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Food

Green Pea, Almond, and Roasted Garlic Risotto

Serves 4.

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Green Pea, Almond, and Roasted Garlic Risotto
Instead of using dairy, blend peas, nuts, and roasted garlic to create a silky, pastel green base. Roasted garlic becomes muted and mellow with no sharpness left—so don’t fear the amount. Whole peas act as the “rice” of this quintessentially springlike, grain-free risotto. [callout] Tip: Instead of almonds, try roasted and skinned hazelnuts, raw cashews, or raw pumpkin seeds. [/callout]

Ingredients

  • 1 head garlic, halved horizontally
  • 6 cups (1.5 L) green peas, fresh or frozen, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups (350 mL) low-sodium vegetable stock, plus more to thin
  • 1 cup (250 mL) unsalted raw or blanched whole almonds
  • 2 Tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
  • 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground black pepper

Nutrition

Per serving:

  • calories 453
  • protein 21g
  • fat 23g
    • saturated fat 2g
    • trans fat 0g
  • carbohydrates 48g
    • sugars 13g
    • fibre 14g
  • sodium 428mg

Directions

01
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Add both halves of garlic head to large sheet of parchment paper, crunch up into a tight ball, and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until soft and fragrant. Cool until youu2019re able to handle comfortably.
02
In blender, squeeze roasted garlic (use the whole head or half, depending on taste); discard peels. To garlic, add 2 cups (500 mL) peas, stock, almonds, lemon juice, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy.
03
Transfer to large pot or high-sided skillet, stir in remaining 4 cups (1 L) peas (whole), and heat over medium until bubbling. Thin with additional water or stock, if necessary. Serve immediately.

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