This recipe for Instant Pot Asparagus Risotto is perfect for asparagus season. It’s a great light dinner and is easier than ever to prepare thanks to the Instant Pot.
We look forward to asparagus season every spring. It’s one of our favorite vegetables and it goes so well in a number of dishes. We use it in a lot of soup recipes including this vegan asparagus soup, but also love using it in pasta dishes and other dishes as well. And, of course, it’s also awesome all by itself as a side.
When is asparagus in season?
Asparagus is typically in season from February to July often with April being the peak season. April is really when we start looking for it here in Maryland. And whenever it starts showing up fresh in our local markets you can rest assured that we go on a big asparagus recipe kick.
For more info on asparagus, you can always check out Cooking Light’s guide to asparagus.
Making Asparagus in the Instant Pot
We have a busy family schedule and so we have become a little obsessed with saving time with our Instant Pot. We even use it for hard-boiled eggs because it makes the peeling so much easier!
But when cutting corners on meal prep, we still don’t want to sacrifice flavor. Luckily, this Instant Pot asparagus risotto comes out really creamy and delicious. And that is AWESOME because…
..if I try to make something with 3 kids running around, usually I get distracted and don’t stir things as often as I should leading to less than desirable results. So, I LOVE throwing it in the Instant Pot and not worrying about it. Win!
I like sautéing the mushrooms and asparagus separately and then adding them in after I release the pressure and stir in the other ingredients. This helps keep the asparagus just a little crunchy which is how I like it, but you also could add them right before closing the lid.
If you want a 3rd option, you could:
- set the manual cycle to 6 minutes.
- Once it is done, do a quick release, keep the instant pot on warm, add the asparagus and mushroom with an additional 1/2 cup of broth.
- Stir and let cook for 5 minutes (add more broth is risotto gets too dry).
- Then shut off the warming cycle and add the thyme, lemon zest, butter, and cheeses and stir.
With lots of options, you can easily adapt so that your Instant Pot asparagus risotto comes out to your liking.
Enjoy and let us know what you think in the comments below.
Instant Pot Asparagus Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 shallot chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1 lb asparagus
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup fontina grated
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan
- 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms sliced
Instructions
- Press the saute button on the Instant Pot and add olive oil.
- Once oil has heated up, add shallot and garlic, stir, and cook for approximately 1 minute.
- Add arborio rice, stir, and cook for 2 additional minutes until rice is slightly translucent around the edges.
- Pour in wine and stir to loosen any bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add broth and close lid.
- Close the vent and press manual and toggle to 7 minutes.
- While rice is cooking, saute mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 5-6 minutes, then add asparagus and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.
- Let cycle run, then quick release the pressure and hit cancel to turn off the Instant Pot.
- Stir in thyme, lemon zest, butter, both cheeses, and sauteed mushrooms and asparagus. If rice seems to dry, add a small additional amount of broth and stir.
7 Comments
Monica | Nourish & Fete
April 17, 2018 at 4:35 pmSeriously, is there nothing the Instant Pot cannot do!? 🙂 I am the same way, as soon as asparagus hits its peak, I go on a buying binge. I can’t get enough! I have yet to try it in a risotto, but this looks fantastic, so I cannot wait to try it!
Sasha @ Eat Love Eat
April 26, 2018 at 3:59 pmAsparagus is just starting to appear in the shops here in the UK – it’s one of my favourite times of year! Love this risotto and how simple it must be to make!
Dawn
August 11, 2019 at 9:45 pmI picked up some white asparagus the other day and needed a recipe. This was AMAZING! I adjusted it to what we had on hand and made it again two days later with the remainder of the white asparagus. My husband often cooks and was ticked off that I created this delicious meal with seemingly no effort!
Thanks for this recipe! YOU ROCK!
mywifecancook
August 13, 2019 at 11:01 amI’m so glad it worked out so well! You’re welcome!
Denice
November 29, 2019 at 12:15 amThis was amazing. Made for Thanksgiving dinner and everyone loved it. I will be making this again soon.
mywifecancook
December 7, 2019 at 6:03 amThanks, I’m so happy it was a crowd pleaser!
Sketch
December 19, 2022 at 7:51 pmI adjusted for mushrooms and peas instead of asparagus but I love love love this recipe! So delicious