Oil-Free Dairy-Free Asparagus Risotto | Easy Rice Cooker Recipe
Servings: 2 generous servings
Calories:
Creamy, comforting, and surprisingly effortless — this risotto comes together entirely in the rice cooker. Arborio rice releases its natural starch while soy milk creates luxurious body, giving you classic Italian texture without butter, cheese, or constant stirring.
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Equipment
- Rice Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 2 cups unsweetened soy milk
- 1½ cups water first addition
- 1 tablespoon oil-free bouillon
- ½ small onion finely diced (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic granules or garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- 1 bunch asparagus trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
- ½ cup water second addition
- 2-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast optional
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- Zest and juice of ½ lemon optional
Instructions
- Rinse the arborio rice under cool water until the water runs mostly clear.
- Add the rice to your rice cooker along with the soy milk, 1½ cups water, bouillon, onion (if using), thyme, garlic granules, and sea salt. Stir gently to combine.
- Set the rice cooker to the white rice setting and cook until the cycle completes. Avoid lifting the lid during cooking to maintain even steam.
- When the cycle finishes, immediately stir in the asparagus pieces and the remaining ½ cup water. Close the lid and set the rice cooker to the white rice setting again. Cook until the second cycle completes.
- Stir in the nutritional yeast (if using), freshly cracked black pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Let the risotto rest for 3–5 minutes. It will continue to thicken as it stands.
- Taste and adjust seasoning (more nutritional yeast, thyme, garlic granules, pepper, or sea salt as desired). Add additional hot water, ¼ cup at a time, to reach your desired creamy consistency.
- Proper risotto should slowly spread when spooned onto a plate — creamy and fluid, not stiff. If needed, stir in hot water just before serving to loosen.
Notes
A fine grater or microplane makes it easy to add a small amount of lemon zest without getting the bitter white pith.
