Spring Green Risotto
Spring Green Risotto is where comfort food meets the vibrance of spring produce! It is filled with peas, leeks, and bright lemon zest and so full of flavor.
I'm staying with my Aunt Penny and Uncle Mike in Kansas City for the next four weeks and we decided to kick off my stay here by (what else?) cooking a fabulous meal. We made salmon that I will be posting the recipe for soon and served it with grilled asparagus and this spring green risotto.
Ingredients in Spring Green Risotto
Butter & Olive Oil
Shallots
Leeks
Arborio Rice - the best type of rice to use for risotto!
White Wine - you can also use additional chicken broth, if you don't want to use wine. I like it as an excuse to open a bottle and sip a glass while I cook 🙂
Peas - frozen peas work great here.
Chicken Broth
Lemon - the juice and zest are used in this recipe
Parmesan cheese - freshly grated or shredded is best!
Green Onions or Chives - sprinkled on at the end
Spring Green Risotto FAQ's
Is this recipe like Ina Garten's Spring Green Risotto?
Yes! This recipe is actually based off of hers, but changed slightly. Ina adds marscapone cheese to hers at the end, but I choose to omit it. I find it's super creamy even without it! Ina also adds fennel which I don't prefer and asparagus, which I did not add this time.
Can I add other vegetables to this risotto?
Absolutely. I love adding some sautéed asparagus or chopped artichokes to this risotto. This is especially true when I treat it as a main dish. The extra vegetables make it a big heartier for a vegetarian dinner.
Is this risotto a side dish or a main dish?
It can be either. This time around, I served it as a side dish with roasted chicken, but as I mentioned above, I have also served it as a vegetarian main dish.
Can this be made ahead?
Unfortunately, risotto does not do well being made too far in advance. It is best served hot and immediately after it has been cooked. If it is allowed to cool and rest for awhile, it will become sticky. If you really need to make it in advance, plan to add more liquid while reheating it, to help it become creamy again.
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Spring Green Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoon butter
- 2 shallots minced
- 3 cups leeks chopped, green and white parts (about 2 leeks)
- 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
- ¾ cup white wine
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas thawed
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup fresh parmesan cheese plus extra for serving
- 3 tablespoon chopped green onions
Instructions
- Heat chicken stock in medium pan over medium heat.
- Once simmer, reduce heat to low and keep warm.
- In a separate large saucepan, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat.
- Add shallots and leeks and saute 7 minutes, until they are tender.
- Add the arborio rice and toss to coat with olive oil, letting it cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and let simmer until it has been absorbed.
- Add the chicken broth, 1 cup at a time, waiting until the broth has been completely absorbed before adding more, and stirring constantly.
- After about 15 minutes of stirring, add peas, lemon zest, and salt and pepper.
- Continue adding broth and cooking until all is added and it is completely absorbed.
- This entire process should take 25-30 minutes.
- When it is completely absorbed, add the lemon juice and Parmesan cheese, and mix completely.
- Serve immediately, and top with more parmesan and green onions.
Best risotto she's ever had, you say? Well, considering I am a big fan of the stuff, guess I'll just have to try it out!
Mmmmmm....creamy, lemony deliciousness...fantastic!