Sneak more spring veggies into your meals with this Spring Pea Risotto. You can use any rice, but arborio tends to work best. Add other veggies and herbs like spinach or fresh mint, if you’d like! This recipe was made in collaboration with Buncombe County WIC and is WIC approved.
Peas and rice are great plant-based sources of protein and fiber, which can keep us feeling nourished for longer. Snow peas are thought to be the earliest cultivated pea and are a legume like beans and lentils. Spring starts to bring more variety to farmers markets. Be on the lookout for spring alliums, like spring onions and green garlic, which you can add to this versatile risotto.
Servings: 4
Active Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar snap or snow peas, stems and strings removed
- 1 cup white rice (arborio is traditional, but any type will work)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced (or use 6 scallions)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (or use green garlic or garlic scapes)
- 4 cups vegetable broth, warmed
- Zest from 1 lemon, plus 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup spinach (optional)
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped (optional)
- Grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese (optional)
Directions
- In a heavy-bottom pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the rice, stirring to coat for 1 minute.
- Add 1 cup broth and stir regularly. Once rice absorbs broth, about 5 minutes, continue adding 1 cup at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the broth slowly until it’s tender, about 20 minutes. You may need to adjust the amount of broth for different types of rice.
- While rice is cooking, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Cook peas in the water for 2–3 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.
- Add 1/2 cup cooked peas to a blender with 1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1/2 cup spinach. Blend until smooth.
- When risotto is tender, fold in lemon zest and juice, pea puree, remaining peas, salt, pepper, cheese, and half of the chopped mint, reserving the rest for garnishing. Serve warm.