Instant Pot Lemon Asparagus Risotto

This Instant Pot Lemon Asparagus Risotto brings all the vibrant flavors of spring to your bowl. Made with fresh asparagus, zesty lemon, and arborio rice, this gluten-free risotto is the best one-pot meal.

Fresh asparagus is in season and it is at its best during spring. Also, spring is the best season to have colorful vegetables and enjoy fresh lemony flavors. You can read all about it in my spring produce guide here. As asparagus is in season, I also love to make air fryer roasted asparagus and asparagus soup.

Risotto is a labor of love when made on the stovetop, but it is a breeze when made in the instant pot. I like to saute asparagus separately in a skillet and add it in right after pressure cooking to preserve the crunch.

If you have thin asparagus stalks, you can add them after pressure cooking right into the risotto, similar to how I do for my lemon asparagus pasta. Or for thick stalks, you can add them in just before pressure cooking.

What is Risotto?

Risotto is a creamy Italian dish made with short grain arborio rice cooked in vegetable or meat broth. It has a creamy texture with al-dente grains. In addition to rice being the main ingredient, risotto can also contains different aromatics such onions or shallots sautéed in butter, white wine, or stock.

There are different kinds of rice like Carnaroli, Arborio, or Vialone Nano rice. But, the Arborio rice is the best to use as absorbs the liquids and releases the starches, which gives the creamy texture to the final dish.

Ingredients for Lemon Asparagus Risotto

The primary ingredients for this delicious lemon asparagus risotto are:

Asparagus: It is rich in vitamins, folate, and fiber. This veggie is also one of the nutritionally balanced vegetables and it is so easy to cook. For this recipe, I like to sauté asparagus separately. It can be sautéed in a skillet or in the instant pot.

Green Peas: These tiny yet powerful veggie packs a punch when it comes to nutrients. They carry high volumes of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Lemon: I have used freshly squeezed lemon juice for this recipe. You can raise the lemony flavor by adding some zest.

Broth: I have used vegetable broth but other kinds of broth would work well too.

Parmesan: I prefer to use freshly grated parmesan for this recipe.

How to make Asparagus Risotto?

Now that you have all your ingredients, it is time to make this one-pot asparagus risotto.

• Start by heating the instant pot in sauté mode and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Then add the onions, garlic, and sauté for a few minutes.
• Then add the broth to the pot and deglaze to ensure nothing is stuck to the bottom.
• Next, add the rice, butter, salt to the broth and stir well. Remember that all of the rice should be covered in broth
• Close the lid with the vent in a sealing position and set the instant pot on high pressure for 6 minutes.
• Once the instant pot beeps, quick release the pressure manually.

• While the rice is cooking in the instant pot, sauté the asparagus in some olive oil in a skillet on the stovetop. You can also sauté the asparagus in the instant pot before sautéing the onion or garlic.
• You just want to saute for 5-8 minutes until the asparagus is tender. The exact time will depend on the thickness of the asparagus stalks.

• After opening the instant pot, add the asparagus, green peas, and lemon juice and stir in the grated parmesan. Keep stirring until the parmesan is mixed well with the rice. Adjust salt and pepper according to your taste. Finally, cover the instant pot with a lid and let it sit for 5 minutes for all the flavors to soak in well.
• Serve the risotto by garnishing with a generous helping of grated parmesan and crushed red chili pepper (optional).

Tips for perfect risotto in instant pot

• Arborio rice is the best to make the perfect risotto. It keeps the rice al dente and at the same time soaks in the flavors so well.
• Traditionally parmesan is the choice of cheese for this risotto, but you can make it with gruyere too.
• You can store this lemon asparagus risotto for up to 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Just heat it in the microwave or stovetop with some butter and you might need to add some water to get the right consistency too.

Variations

One of the variations of this risotto is where you can add the mushroom and make Mushroom Asparagus Risotto instead of lemon.

If you want to add some protein to the dish, just add some grilled chicken or shrimp to the risotto.

I hope you enjoy this delicious creamy Lemon Asparagus Risotto. Don't forget to share your feedback or a picture with #pipingpotcurry!