Spinach risotto! Easy light risotto with fresh baby spinach, broth, parmesan and lemon
When spring finally arrives here, it will do so with a burst of green. Trees that have stood gloomily bare for months suddenly begin to leaf, inviting us to wake up (!) and prepare for the warmer days to come.
Hence the inspiration for this beautiful green spinach risotto.
A tip for preparing risotto: use rice that is suitable for risotto, such as arborio or carnaroli, and do not rinse the rice. You want to use a starchy rice, as stirring and slow, even cooking will help loosen the starch to create the risotto’s creaminess.
Risotto is best served immediately. It starts to set quickly after you make it. If you have leftovers and want to reheat, fluff them up with more broth.
Spinach risotto
We use baby spinach for its convenience and tenderness. If you use ripe spinach, rinse it thoroughly first. You may want to blanch it for a few seconds first before shredding it and using it in this recipe.
ingredients
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5 tablespoon butterdivided 4 tablespoons and 1 tablespoon
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1 Cup chopped Onion
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2 cloves garlicchopped
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1/2 teaspoon Italian spice (dried herbs like basil and thyme)
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1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
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2 cups (400G) Risotto rice (Arborio, Carnaroli, Vialone Nano)
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1/2 Cup White wine
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5 cups chicken brothor vegetable broth for the vegetarian option
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3/4 Cup grated parmesan cheese
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8th ounces baby spinach, finely chopped
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1 teaspoon Lemon peel
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1 teaspoon lemon juice
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1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
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1/2 teaspoon Salt, more to taste
method
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Heat broth and prepare ingredients:
Make sure all of your ingredients are ready before you begin. Heat the broth in a medium saucepan until steaming, reduce the heat and keep warm while you prepare the risotto.
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Cooking onions and garlic:
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a wide saucepan over medium-medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic, Italian spices and nutmeg and cook half a minute longer.
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Add risotto rice:
Add the rice and toss to coat with the butter and onions. Cook until grains are translucent around the edges and beginning to color, about 2 to 3 minutes.
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Add white wine:
Add the white wine and stir into the rice. Simmer and stir until the wine is almost completely cooked off or absorbed into the rice.
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Add broth by the ladle:
Begin adding the broth, a ladle (about 1/2 cup) at a time. Stir the rice after each addition of broth and only add another ladle when the liquid in the pot has almost completely been absorbed by the rice.
When you’re almost finished with your heated broth, taste the risotto, adding more seasonings if needed. Note that in the next step you will be adding parmesan, which is salty, so you should wait before adding more salt.
The risotto is ready when it is al dente, cooked through, but still al dente and not mushy.
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Stir in the butter, Parmesan, spinach, lemon zest, and lemon juice:
When the risotto is ready, finish by stirring in the remaining tablespoons of butter, grated parmesan, chopped spinach, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Add a little more broth to fluff up the risotto. Taste for salt and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 322 | calories |
| 15g | Fat |
| 31g | carbohydrates |
| 12g | protein |
