Vegetable Risotto with Spring Asparagus and Peas

BY Liz Murphy
April 18, 2024

[receipe_singel_video_post]

Photography by Marcelo_minka

Vegetable Risotto with Spring Asparagus and Peas

Jump To Recipe

This plant-based spring risotto dish is the perfect way to serve the freshness of vegetables like asparagus and peas.

Don’t be intimidated by the risotto-making process. It takes a little extra attention and a fair amount of stirring to cook but the resulting dish is worth it.

Final Notes & Thoughts

: Editor’s tip: Save leftover broth to reheat any leftover risotto. Bring the risotto to room temperature for 30 minutes. Warm ½ cup of broth in a sauté pan over medium heat, and stir in leftover risotto. It might look like a gloopy mess at first but continue stirring until warmed through and creamy—and it’ll be hard to tell it’s leftover risotto.

Ingredients

4–6 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
1 ¾ cup arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine, room temperature
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup asparagus, sliced
½ cup garden peas, shelled
½ bunch of parsley, chopped
¼ cup nutritional yeast
½ lemon, juiced
seasonal pesto to top, optional

Instructions

Warm the broth in a large pot and set it to keep warm on a side burner.
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat and sauté shallot until translucent. Add arborio rice and toast for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
Add the wine and stir until it has been completely absorbed by the rice. Continue repeating this process with the warm vegetable broth and begin adding it into the pan a ½ cup at a time, slowly stirring and allowing the rice to absorb it completely before adding the next ½ cup of broth. This will take upwards of 20 minutes or more, season with salt and pepper halfway through, and using 4 to 6 cups of broth until the rice is creamy and cooked al dente.
Add spring vegetables and stir to incorporate. Add chopped parsley, nutritional yeast, and about a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice (add more as desired). Reserve fresh vegetables and parsley for garnish and add pesto on top for an extra pop of color and flavor. Serve immediately.