This Spring Vegetable Risotto with Creamy Pesto is creamy, cheesy and utterly moreish—a vegetarian dish even meat-eaters will love.
Now that the days are warming up, lighter, vegetable-packed dinners feel right. This risotto is green, fresh and full of flavour—perfect for weeknights or a casual weekend meal. It’s also a great dish to make if you want to eat well and feel energised before a trip or busy weekend.
Have you ever noticed how, as soon as you can relax on holiday, your body forces you to sleep or get a cold? I used to worry about getting up early to fit everything in, but now I value lie-ins. A few relaxed mornings make the whole holiday feel better.
Back to the recipe: this is one of those vegetarian meals that satisfies everyone without needing bacon or meat. Creamy Arborio rice cooked slowly with stock, stirred until silky, then topped with bright asparagus, mangetout, cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced radishes. A finishing touch of crème fraîche and a spoonful of pesto lifts the whole plate.
There’s something indulgent about standing at the hob, stirring risotto with a glass of wine nearby—slow, comforting and rewarding. Use whatever spring vegetables you prefer: tenderstem broccoli, peas, leeks or spring greens all work well. Add them at the right stage so they stay tender and vibrant.
The Spring Vegetable Risotto with Creamy Pesto Recipe:
Spring Vegetable Risotto with Creamy Pesto
Ingredients
The Risotto:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
- 150 g (3/4 cup) Arborio rice
- 80 ml (1/3 cup) white wine (optional — replace with stock if preferred)
- 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) hot vegetable stock (use bouillon for gluten-free)
- 12 stalks asparagus, trimmed
- 75 g (about 1 cup) mangetout
- 30 g (1/3 cup) grated Parmesan (use Italian-style vegetarian hard cheese if needed)
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Good pinch of salt and black pepper
- Large handful of fresh baby leaves
To Serve:
- 8 cherry/grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 radishes, sliced thinly
- 2 heaped tbsp crème fraîche
- 2 heaped tsp vegetarian pesto
- 5 sprigs parsley, roughly torn
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic, stir and cook for another minute.
- Add the rice and stir until coated in oil. Pour in the wine and stir until it is almost absorbed. Then add the hot stock a ladle at a time, stirring regularly and waiting for each ladleful to be mostly absorbed before adding the next.
- After about 15 minutes you should have one or two ladles of stock left. Add the asparagus and mangetout, stir and continue cooking for 5–6 minutes, adding the remaining stock a ladle at a time so the rice finishes cooking and becomes creamy.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in all but one tablespoon of the Parmesan, the lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Mix in the baby leaves. Divide the risotto between 2–3 plates. Top with the tomatoes and radishes, spoon on the crème fraîche and dot with pesto. Sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan, add the torn parsley and finish with freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutritional information is per serving, using white wine and based on two servings.
Nutrition
Calories: 551 kcal | Carbohydrates: 77 g | Protein: 15 g | Fat: 16 g | Saturated Fat: 5 g | Cholesterol: 16 mg | Sodium: 995 mg | Fiber: 6 g | Sugar: 8 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
