Wild garlic and asparagus risotto — the perfect way to celebrate the season and its glorious fresh produce. This simple, flavour-packed dish works for a weekend lunch or a quick weekday dinner and takes less than 30 minutes to cook.
Hello friends!
Spring has sprung in the UK and the warmer, sunnier days are finally here. I celebrated the first day of spring with a foraging walk for wild garlic with my friend Lindsay — such a joyful way to welcome seasonal flavours.
Wild garlic and asparagus risotto — spring on the plate!
This wild garlic and asparagus risotto celebrates the best of spring with two fresh, seasonal ingredients: wild garlic and asparagus. When these start appearing at markets and farm shops, you know winter is truly over. The risotto is creamy but light, full of bright, fresh flavours, and perfect for a weeknight supper or a relaxed lunch.
What is wild garlic and where to find it?
Wild garlic (also called bear’s garlic or bear leek) is a wild plant found across Britain, Europe and Asia. It grows to around 45–50 cm and offers edible leaves and flowers. The leaves appear in March and are best picked young; flowers usually follow from April to June and can brighten salads with a mild garlicky note. Wild garlic is commonly found carpeting woodland floors in spring — you’ll often notice a distinctive garlicky aroma when you’re nearby.
If you plan to forage, do so responsibly: learn to identify wild garlic properly and never eat any plant you’re unsure about. If wild garlic isn’t available, spinach can be a substitute, though it changes the flavour profile.
Ingredients
This risotto uses simple ingredients you may already have in the kitchen. If wild garlic isn’t an option, substitute with spinach as mentioned above. Optional additions like lemon zest and juice add a refreshing zing.
- Risotto rice (e.g. Arborio or Carnaroli)
- Green asparagus
- Wild garlic leaves
- Vegetable stock
- White wine
- Vegan hard cheese (or vegetarian cheese for non-vegans)
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Optional: lemon (juice and zest)
How to make wild garlic and asparagus risotto
Begin by preparing the vegetables: chop the asparagus into bite-sized pieces, keeping some tips whole for garnish, and roughly chop the wild garlic leaves. Finely chop shallots and garlic. There are different approaches to cooking risotto, but I make it by adding the stock ladle by ladle — it takes patience, but yields a lovely, creamy texture.
Heat olive oil and a little vegan butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped shallots and fry for 3–4 minutes until they begin to soften, then add the garlic and fry for another minute. Stir in the risotto rice to coat it in the oil, then pour in the white wine and keep stirring until the wine is absorbed.
Start adding hot vegetable stock, one ladle at a time, stirring frequently and only adding more once the rice has absorbed the previous ladle. After about 10 minutes of cooking, add the chopped asparagus and the wild garlic, then continue with the stock. When the rice is cooked but still slightly al dente — usually after another 5 minutes — stir in the lemon juice and zest (if using) and the grated cheese. Remove the pan from the heat, cover with a lid and let it rest for a few minutes so the rice can absorb any remaining liquid.
Give the risotto a final stir, divide into bowls, garnish with reserved asparagus tips and a sprinkle of extra grated cheese, and serve immediately.
Thanks for reading! If you try this risotto, I’d love to hear how it turned out. You can leave a comment or share a photo on social media — I enjoy seeing your versions of my recipes. Have a sunny week!
📖 Recipe
Wild garlic and asparagus risotto
10 mins
20 mins
30 mins
Ingredients
- 2 medium shallots (finely chopped)
- 2 small garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon vegan butter
- 200 g risotto rice
- 100 ml white wine
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 200 g green asparagus
- 70 g wild garlic
- ½ medium lemon (juice and zest)
- 50 g vegan hard cheese (grated)
Instructions
-
In a large pan, heat the olive oil and butter, then add the chopped shallots and fry for 3–4 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the chopped garlic and fry for another minute.
-
Add the risotto rice to the pan and pour in the white wine. Stir often and allow the wine to evaporate. Keep the pan at medium heat and add the vegetable stock one ladle at a time, stirring frequently and only adding more once the rice has absorbed the liquid. After about 10 minutes, stir in the chopped asparagus and wild garlic.
-
Continue adding stock until the rice is cooked but still slightly firm to the bite. Stir in lemon juice, zest and grated cheese, then remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for a few minutes so the rice absorbs any remaining liquid.
-
Stir, divide into bowls, garnish with asparagus tips and extra grated cheese, and enjoy.
Please note: all recipes are developed and tested using metric measurements (grams). I recommend digital scales for best results. Conversions to other units are provided for convenience but may not have been tested.
If you’d like to receive future posts and recipes by email, consider subscribing to the mailing list.