Lemon Asparagus Risotto

This rich and creamy lemony risotto with an addition of fresh spring asparagus and green peas will have you dreaming of spring!

For the second time this week, I’m sharing a recipe involving green asparagus and green peas. I hope you like them! Truth is, I had some leftovers from my super green vegetable quiche and I didn’t want them to go to waste. It’s been years since I promised myself I would share a spring vegetable risotto with you but then I had more urgent recipes and it became too late in the season. This year I made it though, yeah!

Risotto counts among my favorite meals. It’s creamy, rich, comforting, yet sophisticated enough to serve as a unique dish for dinner with friends. That being said, risotto can also be a little bit challenging if not prepared correctly, ending up in a sticky rice rather than creamy. I, myself, experienced it in the past, and let David (my husband) be the risotto expert at home.

This lasted for a long time, until I finally decided to fight my fear and understand the secrets of risotto a couple of years ago. Since then, I shared a first risotto recipe here, a wonderful shiitake mushroom and chestnut risotto. This dish is just perfect for those cozy fall and winter nights. With hints of spring showing up though, I needed another version, featuring seasonal produce. I chose green asparagus and peas again, as I am definitely in the mood for green vegetables.

The good thing with risotto is that you can really adapt the dish in many ways to make it seasonal. The base remains the same, and then you can use any vegetables of your choice, or just enjoy it plain, as a starter or a side dish.

What makes a great risotto?

Risotto is a relatively easy recipe in the end, but in order to get a rich, gooey and creamy risotto, there is a golden rule: give it time. If you try to urge things, there are good chances your risotto won’t have the right texture. Give yourself 20 minutes and stay focus on your risotto only, instead of doing many other things at the same time (which happens to me all the time in the kitchen). Take one step at a time, give it care and love, and you are guaranteed to master the risotto technique.

Points to remember to master the risotto:

• Start with frying shallots (or onions) with olive oil on low-medium heat, until soft but not colored.
• Add risotto rice (arborio rice) and fry until translucent, stirring regularly. This takes a few seconds to one minute.
• Pour the wine, stirring continuously until completely absorbed.
• Use hot stock (warmed up on a separate saucepan) and add it to the rice, one ladleful at a time, cooking on medium heat and stirring constantly until stock is completely absorbed before adding another ladleful of stock.
• Repeat this until all the stock has been used, the rice no longer has a chalky core and the risotto is thick and glossy.
• When the rice is cooked through, add butter and grated parmesan on top. Do not stir. Cover with a lid and let sit for a couple of minutes so that all the flavors and liquid absorb and settle.
• Stir through other ingredients and fresh herbs, and serve immediately.

And this is it! Pretty simple in the end ; just keep in mind that every step matters and is a key element to the success of your risotto. Now that you are an expert too, it’s your turn to shine!

Lemon Asparagus Risotto

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• Author: Delphine Fortin
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Plant-based

This rich and creamy lemony risotto with an addition of fresh spring asparagus and green peas will have you dreaming of spring!

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Ingredients

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• 10–12 green asparagus tops
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 Tablespoons butter, divided
• 2–3 small shallots, minced (or 1 small red onion, minced)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 or 4 thyme sprigs
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 1 cup (250g) arborio rice
• 1/2 cup (150 ml) white wine
• 3–4 cups (0.75–1 L) vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup (50g) grated parmesan
• 1/2 cup (75g) cooked green peas, fresh or frozen
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Fresh herbs (chives, thyme, parsley…)

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Instructions

1. Heat up one tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Place in the asparagus tops and lightly stir-fry them for a minute or two, just enough that they soften and get a glaze. Set aside.
2. In a separate pot bring the vegetable broth to a light simmer, just enough to warm it up. Try keep it warm for the time you’re cooking the risotto.
3. Melt the remaining tablespoon of olive oil with one tablespoon of butter in a large non-stick saucepan and fry the shallots for about 5 minutes, until softened, but not colored. Add the minced garlic, stir, and fry one more minute.
4. Add the risotto rice, stir in the thyme and lemon zest, and cook for a few more seconds, until the rice is glistening.
5. Pour in the wine, stirring continuously until absorbed.
6. Add a ladleful of hot stock at a time, cooking over a medium heat and keeping stirring until all the stock is absorbed. Repeat this until all the stock has been used, the rice no longer has a chalky core and the risotto is thick and glossy.
7. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the grated parmesan cheese on top. Do not stir. Cover with a lid and leave the risotto to sit for a few minutes so that all the flavors and liquid absorb and settle.
8. Stir through the green peas and fresh herbs before serving, and served with the green asparagus on top.

Cheese, Easter, Family-Friendly, Main Dishes, Sides, Spring, Summer, Vegetarian

Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this Lemon Asparagus Risotto, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!