Spring Risotto

A vegan recipe for spring risotto packed with seasonal vegetables with a fresh, bright flavor.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Course Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 4

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

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.

Keyword arugula, asparagus, broth, buttercream, fennel, peas, spring, vegetables, wine