Delicious easy vegetable risotto with leeks, asparagus, and peas - the perfect springtime dinner! Grab all your favorite green stuff from the farmer's market, and let's get to it. This is a one-pot gluten free vegetarian dinner that is lovely alone, but it's also great with some no-knead dutch oven bread and cast iron skillet salmon on top!
OK, let's talk risotto. Creamy, dreamy rice cooked slowly on the stovetop for about 30 minutes, flavored literally however you'd like to.
I think making risotto gets an "it's too hard" reputation unfairly; once you commit to stirring the dish a lot there's really not a ton else to it.
This version of risotto is a spring vegetable risotto with leeks, asparagus, and peas. It's light but has tons of flavor and is perfect for still-chilly nights but bright from lemon zest and Lord knows we need as many sunshiny things as we can get these days, right?
First, How to Clean and Prep Fresh Leeks
The most annoying part of this recipe is prepping the leeks, but it's so worth it because the leeks give a great onion/garlic vibe and kind of melt into the risotto as it cooks down. Prepping leeks can be done as part of weekly meal prep; they'll keep great in the fridge for several days!
- Cut the root end off the leek, then cut about 1 inch off the top. If the outer layer is VERY dark green, remove it – this isn’t always necessary depending on how the leeks are sold.
- Now that the leek is prepped, cut the leek lengthwise to make two long half-moon strips.
- Place the leek halves cut side down, and thinly slice the leek into half-moon shapes.
- Place all the leek slices in a large bowl, then cover the leeks with water by about two inches. Use your hand to swish the leeks around a bit; they will float and any dirt will fall to the bottom of the water.
- Let the leeks sit in the water for 5-10 minutes (I prep everything else during this time), then use a slotted spoon to remove the leeks to a paper towel to drain, being careful to not disturb the sediment at the bottom of the water. Don’t just dump out the leeks; the dirt will flow right back into the clean leeks.
- Clean leeks: done!
Reader Favorite Recipe Highlight!
If you're really into meal prep, double up on leeks and make these insanely good braised crispy chicken thighs - they're a huge reader favorite, and come together quickly if the leeks are already ready to go.
Ingredients and Ingredient Notes
- Rice: Arborio rice or anything labeled "risotto rice" will work well
- Stock: I use vegetable stock, but chicken stock also works great in risotto. You can see in these pictures that the risotto almost looks orange from the carrots in the stock - that's normal! Stock takes on the color of whatever's in it, so it's pretty uncommon to have a really white risotto.
- Wine gives tang and bite to the recipe, but if you prefer to not cook with alcohol, skip it.
- Fresh scallions and dill give a really nice fresh tang at the end; you can use other fresh herbs such as chives, basil, and parsley if you like those.
See the recipe card below for full ingredient list and quantities.
Ingredient Variations and Other Topping Ideas
Toppings: The toppings are my favorite part, just so we're all clear.
I love topping this simply with lemon zest, flaky salt, and fresh herbs BUT have also added lots of other things to this risotto, stirred in right at the end or sprinkled on top. Here are some things that I love!
- toasted pine nuts or pecans
- crushed red pepper flakes or Calabrian chilis
- thinly sliced Fresno chili peppers
- crumbled goat cheese
- sizzled crumbled bacon or prosciutto
- a drizzle of fruity olive oil
- a crispy fried egg (!!)
Vegetables: The leek/pea/asparagus trio here is really yummy, but you can sub in other veggies if you prefer! Here are some ideas:
- onion and garlic instead of the leeks
- a handful of chopped fresh spinach (chop it up a bit to avoid any large slimy leaves
- chopped cherry tomatoes
- chopped broccoli
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Heat a large skillet (this is what you will use to make the entire batch of risotto) to medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of the butter, then add the asparagus and peas.
Step 2: Cook the veggies for 2-3 minutes to just start to soften them, then remove them to a bowl or plate to hang out while you make the rest of the risotto.
Step 3: Reduce the heat to medium, and add another tablespoon of butter to the same skillet with the prepped leeks. Sauté the leeks, stirring as you go, until the leeks are soft and just barely brown at the edges.
Step 4: Add the rice, and stir for 2 minutes to lightly toast the rice and coat it in the buttery leeks.
Step 5: Pour in the wine, and let it reduce until totally evaporated, stirring as you go.
Step 6: Grab the stock, and add about ⅔ cup at a time to the pan. Stir as the stock absorbs and reduces.
Step 7: When the stock is nearly all gone, add another big splash, repeating the add/stir/reduce method for about 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and 3-4 cups of the stock have been used.
Step 8: When the rice is cooked through but not mushy, turn the heat of the stove. Quickly add the salt, several grinds of pepper, the parmesan cheese, and the remaining butter. Stir vigorously to combine the cheese and butter with all of the rice. Taste and add more salt and pepper until the risotto is very flavorful; take it right to the edge of too salty. Trust.
Step 9: Stir the veggies from the very first step back into the risotto, with another pat of butter for good luck.
Step 10: I MEAN WOW. If the vegetable risotto gets too thick, add another splash of stock or water, and taste one more time to be sure it doesn't need any extra salt.
Quick Vegetable Risotto FAQ
Yep! Frozen and thawed rice isn't the BEST, but it works pretty well in this version. Add the fresh herbs and lemon wedges right before serving to wake things back up.
Yep! I prefer leftovers in the fridge vs the freezer, just microwave leftovers, stirring ever 45 seconds, until the risotto is hot all the way through. VERY legit meal prep lunch situation.
Risotto is best served right when you make it, but you can prep this by washing and chopping all the ingredients in advance - especially with the leeks, this saves a ton of time.
Topping and Serving
All that's left to do is top the risotto with the dill and scallions, then serve with the lemon wedges and some more parmesan cheese if you'd like. I serve this straight out of the skillet, but you can also transfer it to shallow bowls for serving and then add the toppings individually.
I love this on its own for a one-pan vegetarian dinner situation, but you can add some marinated grilled chicken (this one has just 3 ingredients!), crusty no-knead bread, and a green salad to make the meal larger.
Leftovers are great in the fridge for 3-4 days and can be reheated in the microwave. You'll need to add a splash of milk, water, or stock to loosen things back up since the starches will seize up a bit in the refrigerator.
This is great, guys! Make this tonight, this weekend, or as soon as you have 45 minutes to spare. You won't regret it - promise!
Other Delicious One Pan Dinners
Recipe
Spring Vegetable Risotto with Leeks
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ bunch asparagus cut into 1-inch pieces (about a cup, don’t stress about amounts here)
- ½ cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1 leek trimmed, sliced, and washed (see instructions above)
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 cup arborio or risotto rice
- ½ dry white or rose wine
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more as needed
- Black pepper
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving if desired
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 scallion thinly sliced
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet (10-inches with 2-3 inches of height, or 12-inches if more shallow) to medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
- Add the peas and asparagus with a sprinkle of salt and sauté the veggies for 3 minutes to just barely cook them. Remove the veggies from the skillet and reserve on a plate while you make the rest of the risotto.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add another tablespoon of butter and the prepped leeks. Sauté the leeks, stirring as you go, for about 3 minutes until they’re soft but not brown.
- Add the rice, and stir for 2 minutes to lightly toast the rice and coat it in the buttery leeks.
- Pour in the wine, and let it reduce until totally evaporated, stirring as you go.
- Now, make the risotto: Grab the stock, and add about ⅔ cup at a time to the pan. Stir as the stock absorbs and reduces. When the stock is nearly all gone, add another big splash, repeating the add/stir/reduce method for about 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and 3-4 cups of the stock have been used.
- When the rice is cooked through but not mushy, turn the heat of the stove. Quickly add the salt, several grinds of pepper, the parmesan cheese, and the remaining butter. Stir vigorously to combine the cheese and butter with all of the rice. Taste and add more salt and pepper until the risotto is very flavorful; take it right to the edge of too salty. Trust.
- Stir the veggies back into the risotto for 1 minute to warm everything through. If the risotto gets too thick, splash in a bit more stock and/or another pat of butter for good luck.
- Serve in shallow bowls topped with the dill, scallions, lemon wedges, and extra parmesan. YUM.
Notes
- Peas: There’s no need to thaw frozen peas for this recipe, they will cook in almost the exact same amount of time with the asparagus as fresh peas will. I find fresh peas often at Trader Joe’s.
- This recipe is gluten free as written.
- Stock: You can use veggie or chicken stock in this recipe, both taste delicious. Note that some veggie stocks use a lot of carrots, so the end product, like these images, may end up a bit yellow. Truly white risotto usually means not a ton of flavor is coming from the stock; the color is a good thing!
- Toppings: The combo of sharp scallion and bright fresh dill is absolutely delicious in this recipe, but feel free to skip it or swap these two items out for any other fresh herb you like. Snipped chives and fresh parsley or oregano are particularly lovely with the spring vegetables.
This recipe was originally published in April 2012 and has been updated with some new images, tips, and tricks.
Lora says
Asparagus and peas are so perfect for spring time cooking. Fantastic risotto!! Loved by all!
Swathi says
Spring vegetable Risotto with leeks is so delicious I have tried it, I am going to make it again.
Sonja says
This was such a lovely spring dinner! I had found some baby leeks in my local supermarket and was just wondering what to make with them when your recipe popped up in my feed. It's at the same time light and indulgent and has me feel good about eating my veg!
Andrea says
I made this spring risotto for dinner and loved every bite—the leeks were so buttery and the peas and asparagus gave it the perfect fresh crunch.
Sabrina says
Creamy, yummy and easy. This is a really tasty risotto, thanks.