Vegan Lemon Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients

• 1
  
  bunch of asparagus spears (15 to 20), trimmed and chopped into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  
• 2
  
  tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1
  
  shallot, diced
  
• 1
  
  cup onion, diced
  
• 1
  
  clove garlic, minced
  
• 1
  
  cup arborio rice
  
• 1/2
  
  cup white wine
  
• 2
  
  tablespoons lemon juice
  
• 1
  
  tablespoon lemon zest
  
• 5
  
  cups low-sodium vegetable stock (you may not use it all, but have it handy anyway)
  
• 
  
  Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  
• 1/4
  
  cup nutritional yeast
  
• 1
  
  tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  

Directions

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Add the asparagus spears and blanch for about two minutes, or until they’re tender but still have some crunch. Remove them from the pan and run under cold water to stop them from cooking further. Set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the shallots and onions and cook for four minutes, or until the onions are getting soft. Add the garlic and cook for another three minutes.
3. Add the rice and heat it in the saucepan, stirring constantly, for about two minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the white wine, lemon juice, and lemon zest, and cook, stirring gently and vigilantly, till the white wine has been absorbed.
4. Add a cup of stock to the pan and cook, stirring as needed, till the stock has been absorbed. Continue adding stock in 1/2- to 3/4-cup amounts, stirring each time until the stock is absorbed. You may not need all five cups of broth to make the rice creamy and soft, but you can expect to use most of it. When the rice is tender but still has some chew, stir in the nutritional yeast and thyme, along with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Stir the blanched asparagus into the rice and heat through. Serve.