One of the best parts of spring is that many delicious vegetables are back in season! One in particular, though, that really stands out and is one of Louis Sel’s favorites is asparagus! It pairs excellently with all of Louis Sel’s salts, is both healthy and tasty, and easy to make in a variety of delicious ways! One specific and unique dish asparagus can be paired with that one may not have ever heard of or expected is asparagus risotto.

 Yes, asparagus risotto is really a thing, and it is absolutely delicious! It may seem like an odd combination at first, but the taste takes all that worry away. To many people, making risotto may seem extremely intimidating - maybe it’s the patience it requires or the worry it won’t come out right since it’s such a “complicated” dish to make. However, at Louis Sel, we believe in using the best quality ingredients along with the best quality seasoning to elevate simple cooking.  With risotto, leveraging this mentality along with just a little bit of patience can turn risotto into one of your favorite dishes to make …and eat!  While it makes for a lovely special occasion dish, it’s also suitable for a weeknight meal as well.   In this post, we’re featuring a classic spring risotto with roasted asparagus, as seen in the photo above.

Below are some tips to help you master and elevate your risotto no matter the season. You can leverage these with your favorite recipe or experiment on your own.  But to ensure this dish comes out as best as possible, some recipe suggestions to follow are:

• Use the right rice - Such as carnaroli, since it is easier to find at grocery stores, maintains a good consistency, and holds its shape.

• Prepare your vegetables in advance - In this case, it’d be the asparagus. Roast the asparagus with some olive oil and our popular Louis Sel Sel Marin salt with aromatic herbs.  Roasting helps bring out the flavor even more and blends into the risotto nicely. 

• Skip the broth - You don’t actually need to use chicken or vegetable broth.  For one cup of rice, take about six cups of water with some salt.   Keep it on a simmer as you get the rice going.  The flavor and saltiness from the cheese and vegetables will shine on their own- you also don’t have to go searching for that box or can of broth!    

• Set up your base - Dice and sauté one onion until translucent then ladle in a little of the simmered salted water to soak up. Then add your rice for a minute or two and add a splash of white wine. After this is when you should sprinkle on Louis Sel salt.

• Stir and stir! Patience is key here - Start one ladle at a time, adding the water to the rice and onion.  On medium heat, and with a sturdy spoon, keep stirring.  When it looks like the rice is being absorbed, add another ladleful.  Don’t add too many, this is a slow and steady process.  Keep stirring and ladling.  It should take around thirty minutes or so to really get it to a nice creamy, al dente consistency. But, keep stirring!  Also, don’t approach this as a tedious process but rather a meditative one.  Risotto is not a dish to make when you’re in a hurry.  When you have the time, it can actually be quite relaxing and a great way to unwind.  

• Finish and enjoy! Test the flavor and consistency, and if needed, add a little more Sel Marin salt or water if the rice is still not done. When it’s close, add in your preferred cheese and vegetables (asparagus).  Parmesan is always a great bet, but Pecorino is also a great choice as it adds in that extra saltiness. Since this is a nice dish for the springtime, you can even add some lemon juice to brighten it. Stir to incorporate the risotto with the veggies. Don’t forget some more cheese and lemon zest to top it. And lastly, eat it, enjoy it, and share it!