Don’t limit your risotto offerings to classical Arborio rice! Slow simmer lentils with a white wine broth and dried cranberries for a touch of natural sweetness. This savory, nutrient-packed dish for Lentil Risotto with Peas will become the star of your menu.
Risotto, that classic Italian recipe featuring slow-simmered Arborio rice, is not just limited to grains. You can use this culinary style with lentils, quite easily. I love creating a rich vegetable-white wine broth, then stewing the lentils with just a ladle full of broth at a time as they are slow-cooked to perfection. In my vegan recipe, I add a touch of sweetness with dried cranberries, a pop of fresh green color with sweet peas, aromatic mushrooms and sage, and the crunch of walnuts.
As a twist, I featured sprouted lentils in the photos here, but you don’t have to sprout your lentils first. Sprouting is a process that opens up the nutrition and digestibility of pulses and grains, so check out how to sprout lentils here.
Step-By-Step Guide:
Lentil Risotto with Peas
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Use the culinary technique of risotto—slow simmering in a flavorful white wine broth—in this savory, nutrient-packed recipe for Lentil Risotto with Peas.
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile heat vegetable broth, wine, and balsamic vinegar in a small pot until warm but not boiling. Turn to low heat, just to keep broth warm.
- Add black pepper, sage, lentils, and dried cranberries to the sauté pan. Ladle about ½ cup of broth into the sauté pan and stir occasionally until liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process, adding ½ cup of warm broth at a time, and stirring occasionally until liquid is absorbed, for about 50 – 60 minutes, until lentils become just tender. (May not use all of the broth mixture—use only enough to create tender lentils.) Stir in peas and walnuts and heat for 2 – 3 additional minutes. Makes 4 servings (1 1/4 cups each).
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: American, Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup
- Calories: 334
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 228 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 11 g
- Protein: 12 g
Keywords: vegan risotto, lentil risotto
For more plant-based entrees, check out:
Asparagus Dill Tofu Quiche
Lemony Garden Peas with Pasta
Heirloom Bean Cassoulet with Root Vegetables
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