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.
Tip: Instead of almonds, try roasted and skinned hazelnuts, raw cashews, or raw pumpkin seeds.
Green Pea, Almond, and Roasted Garlic Risotto
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:
- calories453
- protein21g
- fat23g
- saturated fat2g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates48g
- sugars13g
- fibre14g
- sodium428mg
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.
Allison Day, RHN, is a nutritionist, blogger, and cookbook author. Check out her cookbooks, Whole Bowls and Purely Pumpkin (Skyhorse Publishing, 2016).
