Lemon Risotto Recipe
- Vegetarian or Vegan
This easy, creamy lemon risotto recipe is going to be your new favorite. It’s comforting, yet bright and fresh. And oh-so lemony. One bite will transport you straight to southern Italy (where I currently live!), and have you dreaming of long, lazy lunches beneath the shade of a lemon grove.
Easy Creamy Lemon Risotto Recipe (Risotto al Limone)
What could be better than a creamy, dreamy lemon risotto on a gorgeous Italian summer day? This light risotto recipe is so summery and fresh! So bright and lemony and just packed with flavor. The ingredients are fairly simple but this risotto packs a big punch.
Never made risotto before? Don’t worry! Some people make it sound really complicated, but it’s actually quite simple. It’s not a quick recipe, per se, but there is nothing really difficult about it. And the extra time is so worth it in the end! Altogether this recipe takes about 40 minutes to make.
Now, let’s get to making this dreamy risotto with bright notes of zesty lemon. Your tastebuds are calling…
Ingredients to make this lemon risotto recipe
- 6 cups (1.4L) vegetable broth
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 2 large shallots, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 1/2 cups (500g) Arborio rice (dry, unrinsed)
- 1 ¾ cups dry white wine, room temperature
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 4 oz (113g) parmigiano reggiano, finely grated
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup lemon zest
- Optional garnish = basil leaves, shaved parmigiano reggiano, lemon peel curls
You will need a total of 3 medium-sized lemons for this recipe. You will use the zest of all 3 lemons and the juice of just 1 lemon. If you want to make pretty lemon peel curls like you see in the photos, you’ll need 1 extra lemon (so 4 lemons total).
You absolutely must use fresh lemons for this recipe. Don’t even think about using bottled lemon juice. Since lemon is the star of the show here, it would just be a crime to use the bottled stuff. The flavor, freshness, and intensity will be all wrong. Use fresh!
For the wine I recommend something like Falanghina, from southern Italy. It’s dry, bright and crisp with notes of pear, apple, and citrus. With the perfect balance of acidity and minerality. Use some in the risotto and then chill the rest and serve it with the dish for the perfect wine pairing! If you can’t find Falanghina, try Pinot Grigio. Sauvignon Blanc will be too acidic in this recipe.
How to make lemon risotto
- Mise en place. Prep and measure all ingredients ahead of time for this recipe! Once you get started you won’t really be able to stop and measure or chop things.
- Warm the vegetable broth in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Warm it until steaming, but not simmering.
- Heat oil. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, add the olive oil and 2 Tbsp butter and heat over medium heat.
- Soften vegetables. Add the shallot and onion to the oil. Cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables have softened, stirring occasionally. You don’t want to brown the vegetables here, so if you start to get any browning, turn down the heat a bit.
- Toast the rice. After the vegetables have softened, add the rice to the pot and stir well until the rice is covered in oil. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the rice for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. The rice should be toasting a bit during this phase.
- Add wine and sea salt and continue to stir.
- Ladle in warm stock. Once the wine has absorbed into the rice (~2 mins), begin ladling the stock into the risotto pot. **Add one ladle of stock at a time**
- Add one ladle, decrease the heat to a simmer, and stir constantly until the liquid is almost all absorbed. You want to keep stirring to work the starch out of the rice. This is what gives the risotto its creaminess.
- Once almost all of the liquid is absorbed, ladle in a second ladle of stock. Stir, stir, stir.
- Repeat this process of ladling in stock and stirring until the rice is soft but still has a little bite to it. Al dente. This phase will take about 15 minutes.
- You may not use all of the stock. I usually have a little leftover. If you run out of stock, you can use warm water to cook the remainder of the rice.
- Season to taste. Once the rice is finished cooking, taste the risotto and add more salt if desired.
- Add remaining ingredients. Remove risotto from heat and add the last 1 Tbsp butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and parmigiano reggiano. Stir to combine. If it looks too thick, add in a little more stock until you get a creamy, smooth texture.
- Cover with a lid and let it sit for 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Store leftover risotto in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Kit’s Tips
Risotto thickens significantly as it cools. After letting it rest with the lid on for 2 minutes, if it still looks pretty thick, you’re going to want to thin it out a bit with the extra broth or warm water. You don’t want a soupy texture, but something that spreads when you add it to a bowl or plate.
After serving the first round, you will probably want to thin it again with more broth or water before serving second helpings or storing in the fridge.
Once you have made your first attempts at making risotto and you’re a certified pro, you can add a couple of ladlefuls of broth at a time. This doesn’t really speed up the process overall, but it simplifies it a bit.
What to serve with lemon risotto
I love to serve this lemon risotto with a simple green salad. Leafy greens dressed with fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, flaky sea salt, and lemon zest. So simple and so good!
If you want to add some more protein to your dinner, I recommend serving this with a side of grilled shrimp.
Parmigiano Reggiano vs Parmesan Cheese
Okay, what is the difference between parmigiano reggiano and regular parmesan cheese? FLAVOR! Parmigiano reggiano is just so much more flavorful than parmesan cheese. The difference is just truly astounding. The best way to describe it is that parmesan cheese is pretty much just fake parmigiano reggiano. The flavor just doesn’t compare.
You can substitute with parmesan cheese if that’s all you can find, but the flavor of this lemon risotto recipe won’t be quite the same. Most grocery stores in the U.S. carry parmigiano reggiano in the specialty cheese section. It’s worth going on a hunt for though if you’ve never tried it. Honestly, I think just plain parmigiano reggiano chunks are probably my favorite food now that I live in Italy.
Love Italian food? Check out some of my other yummy risotto recipes (and more!)
- Instant Pot Shrimp Risotto (also works with other electric pressure cookers)
- Spinach Artichoke Risotto (think spinach artichoke dip but in risotto form… YUM!)
- Crawfish Risotto
- Pasta with Clams
- Dairy Free Cauliflower Alfredo
- Linguine with Rosé Clam Sauce
- Creamy Pesto Shrimp and Zoodles
- 20-minute Paleo Shrimp Scampi
- Spicy Shrimp Pesto Gnocchi Bowls
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Lemon Risotto
- Vegetarian or Vegan
Ingredients
- 6 cups vegetable broth (1.4L)
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 2 large shallots, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 1/2 cups Arborio rice (500g), dry & unrinsed
- 1 ¾ cups dry white wine room temperature
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 4 oz parmigiano reggiano, finely grated (113g)
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup lemon zest
- Optional garnish = basil leaves, shaved parmigiano reggiano, lemon peel curls
Instructions
- Mise en place. Prep and measure all ingredients ahead of time for this recipe! Once you get started you won’t really be able to stop and measure or chop things.
- Warm the vegetable broth in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Warm it until steaming, but not simmering.
- Heat oil. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, add the olive oil and 2 Tbsp butter and heat over medium heat.
- Soften vegetables. Add the shallot and onion to the oil. Cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables have softened, stirring occasionally. You don’t want to brown the vegetables here, so if you start to get any browning, turn down the heat a bit.
- Toast the rice. After the vegetables have softened, add the rice to the pot and stir well until the rice is covered in oil. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the rice for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. The rice should be toasting a bit during this phase.
- Add wine and sea salt and continue to stir.
- Ladle in warm stock. Once the wine has absorbed into the rice (~2 mins), begin ladling the stock into the risotto pot. **Add one ladle of stock at a time** Add one ladle, decrease the heat to a simmer, and stir constantly until the liquid is almost all absorbed. You want to keep stirring to work the starch out of the rice. This is what gives the risotto its creaminess. Once almost all of the liquid is absorbed, ladle in a second ladle of stock. Stir, stir, stir. Repeat this process of ladling in stock and stirring until the rice is soft but still has a little bite to it. Al dente. This phase will take about 15 minutes. You may not use all of the stock. I usually have a little leftover. If you run out of stock, you can use warm water to cook the remainder of the rice.
- Season to taste. Once the rice is finished cooking, taste the risotto and add more salt if desired.
- Add remaining ingredients. Remove risotto from heat and add the last 1 Tbsp butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and parmigiano reggiano. Stir to combine. If it looks too thick, add in a little more stock until you get a creamy, smooth texture.
- Cover with a lid and let it sit for 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
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Alternative ingredients to try
- Chicken broth – you can sub this for the vegetable stock if you want, but I think vegetable broth gives this lemon risotto a better, cleaner flavor. Chicken broth is perfect for my Spinach Artichoke Risotto recipe though!
- Spring peas – also a welcome addition, but I like the flavor and texture of fresh basil leaves with this risotto better.
- Black pepper – use as a garnish and freshly cracked is best! It is a great option for a little extra kick.
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