Spring Pea Mint Risotto (Print Version)

Creamy risotto featuring sweet peas, fresh mint, and Parmesan for a bright, delicious dish.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Produce

01 - 1 cup fresh or frozen spring peas
02 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
05 - Zest of 1 lemon, optional

→ Grains

06 - 1.5 cups Arborio rice

→ Dairy

07 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
08 - 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
09 - 0.25 cup heavy cream, optional

→ Liquids

10 - 4 cups vegetable broth, kept warm
11 - 0.5 cup dry white wine

→ Pantry

12 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - In a medium saucepan, warm the vegetable broth over low heat and maintain a gentle simmer throughout the cooking process.
02 - In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for approximately 4 minutes until soft and translucent.
03 - Add the minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Stir in the Arborio rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the grains are well coated with fat and slightly translucent at the edges.
05 - Pour in the dry white wine and cook while stirring until the liquid is mostly absorbed by the rice.
06 - Begin adding the warm broth one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently and allowing each addition to absorb before adding the next. Continue for approximately 18 to 20 minutes until the rice is creamy and al dente.
07 - When approximately 5 minutes of cooking remain, stir in the fresh or frozen spring peas.
08 - Once the rice is cooked to a creamy consistency, remove from heat. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, Parmesan cheese, heavy cream if using, chopped mint, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
09 - Let the risotto rest for 2 minutes, then serve immediately. Garnish with additional fresh mint and grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It tastes like you've been cooking all day, but comes together in under an hour without any stress.
  • The combination of mint and lemon wakes up your whole mouth—springtime in a bowl that somehow feels elegant and casual at once.
  • You can use frozen peas without a shred of guilt, which means you can make this in February when you need it most.
02 -
  • The rice needs constant attention once the broth starts going in; if you stop stirring, you'll end up with a crunchy bottom and broken heart, so don't plan to answer emails during this part.
  • Warm broth is non-negotiable—I learned this the hard way when I used cold broth straight from the carton and ended up with risotto that never quite turned creamy no matter how much I stirred.
  • Fresh mint and lemon zest go in at the very end because heat destroys their brightness; add them too early and you've lost the whole point of spring.
03 -
  • The secret to creamy risotto isn't more cream—it's releasing the rice's natural starches through constant stirring and using warm broth that absorbs smoothly into the grains.
  • Taste the rice 15 minutes into cooking so you know what al dente actually feels like in your mouth; then you'll never guess wrong about when it's done.
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