Pea and Parsley Risotto

Pea and Parsley Risotto

By: Elizabeth Beals

   Peas are just coming into season this year and it's still a little chilly outside for spring. Risotto is the perfect dish to fill you up and keep you warm. I have come to love this dish so much that I requested it for my 29th birthday dinner. I will be honest and tell you, the first time I made this dish from start to finish it took me two hours! I was still new to vegan cooking and had never made a risotto in my life. I am proud to say that I have it down to under an hour now. What a little bit of patience and practice will do for the cook in all of us. Three tips I want to pass on to you about risotto. Pull a stool to the stove you are going to be there for a while. The wine can be cold, but the veggie broth needs to be warmed. Lastly, please wait until all the liquid has been absorbed each time before adding more. 

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1  white onion, finely diced

1 cup + more to garish fresh parsley, chopped

1 cup arborio rice

1 cup white wine, use what you like and drink the rest

3 cups veggie broth, warmed

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 cup fresh or frozen peas 

1/4 cup basil, fresh chopped

1. Heat oil in your largest pan with a tall edge over medium heat. Cook the onion for a few mins until soft then add the parsley. Watch out because the parsley will pop out of the pan from the hot oil. Lower the heat if parsley starts to brown. Cook until all is tender it will take about 3 mins.

2. Stir in rice and cook until the tips are translucent, stir constantly for 2 to 3 mins. Once tips are translucent stir in wine. When the wine had been absorbed by the rice, reduce heat to a simmer. About 3 mins for the wine to be absorbed by the rice.

3. Stir in warmed veggie broth a half cup to a cup at a time. Waiting until each amount has been absorbed by the rice before adding another cup of broth. Make sure rice doesn’t stick to the sides of your pan and keep stirring.

4. After all cups are absorbed taste to see if rice is tender enough. If not add more broth or water to rice. Cook until rice is tender.

5. Add pepper, yeast, and peas. Cook until peas are hot. Take off burner and cover with a lid. Let it sit for about 10 mins. From onions in the pan to letting it rest it’s about 40mins for me now. Garish with fresh basil.

Keep in mind it use to take me 2 hours when I first started making this dish. That included getting all the ingredients together and measuring everything out then reading and rereading the recipe that I had planned. There's an hour plus right there! We are all working at different skill levels on this journey. Be proud of where you are and keep moving forward.