Vegan Spinach and Lemon Risotto with Toasted Pine Nuts

Name: Vegan Spinach and Lemon Risotto with Toasted Pine Nuts
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 6 cups (1420 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth, kept at a bare simmer in a saucepan; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, peeled and finely diced (¼-inch pieces); 3 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced; 1½ cups (300 g) Arborio rice, do not rinse; ½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine (vegan-friendly, such as Pinot Grigio); 5 oz (140 g) baby spinach, washed, to be blended into a purée; 3 oz (85 g) baby spinach, washed and roughly chopped; 2 medium lemons, zested first (about 2 tablespoons zest), then juiced (about ¼ cup / 60 ml juice); 3 tablespoons (15 g) nutritional yeast; ⅓ cup (45 g) pine nuts, raw; 2 tablespoons (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional); fine sea salt, to taste, start with ½ teaspoon (3 g) and adjust at the end; black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Creamy, bright Arborio risotto finished with a puréed spinach swirl, fresh lemon zest and juice, and buttery toasted pine nuts. Dairy-free, but rich and silky thanks to slow-stirred rice starch and good olive oil.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 30 min
Wait: 3 min
Total: 48 min
Makes: 4 generous main-course servings (about 1½ cups / 300 g each)

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Ingredients

4 servings

6 cups (1420 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth, kept at a bare simmer in a saucepan
3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, peeled and finely diced (¼-inch pieces)
3 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced
1½ cups (300 g) Arborio rice, do not rinse
½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine (vegan-friendly, such as Pinot Grigio)
For the spinach
5 oz (140 g) baby spinach, washed, to be blended into a purée
3 oz (85 g) baby spinach, washed and roughly chopped
For the lemon
2 medium lemons, zested first (about 2 tablespoons zest), then juiced (about ¼ cup / 60 ml juice)
3 tablespoons (15 g) nutritional yeast
For the topping
⅓ cup (45 g) pine nuts, raw
2 tablespoons (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)
fine sea salt, to taste, start with ½ teaspoon (3 g) and adjust at the end
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Equipment (8)

Large heavy-bottomed sauté pan or wide Dutch oven, 11–12 inch (28–30 cm)
Medium saucepan for hot broth, 2–3 quart (2–3 L)
Small dry skillet for toasting pine nuts, 8-inch (20 cm)
Blender or immersion blender with cup
Wooden spoon or flexible spatula
Ladle
Microplane or fine grater
Citrus juicer (optional)

Steps

Before you start

Measure and prep everything first (mince, zest, chop). Risotto needs near-constant attention once the rice goes in.
Use low-sodium vegetable broth if possible; the broth reduces as it cooks and regular broth can make the finished dish too salty.
Zest the lemons before juicing them; zesting a squeezed lemon is much harder.
Keep the broth at a bare simmer in a separate pot so it is hot whenever you add it. Cold broth stalls the cooking and gives uneven rice.

1
Heat the broth
- Pour the vegetable broth into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Reduce to low so it stays hot but not boiling.
- Keep it right next to the stove with a ladle.
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Ready when: Small bubbles around the edges, gentle steam rising
Tip: Hot broth keeps the rice cooking at a steady pace and helps it release starch evenly.
2
Toast pine nuts
- Place the pine nuts in a dry 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat.
- Toast, shaking the pan every 20–30 seconds, for 3–4 minutes.
- Tip onto a plate immediately to stop the cooking.
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Ready when: Nuts are light golden brown on most sides and smell nutty and fragrant
Tip: Pine nuts go from golden to burnt in seconds because of their high oil content. Do not walk away.
3
Blend the spinach
- Add the 5 oz (140 g) of spinach to a blender with 1 cup (240 ml) of the hot broth ladled from the saucepan.
- Blend on high for 45–60 seconds until completely smooth and bright green.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Purée is smooth with no visible leaf flecks
Tip: Vent the blender lid slightly and cover with a towel when blending hot liquid so steam does not push the lid off.
4
Soften the aromatics
- Heat the olive oil in a large 11–12 inch (28–30 cm) sauté pan over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt.
- Cook, stirring often, for 5–6 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent with no browning; garlic smells fragrant but is not colored
Tip: If the onion starts to brown, lower the heat. Browned onion makes the risotto taste heavy instead of fresh.
5
Toast the rice
- Add the Arborio rice to the pan.
- Stir constantly for 2 minutes so every grain is coated in oil and heated through.
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Ready when: Grain edges turn translucent while the centers stay white and opaque, and the rice smells slightly nutty
Tip: Do not rinse the rice beforehand. The surface starch is what makes the risotto creamy.
6
Add the wine
- Pour in the white wine and stir.
- Cook until the wine is almost completely absorbed and the sharp alcohol smell has faded, about 1–2 minutes.
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Ready when: Pan looks nearly dry when you drag a spoon across the bottom
7
Add broth gradually
- Reduce heat to medium-low.
- Add about ¾ cup (180 ml) of hot broth, a ladleful at a time, stirring frequently.
- When the pan is almost dry again, add another ladleful.
- Continue for 18–20 minutes, using about 4¼ cups (1 L) of the broth remaining in the saucepan.
- Keep a gentle bubble going throughout.
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Ready when: Rice is creamy and loose, and tastes tender with a slight firmness (al dente) at the very center when you bite a grain
Tip: If you run low on broth, add hot water a few tablespoons at a time. A spoon dragged through the rice should leave a trail that slowly closes.
8
Stir in the spinach
- When the rice is nearly tender (about 1–2 minutes from done), stir in the spinach purée and the chopped spinach.
- Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until the fresh spinach has wilted and the risotto is bright green and flowing.
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Ready when: Chopped spinach is fully wilted and the rice is tender with a slight bite
Tip: Add the purée late. Long cooking turns the green dull and olive-colored.
9
Finish with lemon
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the lemon zest, ¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice, and nutritional yeast.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Taste and add more lemon juice or salt as needed.
- Stir vigorously for 30 seconds to make it creamy.
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Ready when: Risotto is glossy, flows slowly like thick porridge, and tastes bright and balanced
Tip: Add the lemon off the heat to keep the flavor fresh instead of cooked and dull.
10
Rest and serve
- Cover the pan and let the risotto rest for 3 minutes.
- Stir once, then spoon into warm shallow bowls.
- Top with toasted pine nuts and parsley, if using.
- Serve right away.
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Ready when: Risotto spreads gently in the bowl and is not stiff or soupy
Tip: Risotto thickens quickly as it sits. Loosen with a splash of hot broth or water if needed.

Good to know

Tips

Stir often but not frantically; steady, gentle stirring releases starch without breaking the grains.
Add broth only when the previous addition is mostly absorbed, so the rice simmers rather than boils.
Taste the rice for doneness rather than relying on time. Stove heat and pan width change cooking speed.
Serve immediately in warm bowls. Risotto continues to thicken and tighten as it cools.

Make ahead

"Toast the pine nuts up to 3 days ahead and store airtight at room temperature. Prep the onion, garlic, and lemon zest and juice up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate. The spinach purée can be made up to 1 day ahead, but it will darken slightly, so the risotto itself is best cooked fresh."

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 1 hour. Refrigerator: airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: not recommended, as the rice turns mushy. Reheat in a pan over low heat with a splash of broth or water, stirring until hot and creamy, about 4–5 minutes. Store pine nuts separately and add just before serving.

Substitutions

pine nuts → Toasted slivered almonds or sunflower seeds. Use the same amount and toast the same way. Almonds give more crunch, sunflower seeds are nut-free.
dry white wine (vegan-friendly, such as Pinot Grigio) → Extra vegetable broth plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Use ½ cup (120 ml) broth. The acidity will be a little milder.
baby spinach → Baby kale or Swiss chard, stems removed. Chop finely and cook 1–2 minutes longer until tender.
nutritional yeast → 1 tablespoon white miso paste stirred in with the lemon juice. Gives savory depth. Reduce added salt, as miso is salty.