

Asparagus Risotto
This is one of my very favorite side dishes – ever.
The Arborio rice turns to a creamy wonderful goodness.
Caramelized mushrooms and onions take the flavors of this dish off the charts.
A perfect accompaniment for any meat.
It takes a little bit of time to make, but so worth it for this gourmet dish.
Best Asparagus Risotto
Ingredients:
1 tsp. salt for cooking water
1 – 1 1/2 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
4 Tbl. (1/2 stick) butter
3 -4 shallots, minced
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice (MUST be Arborio rice)
1 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbl. garlic, minced
4 ½ – 5 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. Montreal steak seasoning
2 Tbl. olive oil
1 onion, diced onions
8 oz. mushrooms rough chopped, use Porto Bella if possible
1 tsp. sugar
Directions:
Prepare asparagus by allowing it to break at it’s natural point at the end; dispose of the bottom portion which will be tough and fibrous.Cut or break into bite-sized pieces
Mince shallots
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Fill a large bowl with ice water.
When the water comes to a boil add asparagus to pot; blanch for 2 minutes.Immediately remove asparagus from pot and place them into ice water (to stop them from cooking and help retain their bright green color); set aside.
In a nonstick skillet, add olive oil and heat on med-high heat. Add in onions and mushrooms. Cook until tender.Add in sugar and cook to a nice brown and sugary glaze, about 5 more minutes.
Bring broth to a simmer and keep warm.
Melt butter in a large pan.
Add shallots; cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
Add rice and toss to coat; cook for 2 minutes.
Add lemon juice and garlic; cook until all lemon juice has been absorbed, stirring continuously so rice does not stick to sides of pot, about 1 minute.
Add ½ cup of hot broth to pot at a timeStir until absorbed
Repeat with needed remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, making sure each addition of broth is absorbed before adding more. This process takes about 45 minutes.
When the rice turns creamy and just done (should be slightly chewy and not mushy)
Remove pot from heat; add cheese, onions, mushrooms, balsamic vinegar, chicken Montreal seasoning and mix well.
Stir in asparagus and serve.

Creamy Risotto with tender Asparagus and sauteed mushrooms
Carrie Groneman’s recipe
Copyright Carrie Groneman, A Mother’s Shadow, 2014
Recognize a blessing and be a blessing today.
Carrie,
I am going to have to try this one day. It sounds so good. Believe it or not I have never tried making Risotto.
I hope you are having a good week.
Blessings,
Diane Roark
Umm, once again you are making me hungry first thing in the morning. 🙂 I think this could be a favorite side dish for me too – it looks amazing! I need to buy some Arborio rice. We’ve been enjoying lots of asparagus lately (taking full advantage of it while it’s in season and on sale). They stuff is so good.
Looks super yummy. love anything with asparagus. I’m going to try this using your helpful tips!! 🙂 thanks!
linking up from the Wonderful wed. hop. have a great week!
Shana -www.Technotini.com
Thanks for stopping by the Four Seasons Blog Hop~ Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
I’ve never cooked Arborio rice before. I’ll keep my eye out for it in the store so I can give this a try. Thanks for sharing it on The Yuck Stops Here! recipe link up.
Hi Carrie – Oh, this looks delicious! I love risotto. Thanks so much for linking up with the Let’s Get Real party!
Amazing recipe!Oh, how I love risotto! Thanks so much for stopping by and linking up to The Yuck Stops Here! We have changed the day we go live. Starting this week you can link up with us starting on Tuesday @ 6:00 pm EST. Hope to see you there!