Spring Risotto
April 25, 2023
Hello and happy Spring! I recently returned from a vacation abroad and one of the first things I love to do when I get home is to cook–constantly! We visited Italy for 2 weeks (more on that next time!) and ate loads of tasty pasta and bread. I was stoked to get back into my kitchen and make veggie-heavy dishes. I whipped up some spring risotto this week, packed with seasonal veggies and a bright, fresh flavor.
Risotto is a dish I commonly eat out at upscale restaurants because it’s often the only vegan option on a menu. For my spring risotto recipe, I use plant-based butter and a faux chicken broth, dry chardonnay, and a LOT of vegetables and herbs. The flavors and comfort of this dish had my husband and both kids going back for second helpings!
For this spring risotto, we get a bright citrus flavor from the lemon. Nutritional yeast and vegan parmesan provide a cheesy element. Fennel, peas, asparagus, and arugula give us beautiful color and spring veggie flavors. I love looking at my plate and seeing so much green!
There’s something truly wonderful about eating with the seasons. Not only is it better for the environment, but it also allows you to support local farmers and be more in tune with the area in which you live. On our trip to Italy, our hosts spoke about how they only enjoy certain vegetables during the season. This also leads to more of an appreciation for something, as it’s special to have it only a few weeks per year.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know what you think when you try it.
*This dish is inspired by Ina Garten’s Risotto recipe.
Spring Risotto
Ingredients
- 2 T olive oil
- 2 T butter (I prefer Country Crock brand)
- 1 bunch green onions bottoms removed, white parts sliced, green parts chopped finely
- 1 cup chopped fennel
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
- 2/3 cup chardonnay
- 4 cups no-chicken (or vegetable) broth (I prefer Better than Bouillon brand)
- 1 pound thin asparagus
- 6 oz fresh peas
- 1 cup baby arugula
- zest from one lemon
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup vegan parmesan (plus extra for serving)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium pot, bring salted water to boil for blanching the asparagus and fresh peas. Blanch them for 4 minutes and then drain and cover with cool water and some ice to stop them from cooking.
- In a large pot, melt butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Add in the green onion bulbs and fennel and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute more. Add in arborio rice and stir to evenly coat all rice.
- Add the chardonnay to the large pot and simmer over medium-low heat. stirring until the wine is mostly absorbed. 1/2 cup at a time, add in broth, stirring and adding more when the previous bit is mostly absorbed. When you have only about a cup of broth left to add, stir in the blanched asparagus and peas.
- When all broth is used up, stir in the arugula, lemon juice and zest, nutritional yeast, and parmesan. We want a creamy consistency to the rice, so you might need a small amount more broth to add based on how much liquid might have been cooked off. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your preference.
- Serve topped with more parmesan, diced green onion, and sprigs of fennel.
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