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SAFFRON RISOTTO with PEAS and ASPARAGUS

Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook
by Neal Barnard and Robyn Webb

Saffron is made from the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus flower. It takes a football-sized field of flowers-about 50,000 to 75,000 flowers—to make a pound of dried saffron.
Preparation Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Makes 6 Servings

INGREDIENTS

• 8½ cups vegetable broth
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large leek, white part only, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2½ cups Arborio rice
• Kosher or sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Large pinch of saffron threads
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet or saucepan, heat 1/2 cup broth over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, and garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add the rice and saute for 5 minutes; keep stirring the rice as you saute to keep it from sticking to the bot- tom of the pan. Season with salt and black pepper.

2. In a separate pot, heat 8 cups broth. Crumble in the saffron threads and stir to dissolve. Not all threads will dissolve and this is okay. Add the wine to the rice and cook until the rice absorbs the liquid.

3. Add a ladleful of broth to the rice and stir again until the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the asparagus, peas, and basil Keep adding broth a ladleful at a time to the rice until all the broth is gone and the rice is creamy. This entire proof takes about 20 to 25 minutes.
 

NUTRITION
Per Serving (1/6 of recipe):  375 calories; 0.9 g fat; 0.2 g saturated fat; 1.9% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 8.5 g protein; 78.6 g carbohydrate; 6.4 g sugar; 2.4 g fiber; 1502 mg sodium; 59 mg calcium; 3.7 mg iron; 6.4 mg vrtamn C; 834 mcg beta-carotene