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Brighten up your usual dinner routine with this summery lemon basil risotto! Creamy, comforting arborio rice is combined with the fresh zing of lemon and basil for a totally refreshing twist on a classic. (Bonus—this quick and easy dish is ready in under 30 minutes!)
save this recipe!The Risotto Recipe Of Summer
We’re big on risotto around here. Sometimes, it’s classic risotto and other times, it’s low-carb cauliflower risotto. No matter the form, we’ve perfected the formula so that it turns out creamy and indulgent…Every. Single. Time.
Today, we’ll be mixing things up with a creamy, dreamy lemon basil risotto dish that’s sure to knock you off your feet. It’s made with lots of veggies and coated with a generous layer of Parmesan. It’s basically mac ‘n’ cheese’s super cool cousin!
Reader rating
“I made this for dinner tonight, and it was amazing! I found it because I was trying to find a use for lemon basil leaves from my garden. I made it exactly as here, including the lemon juice, but I used 2 tbsp of lemon basil leaves in place of the zest (I still used the regular basil, too!). It was perfection!” —Lisa
Here’s what you’ll need
This isn’t just your average risotto. It’s a delicious blend of creamy ingredients that offer incredible flavor with a zesty touch. Jump to the recipe card for measurements and full instructions!
- Base: We’ll saute our base flavors (onion, garlic, and celery) in a bit of olive oil until soft and fragrant.
- Rice: The star of the show—arborio (a.k.a. risotto) rice! This medium-grain rice has a lot of amylopectin starch, making it ultra-creamy when cooked.
- White Wine: Wine works well in many types of dishes (this being one of them!). It adds so much depth of flavor (though you can leave it out and use extra broth if you’re avoiding alcohol).
- Broth: The rice will be cooked in veggie broth for extra oomph. Go for 4 cups of a low-sodium brand. (Or, save money by making your own vegetable broth from scraps!)
- The Fats: This is risotto, friends—no need to count calories today. Parmesan and butter take things to the next level. (Psssst: Make your risotto even fancier by replacing some butter with basil oil!)
- Mix-Ins: You can’t have lemon basil risotto without lemon and basil! We’ll use the juice and zest from ½ of a lemon, along with fresh basil.
- Salt And Pepper: Finally, add a dash of salt and pepper to taste!
Making This Risotto Is A Breeze
This tangy lemon basil risotto is made in 5 simple steps:
Step 1: Prepare The Base
Heat the oil over medium in a large pan. Add the onion, garlic, and celery, cooking until translucent and soft.
Step 2: Toast The Rice
Add the dry rice and cook, stirring frequently. Do so for about 2 minutes until the rice is slightly opaque on the outside but uncooked on the inside.
Step 3: Add The Wine
Add the wine to the pan and simmer until it has completely reduced.
Step 4: Add The Broth
Slowly add the vegetable broth to the pan, adding ½ of a cup at a time. Once it is al dente (still has a slight bite), stop adding broth (you may not need the full amount).
Step 5: Add The Flavors
Stir in the Parmesan, butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and basil. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking, adding more lemon juice and zest as needed. Serve immediately for optimal tastiness!
How much rice per person?
If you’re serving your lemon basil risotto as the main dish, you’ll want to be sure to use at least 1/3 cup of uncooked rice per person (more if you’re hungry!). This recipe can easily be scaled up or down though, depending on the number of people you’re serving.
Pair This With
Wondering what to serve alongside your warm, creamy lemon basil risotto? Try one of these delicious sides! Each one is quick and easy to whip together.
- Zucchini Corn Salad: Make the most of the summer harvest with this grilled salad featuring a bright lemon-olive oil dressing (and a generous amount of feta!).
- Spanakopita Triangles: What better side to go with Mediterranean-inspired risotto than this crunchy, creamy stuffed phyllo pastry?
Risotto Roll call
Leek Risotto With Goat Cheese
30 minutes
Easy Gourmet Mushroom Risotto
30 minutes
Pepper and Gorgonzola Risotto
30 minutes
Stovetop Butternut Squash Risotto Recipe
30 minutes
Dreamy Lemon Basil Risotto Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, 15 mL
- 1 medium white onion, diced, about 1 cup
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 ¼ cup arborio rice, 300 g
- ¾ cup white wine, 177 mL
- 4 cups warm low-sodium vegetable broth, 1 liter
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 60 g
- 2 Tbsp butter, 28 g
- ½ lemon*, juice + zest
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
- Salt and pepper to taste, about ¼ tsp each
Instructions
- Base: Heat oil over medium in a large pot. Add onion, garlic, and celery, cooking until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes.
- Toast Rice: Add dry rice and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes, or until the rice is slightly opaque on the outside but uncooked on the inside.
- Wine: Add wine to the pot and simmer until wine has completely reduced.
- Broth: Slowly add the vegetable broth to the pan, adding ½ cup at a time. Wait until broth has almost completely absorbed before adding another ½ cup. Begin tasting the rice after 15 minutes or so. Once it is al dente (a little bit chewy), stop adding broth (you may not need the full amount).
- Flavor: Stir in Parmesan, butter, lemon zest and juice, and basil. Taste and add salt and pepper to suit your liking, adding more lemon juice/zest as needed. Serve immediately for optimal tastiness.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
This is seriously delicious. I used chicken stock instead of vegetable because that’s what I had on hand. I also used Pino Grigio. I can’t wait to make this again. Worth the effort. 10/10
We halved the recipe for two people. Still needed more vegetable broth, would not recommended a risotto with celery .. a risotto isn’t designed to be crunchy so the addition of a crunchy component with a huge presence in the overall meal wasn’t great, we ended up pushing the celery out of the meal halfway through eating. We was clearly very hungry as the portion size for two was a little underwhelming ? Would not recommend. A good risotto recipe is Tesco courgette and feta risotto , which is 10/10!
Just a suggestion. In the recipe steps change the word “pot” to ” pan”. Obviously that’s what you meant.
AMAZING TASTY BITES of SPRING! What a flavorful meal. I sautéed up some chicken for my carnivores to add to their risotto, but I I had made a little more risotto I know they would have been ok with just the dish itself.
Thank you Sarah- a beautiful tasting dish once again! Paired really nice with my lemon-lavender kombucha, and the Sauvignon blanc and Floriana white wine❤️
So happy to hear it, Kari! Enjoy! 😀
This was so good with some scallops seared in lemon butter ! I followed the recipe to a T and it was perfect. Maybe I added a bit more butter but whatever. Love it.
This was delicious! I saw some of the reviews mentioned it was too much lemon, I can’t get enough so I used 1 1/2 lemons and all the zest. It was pretty easy for a risotto, and so good. Also used bone broth rather than veggie broth. Will make again!
So happy to hear it, Ellie! I also like things more lemony (clearly, haha) 🙂
Just harvested some lemon basil I grew this year, so it’s fresh as can be! Can this lemon basil be a good substitute for the lemon juice & zest? If so, how much do I need of the lemon basil to equal the lemon juice and zest (and regular basil) for this recipe? It is definitely strong in both basil flavor and strong lemon flavor.. more like the zest than juice of lemon! I’m not sure what to use it in aside from maybe pesto.
Oh yum! You could try omitting the lemon zest and using the lemon basil instead. If it needs more lemon flavor you can alway garnish with a bit of lemon zest before serving 😀