I’m back with a new-ish recipe! It’s a cousin to the favorite at our house, butternut squash risotto.

The true inspiration for this came from a fresh, refrigerated risotto we saw at Costco a few weeks ago. Tyler grabbed my arm and said, “You should make something like that.” I figured I could make it much cheaper with the exact same flavors, and I was right.

You can make this vegetarian or vegan, but the vegetarian version will be creamier because of the butter and parmesan. (Omit parmesan and use olive oil or earth balance for a dairy-free version.) The vegetables can be swapped in an out for whatever is in season (for example, asparagus isn’t in season right now, so any you do find in the store will be expensive and taste gross. Try swapping it out for a summer vegetable, like fresh green beans or yellow squash.)

Creamy Vegetable Risotto

Serves 2 (and it literally serves ONLY two. I triple the recipe and make side dishes when we have two friends coming over, and there’s always a bit of extra.).

2 leeks, diced into half-moons and rinsed very well
1/4 – 1/2 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1″ pieces
1 cup frozen carrots
1 cup frozen peas
1 zucchini, finely diced
1 3/4 cups broth (veggie, chicken, whatever you’ve got)
1/2 cup water
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. peeled gingerroot, minced
3 T. earth balance (or butter, or olive oil)
1/2 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese*

In a small saucepan, combine broth and water, and bring to a simmer. Set aside and keep this simmering on the stovetop – you’ll need it soon.

In a nonstick skillet, cook the leeks, asparagus and zucchini in a bit of oil until softened. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, cook garlic, and ginger in butter/oil over med-low heat until soft. Stir in rice and cook for about 1 minute. Add white wine and cook until absorbed. Add 1/4 cup of broth, stirring constantly until completely absorbed. Keep adding 1/4 cup of broth at a time, stirring constantly as each addition is completely absorbed before adding the next. Do this until you’ve added about half of the broth. Stir in your vegetables (including the frozen carrots and peas) and continue simmering and adding broth in same manner until rice is tender and creamy-looking but still al dente, about 18 minutes.

Mix in a bit of parmesan and serve warm.

*Occasionally we do buy parmesan cheese, and a small chunk lasts us quite a while. We love the aged parmesan at Whole Foods – it’s aged at least 24 months and the flavor is divine.