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Super Green Risotto
This vibrant green spinach and herb risotto is perfect for welcoming in spring! It’s somehow both indulgent and incredibly fresh. For added greeny goodness, you can stir through some thawed frozen peas just before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 1x
- Cuisine: Rice and Risotto
Ingredients
Scale
- 150 g baby spinach
- 30 g fresh basil leaves
- 20 g chives
- 200 ml cold water
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 400 g arborio or carnaroli rice
- 120 ml dry white wine
- 80 g grana padano or parmigiano reggiano
- Handful of walnuts, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Place the baby spinach, fresh basil leaves, chives and cold water in a blender and blitz until smooth, adding more water if necessary. Set aside.
- Bring the vegetable stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan over a high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cover; you want to keep the stock warm over very low heat.
- Heat a generous glug of extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and season with a generous pinch of sea salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and softened, around 7 to 10 minutes. You want the onion to cook gently without it taking on any colour.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn.
- Turn the heat up to medium. Add the risotto rice and stir well to coat in the oniony/garlicky oil. Cook, stirring constantly, until the rice begins to look slightly translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the white wine and cook, stirring frequently, until the pan is almost dry, 1 to 2 mins.
- Add one ladleful of stock and cook, stirring almost constantly, until the stock is fully absorbed. Add another ladleful of stock and cook, stirring almost constantly, until the stock is fully absorbed. Repeat this process until the rice is 80% cooked; it should be tender but with a slight bite. The whole process should take 20 to 25 mins. If you run out of stock before the rice is 80% cooked, add one ladleful of hot water at a time and cook, stirring frequently until absorbed, until the rice is tender with a bite to it.
- Add the spinach mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is fully cooked, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the grana padano and drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and stir well to combine. Cover the saucepan and allow the risotto to sit for 3 minutes before serving. You might be tempted to skip this step but don’t – this is when the risotto becomes deliciously creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Divide the risotto between bowls, top with chopped walnuts and serve – enjoy!
