Pea and asparagus risotto with mint

I created this recipe one Sunday in May, when my market was overflowing with firm asparagus and incredibly fresh peas. The idea came to me when I saw these beautiful green vegetables side by side on the stall: why not combine them in a mint-scented risotto?

What I love about this dish is the harmony of textures: the creamy Arborio rice, the delicate crunch of the asparagus, and the melting tenderness of the peas. The mint adds a fresh note that brightens everything up without masking the authentic taste of the vegetables.

You can adapt this recipe to your liking: replace the Parmesan with sheep's cheese for a more robust flavor, or add a few shavings of candied lemon for a Mediterranean touch. Children generally love this colorful and mild version.

It's a complete dish that stands on its own, perfect for lunch with friends or a light dinner. I often serve it with a simple rocket salad with olive oil.

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Pea and asparagus risotto with mint

Recipe by Nathalie Laplace

5.0 based on 1 vote(s)

Type of dish: main courseKitchen: FrenchDifficulty: average

Portions

4

portions

Preparation time

15

minutes

Cooking time

32

minutes

Calories

500

kcal

Total time

50

minutes

A creamy, gluten-free risotto recipe that celebrates spring vegetables. Peas and asparagus pair perfectly with fresh mint for a refreshing and flavorful dish.

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Ingredients

• 300g Arborio rice

• 500g of green asparagus

• 200g fresh (or frozen) peas

• 1 spring onion with its green stem

• 1.2 L of hot vegetable broth

• 15 cl of dry white wine

• 80g cheese of grated Parmesan

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil

• 30g of butter

• 10 fresh mint leaves

• 2 tablespoons of chopped chives

• Salt, freshly ground pepper

Preparation steps

• Peel the asparagus and cut them into 3cm pieces. Set the tips aside. Finely slice the white part of the spring onion and chop the green part.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan. Fry the white part of the onion for 3 minutes until translucent.
• Add the rice and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until translucent. Pour in the white wine and let it evaporate completely.
• Begin adding the hot stock ladle by ladle, stirring regularly. After 10 minutes, stir in the asparagus pieces and peas.
• Continue cooking for 8 minutes, adding stock as needed. Add the asparagus tips and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in the butter, Parmesan cheese, the green part of the onion, and the chopped mint. Mix vigorously.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning. The rice should be creamy but still slightly crunchy.
• Serve immediately on warm plates, sprinkle with chives and drizzle with olive oil.

📝 Notes

Use the asparagus stalks to prepare your vegetable broth; they will add even more flavor to the dish. Reserve a few whole mint leaves for the final garnish of the risotto.

💡 Chef's Tips

Keep the broth piping hot throughout the cooking process to avoid disrupting the rice's natural cooking. If you run out of broth, use hot, salted water. Risotto doesn't reheat well, so serve it immediately.

🔄 Variations

• Complete spring recipe: add shelled and blanched broad beans
• For a richer risotto: stir in some diced Bayonne ham at the end of cooking
• Vegan version: replace the parmesan with nutritional yeast and the butter with olive oil

Nathalie Laplace

Food writer for the Simple & Bon website. Passionate about healthy cooking and especially salads, slow-cooked or oven-baked recipes.