I always (sadly) get a bit excited when asparagus comes into season – the price plummets and suddenly a new realm of recipes can be made.
I make this particular risotto – using various combinations of veg – probably once a fortnight in spring and summer. It’s a great, tasty way of packing whichever vegetables you choose into your menu. I used asparagus, peas and spinach but you could swap in whatever you like.
Some people might have the misconception that risotto is a heavy, winter dish. This is not true in this case. Simply swap the butter for olive oil and reduce the amount of parmesan you add, and suddenly the risotto is very light and fresh.
The Ingredients
This spring vegetable risotto with feta makes use of those beautiful spring veggies that crop up. Anything light, fresh and green can be used in this recipe! Spring onions would work, as would tender stem broccoli, even sugar snap peas would be a joy.
The feta provides a beautiful salty contrast to those sweet spring vegetables. It adds a creamy dimension to this otherwise light dish. If you like, you can swap the feta for goat’s cheese, but it won’t be quite the same.
Making Spring Vegetable Risotto
People often talk about risottos as being a labour of love, but I don’t quite see it that way. Risottos are a slow, stress-free joy to make. You only use one pan, you add the ingredients gently and slowly, there is no mad rush to get everything together right at the end. Yes, you have to be present to add stock and stir the dish, but see that as a mindfulness exercise and you might even enjoy it!
More spring recipes:
Pan Fried Duck Breast with White Bean Puree, Leeks, and Spring Onion and Prosecco Sauce
Miso Soup with Noodles and Stir-Fried Veg
Peppers Stuffed with Olive and Feta Cous Cous
This will serve 4 and will take around 45 minutes to make.
Spring Vegetable Risotto with Feta
Save This RecipeIngredients
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 onion
- 300 g risotto rice
- 1 small glass white wine
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 100 g asparagus tips
- 200 g frozen peas
- 100 g spinach
- 10 g grated parmesan
- 80 g feta
Instructions
- Chop the onion and add to a large casserole dish with 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Cook gently for a couple of minutes, then stir in the risotto rice. Pour in the white wine and stir.
- When the wine has mostly been absorbed by the rice, start adding the stock bit by bit, stirring all the time. Add more stock when the last bit has been absorbed. When you have added all of the stock, the rice should be just slightly al dente – taste it, if it's too al dente, add some more stock.
- Roughly chop the asparagus, then add it along with the peas and spinach to the risotto. Stir well until the spinach has wilted, then turn off the heat. Drizzle over the remaining olive oil, sprinkle over the parmesan and put a lid on. Leave it for a couple of minutes.
- Chop the feta into bitesize pieces, then stir into the risotto. Done!
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