Rich and creamy vegan risotto! You’re going to love this light and refreshing meal made with asparagus and peas to celebrates the vegetables of spring. Vegan and gluten-free!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
It’s March and that means that spring is just weeks away!
That also means that the start of baseball is just weeks away, but I’m going to do my very best and try not to mention that every single day between now and opening day (March 29th!). I mean, this is a food blog afterall and you’re here for some good vegan grub. Although who can complain about some bonus baseball stats thrown in here and there?
But, food.
With the spring equinox near, I have chosen to share this Lemony Vegan Risotto with Asparagus and Peas, a celebration of the best spring vegetables (yay asparagus and peas!) in a rich and creamy risotto that your family and friends won’t believe is vegan. It’s the perfect accompaniment to your Easter and Mother’s Day meals.
How to Make Vegan Risotto {Video}
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
- Vegetable Broth
- Olive Oil
- Yellow Onion
- Garlic
- Arborio Rice – Arborio rice is the best rice for this recipe but any short-grain rice will do.
- Dry Vermouth – Dry white wine will also work. Alternatively, this can be omitted entirely and replaced with an extra 1/2 cup of vegetable broth.
- Lemon
- Asparagus
- Frozen Peas
- Vegan Butter – Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese – I recommend Violife parmesan. It is creamy, melty, and tastes exactly how I remember parmesan to taste. If you don’t have access to Violife, you can make your own parmesan.
- Salt and Pepper
Recommended Equipment
For this recipe, you will need a large heavy-bottomed pan. You will also need a ladle, a chef’s knife, and basic kitchen utensils. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
How to Make Vegan Risotto
Vegan risotto is fairly straight-forward however, it takes constant attention. In order to get the rich creaminess you desire, the rice must be cooked slowly and consistently.
Step One – Sauté the Veggies
Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes until onions are translucent and fragrant.
Step Two – Toast the Rice
Add the rice and toast for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Turn heat down to medium-low and add the white wine and lemon juice and stir until almost all the white wine has dissolved.
Step Three – Cook the Rice
Using a ladle, scoop one ladle-full of vegetable broth into the rice and stir until it has mostly evaporated. Continue doing this, one ladle at a time, until all the vegetable broth is used and rice is thick and cooked. You may need to add 1 – 2 more ladles of hot water depending on how quickly the rice cooked.
As you add the broth, you’ll want to stir constantly to avoid the rice sticking to the bottom and burning as well as allowing you to get a consistent cook on the rice. Once each ladle of broth has absorbed, you add another one until all the broth is gone. This process takes between 20-30 minutes of constant stirring but the effort is so worth it.
When the last ladle has been added, add asparagus, peas, and vegan butter. Once all the liquid has evaporated, turn off the heat and add vegan parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.
Serving and Storing
Serving – Serve the creamy vegan risotto immediately. Risotto can be served alongside cauliflower steaks or with a fresh salad.
Storing – Leftover risotto should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, gently reheat the risotto over the stovetop. You may need to add about 1/4 cup of water as the risotto reheats for extra creaminess.
Tips and Tricks
- Use short grain rice such as arborio. This rice absorbs the liquids and gives you the classic risotto texture.
- Take your time. Risotto is made by the rice slowly absorbing the vegetable broth one ladle-full at a time. Cook over low heat, maintaining a slow simmer.
- While the rice absorbs the liquid, make sure to stir constantly to encourage an even cook and prevent burning.
- To balance the citrus flavors, add vegan butter and parmesan cheese. You can either use homemade parmesan or, for a cheesier texture, I recommend trying Violife parmesan (so good!)
- If the rice is still not rich and creamy after all the vegetable broth is used up, you may have cooked it down too quickly. Simply add 1 – 2 more ladles of hot water until you have the desired consistency.
More Vegan Risotto Recipes
- Creamy Vegetable Risotto
- Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
- Vegan Cheesy Risotto
- Creamy Mushroom Risotto
Vegan Risotto with Asparagus and Peas
Ingredients
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cup Arborio rice, uncooked
- 1/2 cup Vermouth or other dry white wine
- juice of one lemon
- 1 rounded cup asparagus, chopped into 1" pieces
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1/3 cup vegan parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a medium pan, heat up the vegetable broth and leave it at a very low simmer.
- Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes until onions are translucent and fragrant.
- Add rice and toast for 1 minute. Turn heat down to medium-low.
- Add white wine and lemon juice and stir until almost all the white wine has dissolved.
- Using a ladle, scoop one ladle-full of vegetable broth into the rice and stir until it has mostly evaporated. Continue doing this, one ladle at a time, until all the vegetable broth is used and rice is thick and cooked. You may need to add 1 - 2 more ladles of hot water depending on how quickly the rice cooked. Stirring constantly.
- When the last ladle has been added, add asparagus, peas, and vegan butter.
- Once all vegetable broth has evaporated, turn off heat and add vegan parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately with lemon wedges and parsley.
Video
Notes
- Take your time. Risotto is made by the rice slowly absorbing the vegetable broth one ladle-full at a time. Cook over low heat, maintaining a slow simmer. If the rice is still not rich and creamy after all the vegetable broth is used up, you may have cooked it down too quickly. Simply add 1 - 2 more ladles of hot water until you have the desired consistency.
- While the rice absorbs the liquid, make sure to stir constantly to encourage an even cook and prevent burning.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Izzie says
I made this tonight and it was amazing. I used double the amount of asparagus because I had a lot of it in the garden hat needed to be used. Marvelous!
Robin Walla says
Made this with a few changes. I ran out of broth after 3.5
cups so used lite coconut milk as added liquid (about a cup) and we didn’t have frozen peas but did have left over raw broccoli so used that in place of the peas. This was delicious!! The directions were spot on. Thank you!
Lauren says
So delicious! I followed it exactly as described and it worked out perfectly. I was cooking for my husband and friend and it was a hit!
Elizabeth says
Super delicious! Didn’t have any vegan butter on hand but the vegan Parmesan cheese did the trick. This recipe will definitely be a staple in our meal rotation moving forward. A perfect meal for spring!
Claire says
This was so amazing!! I added mushrooms and lemon zest and my non-vegan family loved it! Thanks for the recipe!!
Robert Jones says
No not onions in Risotto Use Shallots traditional Italian and cook in fry pan for a smother result
Otherwise the recipe looks good. Although might try red risotto rice. Might not be available outside Italy or France
Marisa says
I made this risotto and it was just delicious. My girlfriend is not a fan of risotto but she has since changed her mind. The lemon give it a special twist. Definately will be making this one again and again and again!! thank you.
Zara says
I added mushrooms and it was delicious thank you!
Susan says
Delish! Flavourful and satisfying. This was my first time making vegan risotto since I went plant based and I was pleasantly surprised. Didn’t miss the cheese at all! Definitely will be making this again. Thank you 🙂
Candice says
Absolutely amazing. Loved it!
Sarah says
So glad to hear. Thanks for sharing!
Jq says
This really was good. I love to make risotto, very cathartic,. The fresh lemon, asparagus and peas were wonderful. Nice recipe.
Sarah says
I’m glad you liked it! Thanks for sharing.
Sheila says
This looks wonderful and delicious. I don’t mind reading or hearing that it’s spring. I love it.
Thank you for sharing this risotto asparagus recipe.