Easy Asparagus Risotto with Oven-Dried Tomatoes (Vegan)

I made this risotto last week when AJ was out of town.

I was just about to make some toast and call it dinner when I saw my jar of Arborio rice in the pantry, and I decided that would make a more nutritious meal than just toast. So I used some asparagus I had sitting in the fridge, and a handful of oven-dried tomatoes, and it was delicious!

I feel like some people think risotto is super scary and difficult to make, but all you need is a bit of patience.

I know no one really wants to stand over a hot stove for an hour stirring a pot of rice (unless you’re in the cold parts of the country right now!), but it is so worth it once you take your first bite of creamy-dreamy risotto. Low and slow cooking allows the short-grain rice to absorb the flavorful liquid.

It’s a great option for gluten-free diners, and this version is vegan as well. Plus, once you have put in that effort at the stove, this dish makes delicious leftovers. They’ll keep nicely in the refrigerator for about a week, great for workday lunches and quick dinners for the next couple of days.

Easy Asparagus Risotto with Oven-Dried Tomatoes

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★★★★★

5 from 1 review

• Author: Raquel Smith
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Description

A super easy risotto recipe with asparagus and oven-dried tomatoes. Vegan and gluten-free comfort food!

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Ingredients

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• 7 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 3/4 cups Arborio rice
• 1/3 cup sherry
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 3 Tbsp chopped reconstituted oven-dried tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Place the vegetable broth in a saucepan on the stove. Cover and heat until very warm but not boiling. Turn heat down to low and keep warm throughout the cooking process.
2. Place a large skillet (10″ or larger) over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add the shallot and cook until translucent, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and the dry rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the rice is translucent and starting to get just a tiny bit golden, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour in the sherry and cook, stirring often, until almost evaporated. Add about 1 cup of the warm broth and cook over medium-low heat until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, then add more broth. Stir very often – if left too long without stirring you’ll get a bunch of rice stuck to the bottom of the pan.
4. Continue adding about 1/2-1 cup of broth at a time, stirring, and continuing to cook until the rice is very tender.
5. While the risotto cooks, rinse the asparagus well and chop into about 1 1/2-inch pieces, keeping the tips separate. Heat the remaining olive oil in another large skillet and add the asparagus (reserve the tips). Saute for about 4 minutes, then add the tips and cook another 3-4 minutes until bright green and tender.
6. When the rice is tender and most of the hot broth has been incorporated into the mixture, stir in the cooked asparagus, nutritional yeast, tomatoes, and fresh black pepper. Serve immediately.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour

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About Raquel Smith

Raquel is a whole foods enthusiast, an avid mountain biker, and a dog lover. She works by day at Food Blogger Pro and formerly maintained her food blog "My California Roots" (now merged into Foodal).

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