Get that luxuriously creamy and flavorful risotto experience in a fraction of the time by making pressure cooker risotto. Pair with some fresh spring peas (frozen work just as well), and some crispy asparagus and you have a spring flavor sensation the whole family will gobble up. Don't forget to top with some arugula to get that earthy, peppery bite. Yummy!
There is nothing that compares to an authentic risotto, but my gosh they take a huge investment of time, and for that reason have become something we only enjoy for special occasions such as Valentine's Day.
This Instant Pot version still results in a creamy and luxurious rice experience with SO MUCH flavor. However, it takes a fraction of the time to put together and requires very little in the way of that labor intensive stirring. Meaning it can be enjoyed ANY night of the week.
I can't resist combining peas and asparagus in spring. They go so well together, and in a dish like risotto, they cut through that richness so well, giving the whole dish a lighter take. Pop some peppery arugula and zesty lemon on top and you get an earthiness and punch that pulls the whole dish together.
What do I do with the leftovers?
Leftover risotto is just begging to made into arancini, and this baked version lightens up those cheesy little bites a tad, so you get to enjoy them without all the oil!
What do I serve it with?
Now, all you need is a lovely spring themed salad to serve alongside that rich asparagus and pea risotto, check these out:
- I think that we sometime complicate our lives by searching for the ultra healthy recipes while forgetting to enjoy the simple deliciousness of our organic produce. This simple green salad is the answer. Check out this Simple Green Salad from Eye Candy Popper.
- Cut through the creaminess of the risotto with this Grilled Romaine Salad from The Healthy Home Cook.
So, have you tried a Pressure Cooker Risotto yet? What did you think? If you try out this Asparagus and Pea Instant Pot Risotto I would love to hear what you think! Happy eating.
Pressure Cooker Risotto: Asparagus and Pea Risotto in the Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter (or cooking oil of choice)
- 1 leek, thinly sliced (white and light green part only)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 4 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1cm lengths
- freshly squeezed lemon juice to serve
- lemon slices to serve
- 1 cup arugula to serve
Instructions
- Turn the pot to sauté. Once hot, add the butter and melt. Add in the leeks, along with a good pinch of salt. Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until translucent.
- Add the garlic and sauté for about another minute.
- Add the rice, and stir to coat in the butter and leek mixture
- Add the wine, and cook until the liquid has almost all disappeared, about 1 minute.
- Add 4 cups of the stock (set aside the extra 1/2 cup). Pop on the pressure cooker lid, turn the pot to high pressure for 6 minutes.
- After 6 minutes, use the quick release valve on your cooker to release the pressure. Remove the lid and add in the extra stock, parmesan, 1 tbsp butter, peas and chopped asparagus. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir to combine and then pop on the lid for about a minute to allow the peas and asparagus to heat through.
- To serve: place the risotto into bowls, add a squeeze of fresh lemon on top, some fresh parmesan cheese and a handful of arugula.
Ryan says
While I enjoy crispiness in my asparagus I still found them a tad too raw tasting in this recipe. Easy fix though, I just added another half cup of stock and turned the saute function on for a moment, gave a good stir or two, put the lid back on and turned on the keep warm function for a few minutes.
Tres bien!
Had to make a few minor adjustments; as I had no leeks I used some green onion as a substitute and added some diced roasted red pepper (mostly for color). And because I couldn't resist, a drizzle of truffle oil to finish.
Jeannie says
Do the asparagus need to be cooked first?
Jeannie says
Never mind. I made it without cooking the asparagus and it was delicious! Amazing that it didn't take much time at all and turned out perfectly.
Donna says
Oh good, glad you took the chance and it worked out for you Jeannie. We don't cook the asparagus, as I think it tastes better with a little bit of crunch!
Mary says
10/10 enjoyed this recipe. All up it probably took only 15minutes from start to finish so was stoked. The lemon garnish really helped to lighten the flavours.
Donna says
I am so glad you loved it Mary. Always a go-to for a busy weeknight around here when dinner needs to be on the table asap! The lemon works really well, doesn't it, definitely worth the extra effort to put some on at the end!
Becky says
Ended up with so much extra liquid that I had to put the pressure cooker back on for another 6 minutes. Even that did cook out all the extra liquid so the risotto just ended up being mush 🙁 It was slightly edible if you ignored the texture. Not sure what went wrong as I measured everything out according to the recipe.
Donna says
Sorry you had this experience Becky, I have never had that happen and I make risotto in the instant pot all the time. I even made the recipe again yesterday to trouble-shoot want went wrong and I couldn't replicate the issue.
Susan says
Took way more than 11 minutes - more like 30 (especially with the pressure cooker pressurizing and releasing). BUT it was delicious. Highly recommend!
Donna says
Thanks, Susan, glad you enjoyed!!
I have updated the recipe card to allow for an extra 15 minutes for the time it takes different machines to come to pressure and extra time some people might need to prepare leeks etc.
Steve says
Really 11 minutes? Really????
Donna says
Really 🙂
Wondering says
Very good risotto. Since I just made it yesterday, plan at least half an hour start to finish.
Preheat Instant Pot, wash and cut leeks ~5 minutes.
Saute leeks ~5 minutes; meanwhile cut garlic and asparagus.
Saute garlic ~1 minute.
Measure and add rice and liquid ~1 minute.
Cook down liquid ~1 minute.
Add quart of broth. Set to 6 minutes at high pressure. Let come to pressure and cook ~18 minutes.
Quick release ~2 minutes.
Add broth, butter, cheese, asparagus, peas and let warm ~2 minutes.
Preparation time ~17 minutes
Cooking time ~18 minutes
Donna says
Hi, thanks for listing the specifics in terms of time.
I have the extra 15 minutes in custom time on the recipe card to allow for different pressure cookers and different levels of skill in terms of preparation time etc but this will be useful!
Gabrielle @ eyecandypopper says
That risotto sounds delicious! and thanks for pairing it with my simple green salad 🙂
Donna1 says
No worries, it is the perfect accompaniment 🙂