs when wind carries chemicals from conventional farms to nearby organic farms, can result in glyphosate showing up in organic products. Luckily, One Degree Organics individually tests all of their products to ensure they’re completely glyphosate-free. 

My whole family loves this nutritious recipe. Oats are pretty much my toddler’s favorite meal and my husband loves the smoky flavor the vegan bacon lends to the more neutral-tasting oats.

I love that I can sneak veggies into both of their bowls! The butternut squash adds a hefty dose of plant-based vitamin A and disease-fighting phytochemicals and the peas pack a protein punch (in addition to the protein from the steel cut oats).

I serve my steel cut oat butternut squash ris-OAT-o with vegan parmesan sprinkled on top, but for a more traditional risotto, you can stir a cup of the vegan parmesan into the oats when you add the tempeh bacon for extra cheesiness.

Fresh chopped herbs like thyme or sage add complexity to the dish and a little flair if you’re cooking for a crowd but aren’t a necessity. As you know, I like to keep things simple.

I hope you’ll enjoy this one as much as we do!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cups butternut squash, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup One Degree Organic Steel Cut Oats, uncooked
4 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup peas, thawed from frozen
1 cup tempeh bacon, cooked and chopped
salt to taste

Optional Toppings
fresh sage or thyme, chopped
vegan parmesan

Directions

Warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and butternut squash and cook for about 10 minutes until squash has softened.

Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add oats and 4 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for ~25-30 minutes, stirring frequently. If mixture gets to dry, add additional vegetable broth.

Once oats are cooked through and creamy, stir in tempeh bacon and peas and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve topped with vegan parmesan and chopped herbs.

Enjoy!