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This easy Pea Risotto with lemon and thyme is such a classic spring dinner. A vibrant green risotto, made with a homemade pea and thyme puree. Ready in under 40 minutes, super cheap to make and delicious served with chicken or fish. Naturally gluten free too!
What you need to know at-a-glance:
- 30-Minute Meal: This easy pea-sy risotto recipe will be ready to eat in 40 minutes, filled with the flavours of fresh thyme, lemon and garlic. So simple!
- Budget Recipe: Frozen peas and storecupboard staples make this pea risotto recipe super affordable. It’s gluten free and easy to make dairy free/vegan.
- Serve with: Have this on its own as a vegetarian dinner idea, with a simple side salad, or alongside some breaded chicken or a fillet of sea bass or salmon.
- Batch Cook It: Portion up and freeze any extras of this risotto for an easy microwave meal, or turn them into gluten free arancini for tomorrow’s dinner!
This Lemon and Pea Risotto is the perfect summer dish – light, zingy, and gloriously green! It’s naturally gluten free and great with chicken or fish.
Or serve this easy risotto, which is flavoured with an easy homemade pea, lemon and thyme puree, on its own for a delicious vegetarian meal.
It’s one of those dishes which is restaurant quality and will really impress your guests – but it’s actually a great budget recipe and so easy to make.
I first published this in 2018 and we still make it regularly at home. So I decided to give this treat this pea risotto recipe to some new pictures, including a step-by-step photo guide.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here are the main ingredients you need for this lemon, thyme and pea risotto recipe and ideas for any swaps. The full ingredients and quantities are in the recipe card below.
- Frozen Peas: Or fresh if you prefer, but I find frozen peas are cheaper. You’ll need these for the risotto and the puree.
- Lemon: Add fresh lemon juice to the puree for zingy flavours.
- Onion and Garlic: I use garlic paste in the puree and fresh garlic cloves for the risotto, but you could use one or the other if you prefer.
- Fresh Thyme: This adds a gorgeous herbal element to the puree. You could used dried thyme but the flavour from fresh is much better.
- Arborio Rice: This is the best rice for making a risotto.
- Vegetable Stock: Always use a gluten free stock cube or stock pot like Knorr. Use chicken stock if you prefer.
- White Wine: If you don’t consume alcohol you can omit this and replace it with the equivalent amount of extra vegetable stock.
- Crème Fraîche: For serving. Omit this if you want a dairy free/vegan risotto recipe.
How to Make Pea Risotto
There’s a printable recipe card below with the method. But here are some step-by-step photos to show you how to make this gluten free risotto with peas, lemon and thyme.
First make the pea purée. Finely chop the onion and add to a pan with the olive oil and garlic paste. Fry for 2-3 minutes on a low heat until the onions soften.
Add the frozen peas, thyme and water, cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Take off the heat, allow to cool slightly and then blend until smooth. Set aside.
To make the risotto, finely chop the onion and peel and crush the garlic. Add both to a pan with the olive oil and fry for 2-3 minutes until the onions soften.
Add the rice, stir for a minute on a medium heat. Add the white wine and cook for a further 30 seconds.
Add a ladle-full of stock to the pan. Turn down to a low heat and stir continuously. Once the stock has almost gone, add another ladle.
Continue like this until all of the stock is added and the rice is cooked – approximately 20 minutes. Try to keep the pan of stock hot while doing this, if you can.
Add the peas and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, then add the pea puree.
Stir through, cook for a further 2-3 minutes until hot through and then serve. Add a spoonful on each serving of crème fraîche and swirl for a lovely effect.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Any leftover pea risotto can be kept in the fridge. Reheat thoroughly in the microwave to serve, or turn it into easy gluten free arancini instead!
TO FREEZE: Portion any leftover risotto into tubs and freeze. You can reheat it straight from frozen for an easy microwave meal.
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Pea Risotto Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the pea purée:
- 1 medium onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 250 g frozen peas
- 0.5 lemon (juice only)
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 150 ml water
- 1 handful Fresh thyme, (approx 15g)
For the risotto:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- 800 ml gluten free vegetable stock, (I use Knorr)
- 250 g arborio rice
- 2 garlic cloves
- 150 g peas
- 0.5 cup white wine
For serving
- 2 tbsp crème fraîche
Instructions
To make the pea purée:
- Finely chop the onion and add to a pan with the olive oil and smoked garlic paste. Fry for 2-3 minutes on a low heat until the onions soften.
- Add the frozen peas, thyme and water, cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Take off the heat, allow to cool slightly and then blend until smooth. Set aside.
To make the risotto:
- Finely chop the onion and peel and crush the garlic. Add both to a pan with the olive oil and fry for 2-3 minutes until the onions soften.
- Add the rice, stir for a minute on a medium heat. Add the white wine and cook for a further 30 seconds.
- Add a ladle-full of stock to the pan. Turn down to a low heat and stir continuously. Once the stock has almost gone, add another ladle. Continue like this until all of the stock is added and the rice is cooked – approximately 20 minutes.
- Add the peas and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Then add the pea purée.
- Stir through, cook for a further 2-3 minutes until hot through and then serve. Add a spoonful on each serving of crème fraîche and swirl for a lovely effect!
Notes
- Top Tip: Keep your vegetable stock hot in another pan while you are adding it in. It’s best to add hot stock than cold, and will speed up the cooking process!
- Serving Suggestion: Serve this pea risotto with some homemade gluten free garlic bread, crispy breaded chicken, or pan-fried fish. Or turn into arancini!
- Storing: Any leftover pea risotto should be kept in the fridge or frozen. Simply reheat thoroughly in the microwave before eating.
- Step-by-Step Photos: Check out the blog post above for step-by-step photos of this method if you find it easier to follow a visual guide. I’ve also got some FAQs below this recipe card if there’s anything you’re stuck on.
- Like this Recipe? It would mean SO much to me if you could leave a 5* rating and a little comment if you make this Pea Risotto and love it. It really helps support my blog and get the recipe out there to more people! Thank you xx
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some FAQs about this easy pea risotto recipe. If you can’t find the answer to your question here or in the post above, please comment and I’ll try answer!
Risotto rice (arborio rice) is gluten free, so as long as you use gluten free stock and other ingredients, risotto is usually a naturally gluten free dish.
I would happily eat this pea risotto on its own, perhaps with a side of some green steamed veg like tenderstem broccoli. It also makes a great side dish! Serve it with chicken breast, or breadcrumb-coated chicken for a great combination. Pea risotto is also lovely served with pan-fried fish like sea bream, sea bass or salmon.
If you like, you can easily customise this recipe. Add some chunks of cooked ham (like leftovers of my air fryer gammon) for a quick pea and ham risotto. You could also add some cooked prawns for a prawn and pea risotto, or fry some diced chorizo with the onions for a chorizo and pea risotto instead.
More Risotto Recipes
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I think my favourite way to serve this is with some crispy breaded chicken! Have you tried it? I’d love to know what you serve yours up with! xx
Hi Sarah,
This sounds DELISH!! …. I regularly make a similar risotto (called Risi e Bisi, from a very old recipe book by Patti Fisher who was a dietician during the rationing years of WW2 et seq) ….. I am liking the idea of adding the pea puree and crème fraiche 🙂 ….. currently I’m collecting together vegetarian Italian recipes for my daughter and her GF husband – risottos are brilliant for the GF diet! So many varieties and so wonderfully tasty! …. thank you, Sarah.