Instant Pot Lemon Asparagus Risotto

This Instant Pot lemon asparagus risotto is bright, creamy, and incredibly easy to make. It's just the perfect weeknight dinner that happens to be vegetarian and absolutely delicious.

I'm a massive fan of risotto, and even though I find stirring it quite soothing, there are days when I definitely want to speed up the process.

Making risotto in the Instant Pot may not be the traditional way to cook this Italian rice dish, but it's certainly the easiest.

This lemon asparagus risotto is the perfect veggie dinner for a weeknight and is also delicate and elegant enough for date night.

It's made with carnaroli rice, tender asparagus, loads of lemon juice and freshly grated parmesan. I also add some sundried tomatoes at the end for extra vibrancy.

Why you'll love this Instant Pot lemon asparagus risotto

• It's super quick to make. Making risotto the traditional way usually takes about an hour. Thanks to the magic of the Instant Pot, you can have this lemon veggie risotto on the table in 30 minutes.
• It's extra creamy. Since it's made with carnaroli rice that's toasted for a couple of minutes before adding the liquid, this lemon risotto is super creamy.
• Can easily be customized. You can easily add other veggies to this Instant Pot veggie risotto, like broccoli or mushrooms, for example.

What goes into this Instant Pot lemon risotto?

Olive oil — You'll need a bit of extra virgin olive oil to sauté the asparagus in.

Asparagus tips — You can cut the asparagus as small as you want. Make sure you don't overcook it if you'd like it to still be a bit crunchy.

Butter — Unsalted butter is the best choice for this recipe. You can use some extra olive oil instead, but butter will make the risotto extra creamy.

Shallot — The delicate flavour of the shallot makes it perfect for this risotto. You can skip it or use regular onion instead if that's what you have on hand.

Garlic — Freshly chopped garlic is perfect in this recipe.

Fresh thyme — You can sub 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning mix if you don't have fresh thyme.

Carnaroli rice is the best rice to use in an Instant Pot risotto because it will still be al dente and retain its shape at the end. You can substitute it with arborio rice.

Lemon juice — I like to add the juice of a small lemon to this risotto, but you can definitely adjust the quantity to your liking.

Grated Parmesan — Freshly grated parmesan is always best in risottos.

How to make lemon asparagus risotto in the Instant Pot

Set the Instant Pot to "Sauté" and heat the olive oil for about 30 seconds. Add the asparagus and sauté for 3-4 minutes until tender. Transfer the asparagus to a bowl and set it aside.

Add the butter to the Instant Pot and allow it to melt. Next, add the shallot, garlic and thyme and sauté for 1-2 minutes.

Stir in the rice and toast it for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Turn off the Sauté function.

Add the lemon juice and vegetable stock and stir to combine.

Lock the lid, turn the valve to "Sealing," then cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. When the timer goes off, perform a quick release.

Remove the lid and add the parmesan, cooked asparagus and sundried tomatoes.

Stir to combine, season to taste and serve immediately with some additional parmesan on top, if you like.

Recipe notes and tips

• Add some dry white wine with the lemon juice for some extra flavour.
• For an extra creamy lemon risotto, stir in a knob of butter at the end, right before adding the parmesan.
• If you'd like an extra lemony flavour, you can add the zest of the lemon, too, or serve the risotto with a bit of lemon zest on top.
• This risotto is best served immediately, and I don't recommend reheating it.

If you liked this Instant Pot lemon asparagus risotto, you might also like some of my other easy risotto recipes:

• Risotto alla Zucca (Butternut Squash Risotto)
• Cavolo Nero Risotto
• Easy Smoked Haddock Risotto
• Risotto All'Amatriciana
• Risotto with Italian Sausage (Risotto con Salsiccia)

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