Spring vegetable risotto with lemon and herbs

• 320 g arborio rice
• 2 medium leekswhite and light green parts only, halved and thinly sliced
• 250 g asparaguswoody ends snapped off, cut into 3cm pieces, tips reserved separately
• 150 g frozen peas
• 1 ¼ l store-bought vegetable broth
• 120 ml dry white wine
• 60 g parmesan cheesefinely grated, plus extra for serving
• 40 g unsalted buttercut into small cubes
• 1 medium yellow onionfinely diced
• 3 garlic clovesminced
• 1 medium lemon
• 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp black pepperfreshly ground
• 15 g fresh flat-leaf parsleyroughly chopped
• 10 g fresh chivesfinely snipped

1. 1

   Pour the vegetable broth into a saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Keep it warm on low — you'll ladle it in throughout the cook.

   Tip: Warm broth is non-negotiable for risotto. Cold broth shocks the rice and slows down starch release.

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and diced onion with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until completely soft and translucent with no browning, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. 3

   Add the arborio rice and stir constantly for about 1-2 minutes until the grains look slightly translucent around the edges and smell toasty — this coats each grain in fat and kickstarts the starch release.

   Tip: You'll hear a gentle crackling sound as the rice toasts. Don't let it brown.

4. 4

   Pour in the white wine and stir. It'll sizzle and steam — keep stirring until the liquid is almost completely absorbed and the pan looks nearly dry, about 1 minute.

5. 5

   Begin adding the warm broth one ladle at a time (about 180ml per addition), stirring frequently. Wait until each addition is mostly absorbed before adding the next — the rice should always look creamy, not soupy or dry. This process takes about 15-16 minutes total.

   Tip: You don't need to stir nonstop, but stay close. Stir every 30 seconds or so and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle, steady simmer with small bubbles.

6. 6

   When you're about two ladles from the end (around the 12-minute mark), stir in the asparagus stem pieces (not the tips). Continue adding broth and stirring.

7. 7

   With the final ladle of broth, add the asparagus tips and frozen peas. Stir gently and cook until the peas are heated through and the asparagus tips are bright green and just tender with a slight snap, about 2 minutes. The rice should be al dente — creamy on the outside with the faintest chew in the center.

   Tip: If the risotto looks too thick before you've reached the right texture, add a splash more warm broth.

8. 8

   Pull the pot off the heat. Add the cubed butter, grated parmesan, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir vigorously for 30 seconds — this is the mantecatura step that makes risotto impossibly creamy and glossy. Zest the lemon directly over the pot, then squeeze in half the lemon juice. Stir once more and taste — adjust salt and lemon as needed.

   Tip: The risotto will thicken as it sits, so err on the side of slightly loose. It should flow like lava when you spoon it onto a plate.

9. 9

   Divide among warmed bowls. Scatter the chopped parsley and snipped chives over each portion, finish with a final grating of parmesan, and serve immediately.

   Tip: Risotto waits for no one — serve it the moment it's done. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days; reheat gently with a splash of broth in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until creamy again.

• Dutch oven (5-liter (5-quart))
• saucepan (2-liter (2-quart))
• cutting board
• chef's knife
• wooden spoon
• ladle

Per serving

Nutritional values are estimates only.