Easy Spring Vegetable Risotto

This is the best spring vegetable risotto recipe, combing new season asparagus, garden peas, spinach and cavolo nero kale. I also add fresh basil leaves and basil pesto to add extra layers of fresh herb flavour.

Risotto only takes around 45 minutes to cook, and once you have the base recipe sorted, you can add pretty much any vegetable that you want to this recipe. So if there's a vegetable you don't like, swap it for something else!

Recipe ingredients

• Oil - for the best flavour I use olive oil for sautéing the vegetables.
• Base vegetables - all my risottos start with a base or onion, celery and garlic, and in this case I add a leek to for extra flavour.
• Rice - when making risotto use a risotto rice as they are starchy. I like to use carnaroli if I can find it in my local store, or arborio rice.
• White wine - I use a glass of good quality white wine in this risotto. Use something you would drink yourself and enjoy a glass of, as it is a key flavour in the dish. You could also use white vermouth in place of wine.
• Stock - I use vegetable stock in this risotto recipe.
• Green vegetables - when the risotto is almost cooked I add the spring green vegetables. I like a combination of asparagus, garden peas, baby spinach and cavolo nero kale.
• Fresh herbs - I like to add freshly chopped basil to the risotto.
• Cheese - I add some freshly grated parmesan for serving.
• Butter: I add butter at the end of the cook, the butter not only adds rich flavour, but helps to separate the rice.
• Seasoning - I keep the seasoning simple with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Basil pesto - add a drizzle of fresh basil pesto for serving.

How to make spring vegetable risotto

• Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan or frying pan over a medium heat.
• Add the onion, leek, celery and a pinch of salt, and sauté gently for 5 minutes, taking care to soften but not colour the vegetables (the salt will help with this).
• Add the garlic to the pan and stir gently for a further minute.
• Next add the rice to the pan and stir to toast the rice for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not leave the pan unattended otherwise the rice will stick.
• Now turn the heat up and pour the white wine into the pan and stir until the wine has reduced. At the same time place the stock into a separate saucepan over a low-medium heat to keep it warm.

• Turn the heat in the frying pan down to a low-medium heat and add a ladle of stock to the rice mixture, stirring to combine. Continue to add the stock a ladle at a time, reducing the stock after each ladle.
• Do not leave the pan unattended, give the rice a stir every 30 seconds or so to stop the rice from sticking. The stirring helps to release the starches in the rice, resulting in a creamier risotto.
• Check the rice at this stage, it should still have a little bite to it. So, with the last ladle of stock, add the asparagus and garden peas, cook for 3-4 minutes.

• Now add the spinach, kale and basil and allow to wilt into the risotto for 1 minute.
• Note: Once all the stock has been added into the risotto and reduced, this should take approximately 20 minutes.
• Take the risotto off the heat and stir in the butter, Parmesan cheese, sea salt and black pepper.
• Check the risotto for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with extra basil and a drizzle of basil pesto. Serve immediately.

TOP TIP: When properly cooked, the rice should be al-dente and have a nice bite to it. DO NOT over cook the rice as this will ruin the risotto.

Recipe variations

• Rice - whilst you can use pretty much any rice to make risotto, I don't recommend it. The best rice to use is a risotto rice like carnaroli or arborio rice. These particular varieties of rice are starchy, which is what you need to give your risotto that lovely creamy texture.
• Stock (broth) - I use vegetable stock in this recipe, but you can also use chicken stock or even a fresh tomato stock if you prefer.
• Vegetables - I've made this risotto with green vegetables, but you can add any variety of vegetables to this risotto. Try some green beans, broccoli or bell peppers. For leafy greens you could use regular kale or chard.
• Protein - I like serving this risotto as it is, but if you want to add some protein to the risotto, some fresh prawns or cooked chicken could be added to the risotto along with the last ladle of stock.
• Fresh Herbs - fresh herbs really lift this risotto. I've added basil leaves, but try other soft herbs like parsley, dill or tarragon.

Serving suggestions

This risotto will serve 5-6 diners as a main course. Risotto is a hearty bowl of food, so I usually serve it as it is, with a dressed green salad or tomato salad. You could add some garlic bread or toasted crusty bread for hungrier diners.

Useful hints and tips

1. Do not wash risotto rice, you want to leave the starch on the risotto as that's what gives risotto is creamy texture. Wash the rice and your risotto will be too watery.
2. Do not walk away from the pan when making risotto. Not only do you risk the rice sticking, you also need to stir the rice regularly to get the rice to release it's starches. It is the starch in the rice that give risotto its creamy, velvety texture.
3. Take time to taste and properly season the risotto before serving. Proper seasoning with sea salt and black pepper will make a big difference to the finished dish.
4. For vegetarian diners swap regular Parmesan cheese for a vegetarian parmesan cheese.
5. For dairy free and vegan diners, swap both the Parmesan cheese and butter for dairy free alternatives.
6. Allergy advice: gluten free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

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Additional recipe suggestions

If you like this recipe then try these vegetable based main dish recipes:

• Creamy Tomato Risotto
• Bulgur Wheat Risotto with Asparagus
• Mediterranean Vegetable Bake
• Vegetable & Coconut Curry
• Grilled Vegetables & Halloumi
• Roast Pumpkin Salad with Charred Corn

For other easy family dining ideas have a read of my Easy Family Dinners post which is full of recipes, hints and easy tips for feeding the family.