Healthy Lemon Basil Risotto is the perfect lighter, gluten free side dish. The combination of lemon zest and fresh basil gives it a rich, delicious flavor!
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This Healthy Lemon Basil Risotto is the perfect side dish that feels decadent while being made with great ingredients! It has light lemony flavor + is super simple to make.
Perfect when served alongside Lemon Rosemary Crockpot Whole Chicken or your favorite roasted veggies!
Before I started my site, I had never made risotto because I always thought it was really labor intensive. I had heard that you need to cook it for hours and use loads of butter/heavy cream to make it taste yummy.
(that rumor is false, btw)
One day I decided to give it a try without using loads of unhealthy fats and without spending all day slaving over the stove. And it came out so yummy!
Healthy Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto was the first type of risotto that I ever made, but I wanted to try something that used lots of citrus and herb (my favorite flavor combo!) so I came up with the recipe for this Healthy Lemon Basil Risotto!
Ingredients for healthy risotto:
Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- onions
- lemon
- parmesan cheese
- garlic
- rice
- olive oil
- white wine
- basil
- chicken broth
You can find substitutions for all of these ingredients below in the green shaded box.
What makes this risotto healthy?
- Less fat – traditional risotto is made with heavy cream, butter, and lots of cheese. I used less cheese and cooked the risotto low and slow in broth to achieve a rich texture without a ton of fat
- Minimal ingredients– This recipe only has 10 ingredients, all of which you probably already have in your fridge or pantry!
Tips for making healthy risotto
- Stir. Make sure to continuously stir the risotto to avoid it from burning!
- Cook over low heat. Be sure to cook the risotto low and slow – you don’t want to overcook it!
- Use good quality cheese. You don’t want to be using parmesan from the green bottle in this recipe! Get a real block of parmesan and grate it yourself for the best results 🙂
Substitutions for this healthy risotto
Wine: You can omit the wine and substitute it with chicken stock if you prefer to not cook with alcohol
Basil: You can substitute basil for your favorite herb. Parsley, sage or oregano will all be delicious! I highly recommend using fresh herbs!
Rice: You can use brown or white rice in this recipe. I haven’t tried it with arborio rice but I think that would work too!
Pumpkin – If you’re looking for other healthy risotto recipes – try this Healthy Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto
Storing Risotto:
Refrigerator: This recipe will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
Freezing: I haven’t tried freezing this risotto, but I don’t think it would work well. We don’t recommend it.
Healthy Lemon Basil Risotto
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup onions chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 cup white rice dry
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 3 cups chicken stock low or no salt
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in pan. Add in onions and garlic to olive oil. Sauté until translucent, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add in rice, 2 cups of broth, wine and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat until the rice starts to absorb the liquid.
- After rice has simmered, stir in remaining broth, cheese, herbs, lemon juice, lemon zest and spices. Stir constantly on medium heat for 5-10 minutes until rice has absorbed all liquid and is creamy.
- Remove from pan, top with chopped fresh basil (optional) and enjoy!
Notes
- You can omit the wine and substitute it with chicken stock if you prefer to not cook with alcohol
- You can substitute basil for your favorite herb. Parsley, sage or oregano will all be delicious! I highly recommend using fresh herbs!
Cassie says
Looks and sounds fantastic! I’ve never made risotto either! This would be lovely with long grain brown rice!
thecleaneatingcouple@gmail.com says
Thanks, Cassie! It’s very simple to make. I bet it would be delicious with long grain brown rice!
Kristy @ Southern In Law says
This looks so fresh and delicious – and easy too!
We loveee risotto and make it with a whole lot of different flavours and adds ins, however, Jesse’s favourite has to be my boscaiola risotto with ham, mushrooms and scallions!
thecleaneatingcouple@gmail.com says
Thank you! That sounds amazing! I’m going to try this recipe with mushrooms next time – I feel like that would be fantastic!
Susie @ Suzlyfe says
So simple, but I’m sure delicious! I will definitely be trying this!
thecleaneatingcouple@gmail.com says
Yes! Super delicious! 🙂
Sarah- A Whisk and Two Wands says
This sounds simply delicious and refreshing! I’ve made lemon risotto with asparagus or peas but never thought to just add basil, and I love basil!
thecleaneatingcouple@gmail.com says
Oooh I bet that is yummy with peas or asparagus! I’ll have to try this
glenneth says
thanks for the recipe! that sounds delicious! and perfect for summer!
thecleaneatingcouple@gmail.com says
Thanks, Glenneth!
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says
I love risotto and haven’t made it in a while yum!
thecleaneatingcouple@gmail.com says
Then you should try this one!
jill conyers says
Lemon basil is such a delicious flavor combo. Very spring-y!
thecleaneatingcouple@gmail.com says
Totally agree! It’s so fresh and yummy 🙂
Casey @mommaandthepea says
Yummy! I will definitely be making this!
thecleaneatingcouple@gmail.com says
Thanks, Casey! Hope you like it 🙂
Kait says
Oh my goodness, this looks delicious!
thecleaneatingcouple@gmail.com says
Thank you so much, Kait!
Angela @marathonsandmotivation.com says
This looks so delicious! I love Basil & I can’t wait to tty this risotto!!!
thecleaneatingcouple@gmail.com says
Thanks, Angela! Basil is my favorite herb to cook with 🙂
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home says
Oh yum! This would be so yummy on a hot summer day. Lemon is so refreshing, and I have a ton of basil already!
thecleaneatingcouple@gmail.com says
Exactly!! It’s perfect for the warmer weather!
anne says
I love risotto! this looks delicious and i love the mushroom idea for next time.
thecleaneatingcouple@gmail.com says
Thanks Anne, I can’t wait to try it with mushrooms!
Nicole says
This looks delicious elizabeth!
thecleaneatingcouple@gmail.com says
Thank you so much, Nicole!
Christina Bauer says
I love a good risotto, so I’m glad you found a way to cook it more quickly!
thecleaneatingcouple@gmail.com says
Thanks, Christina! Me too 🙂
Chrissa - Physical Kitchness says
Oh HECK yes I want!! Pinning right now. This sounds SO amazing with that light taste of lemon and fresh basil. You are killing it!
thecleaneatingcouple@gmail.com says
Thanks friend!! The lemon and basil combo is ahhhh-mazing.
Matt D. says
Haven’t had risotto in some time. This recipe might change that. Thanks!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad to hear it, Matt! I hope you love it!
Alyssa says
Found this looking for dinner ideas for my family…so happy I found this! Great recipe.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it, Alyssa!!
Nancy says
Looking forward to trying this with couscous for a quicker version!
The Clean Eating Couple says
I’m sure that would be delicious, Nancy!
Isabel Mead says
Delicious! I prefer to make it with the white wine but my younger children refuse to eat it when I do. Instead, I use vegetable stock (a couple of good quality stock cubes are fine) until the rice is nearly ready then switch to using almond milk (because my eldest daughter is a vegan). This has proved really popular with the whole family. The little ones & I add parmesan at the end but my eldest just adds a bit more lemon zest, juice & pepper. Win, win!!!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you like it, Isabel!! Love the tweaks you make to the recipe + that you can make it work for your whole family!!
Ann says
Great flavour combo. I changed the method slightly. I added the rice and gently sautéed until grains were translucent . I then added wine to deglaze the pan before adding stock. I also added roasted pine nuts at the end.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it, Ann! That sounds absolutely delicious – love the addition of roasted pine nuts!
Natalie says
How does one, bring to boil, reduce heat, and then simmer for 10 minutes on high? So we don’t reduce the temp? Confused.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Hi Natalie, I’m not sure what the confusion is here. Add in rice, 2 cups of broth, wine and bring to a boil. Once the pot is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until the rice starts to absorb the liquid. Let me know if you have any questions!
Kaitlin says
I had never tried risotto before due to its connotation with a LONG cooking time, but holy jamoly this recipe was amazing! Made it as written and it came out creamy and delicious.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it Kaitlin!
Jessica says
The idea of making risotto always scared me because I was always told it takes forever to make, but not this recipe. It’s so easy and tasty. Just the right amount of creamy deliciousness. I always make it when we have halibut. It’s the perfect side.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you so much, Jessica! I love to hear that! Risotto doesn’t have to be difficult 🙂
annie says
Sounds great. I have made many risotto recipes but not with lemon and basil. I will try this. I have to say I am surprised you have never made this with Arborio. Arborio is the classic rice used for risotto. It results in a much creamier dish than regular rice and therefore you can less cheese if you want to cut the fat.
Suzi says
I’m getting ready to prepare this yummy risotto recipe. Im adding marinated artichoke hearts.