Lemon Asparagus Risotto with garlic and mushrooms is a zesty, vibrant side dish, perfect for spring! Serve it up with your favorite main entrée for an amazing meal.
After posting my Mushroom Risotto recipe a few weeks ago, risotto has been a big deal in my house.
In addition to this recipe and the mushroom risotto, my partner meal prepped basic risotto for work to go with ground elk (because: macros), and we also made a couple batches of Instant Pot Rice Pudding https://www.theroastedroot.net/instant-pot-rice-pudding-dairy-free/ using arborio rice.
Turns out, rice pudding is even better with arborio rice…if you can believe it!
This fresh and frisky risotto recipe includes zesty lemon, onion and garlic because they make everything amazing, snappy asparagus, earthy mushrooms, peas, and dried herbs.
This combination results in an incredibly delicious complex flavored side dish to go with your favorite main entrees. I love it with Filet Mignon, Crispy Skin Salmon, and/or Rotisserie Chicken.
Preparing risotto is much easier than you’d think, and the process is quite fun.
Let’s get straight to it!
How to Make Lemon Asparagus Risotto:
Pour the chicken broth into a large saucepan and heat it on the stove top until it comes to a full boil. Reduce the heat and keep the saucepan covered while you sauté the vegetables. You want the broth to remain at a boiling point, but not be boiling out of control.
Add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to a Dutch oven or thick-bottom large saucepan and heat to medium-high. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, asparagus, and garlic and sauté until mushrooms are golden-brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. If at any time the vegetables begin to stick to the pan, you can add a small amount of water or broth to deglaze it.
Transfer the vegetable mixture to a bowl and set aside. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to the Dutch oven, along with the arborio rice and about ¼ cup of broth. Stir the rice constantly and allow it to brown slightly for 2 minutes.
Begin adding the broth to the rice, one ladle full at a time (about ¾ to 1 cup), stirring well between each addition and allowing the liquid to mostly absorb before adding more. Add the dried parsley, rosemary, and lemon zest and juice.
Continue adding the broth and stir constantly until the rice is completely cooked. The texture should be slightly al dente, but nice and soft but not mushy. You may not need all of the broth.
Add the vegetable mixture back into the pot with the rice along with the peas. Stir well. If adding cheese, do so now.
Taste the risotto for flavor and if desired add sea salt or lemon zest or juice. Serve with your main entrée and enjoy!
Recipe Adaptations:
- Stir in 1 cup of parmesan cheese or cheese of choice once the risotto has finished cooking for extra creaminess and flavor.
- Add 1/3 cup dry white wine.
- Make it vegan by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Lemon Asparagus Risotto
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp avocado oil divided
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 16 ounces baby bella mushrooms chopped
- 1 bunch asparagus trimmed and chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 Tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp sea salt to taste
- 1 cup green peas
Optional Add Ins:
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese*
- 1/3 cup dry white wine**
Instructions
- Pour the chicken broth into a large saucepan and heat it on the stove top until it comes to a full boil. Reduce the heat and keep the saucepan covered while you sauté the vegetables. You want the broth to remain at a boiling point, but not be boiling out of control.
- Add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to a Dutch oven or thick-bottom large saucepan and heat to medium-high. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, asparagus, and garlic and sauté until mushrooms are golden-brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. If at any time the vegetables begin to stick to the pan, you can add a small amount of water or broth to deglaze it.
- Transfer the vegetable mixture to a bowl and set aside. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to the Dutch oven, along with the arborio rice and about ¼ cup of broth. Stir the rice constantly and allow it to brown slightly for 2 minutes.
- Begin adding the broth to the rice, one ladle full at a time (about ¾ to 1 cup), stirring well between each addition and allowing the liquid to mostly absorb before adding more. Add the dried parsley, rosemary, and lemon zest and juice.
- Continue adding the broth and stir constantly until the rice is completely cooked. The texture should be slightly al dente, but nice and soft but not mushy. You may not need all of the broth. Add the vegetable mixture back into the pot with the rice along with the peas. Stir well. If adding cheese, do so now.
- Serve alongside your main entrée.
Notes
Nutrition
This soda bread was brilliant, Julia. I used June Shine Hopical Fruit Kombucha and craisins, and Im having a hard time eating a reasonable amount. Thank you for this amazing recipe, and for introducing me to hard kombucha.
I’m so happy to hear it, Tina!!! I felt the same way…especially with butter, the soda bread is so addicting. Thank you for the sweet note! xoxoxo