Vegan Charred Lemon-Asparagus Risotto

Craving something super comforting? Want to impress a vegan sweetheart next date night? Have a bounty of springy asparagus you want to showcase? This quick and simple recipe is for you. It’s not that different from regular risotto but is made extra-special (and vegan-friendly) with vegan butter and a to-die-for homemade “Parm” topping made of cashews.

If you’ve never made risotto before, here are some tips: First off, be patient! The step outlining the repetitive ladling of broth into your skillet is important to getting creamy risotto, so don’t skip it and dump it all in at once. Another way to guarantee rich risotto is to choose the right rice: Arborio is the most commonly available risotto rice, but other plump, short- to medium-grain options will work too. Our final tip: Don’t skip that Parm topping; it adds superb flavor and crunch to this (and TBH to any Italian-inspired recipe, vegan or not).

Not a fan of cashews? Tough times as a vegan—cashews are featured in some of our favorite vegan recipes, like our cashew cream Alfredo or our chipotle “queso” dip. Lucky for you, though, the Parm here works with a variety of nuts. We’re partial to almonds as an alternative, but try out walnuts or pecans too (just be wary not to pulse them too much, since they're fattier and will turn into butter faster). The topping recipe doubles or triples well too, so do yourself a favor and make extra. It goes fantastic on everything.

Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.