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Healthy Lemon Basil Risotto

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WW Freestyle Points 10
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Calories 351kcal

Last updated on 46 Comments

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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!

Healthy Lemon Basil Risotto in a black pan.

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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!

A gold fork holding up a bite of Healthy Lemon Basil Risotto

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!

A pan full of healthy lemon basil risotto with a wooden spoon taking out a serving.

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
Ingredients for healthy lemon basil risotto

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! 

Healthy Lemon Basil Risotto in a black pan.

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 over cook 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 best results 🙂
A black pan filled with healthy lemon basil risotto. A wooden spoon is off to the side of the pan scooping out a serving.

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.

Other healthy side dishes you might like:

Healthy Lemon Basil Risotto in a black pan.
Print Pin
4.38 from 8 votes

Healthy Lemon Basil Risotto

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!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword healthy lemon basil risotto, healthy risotto
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 351kcal
10
WW Freestyle Points 10
Author The Clean Eating Couple

Ingredients

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

Substitutions for this risotto
  • 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!

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts
Healthy Lemon Basil Risotto
Amount Per Serving (0.5 cup (approx))
Calories 351 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 13mg4%
Sodium 752mg33%
Potassium 308mg9%
Carbohydrates 42g14%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 150IU3%
Vitamin C 9.9mg12%
Calcium 171mg17%
Iron 0.8mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. This is an estimate and can vary pending your ingredients
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Comments

  2. Kristy @ Southern In Law

    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!

    Reply

  19. Isabel Mead

    5 stars
    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!!!

    Reply

    • The Clean Eating Couple

      So glad you like it, Isabel!! Love the tweaks you make to the recipe + that you can make it work for your whole family!!

      Reply

  20. Ann

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply

    • The Clean Eating Couple

      So glad you liked it, Ann! That sounds absolutely delicious – love the addition of roasted pine nuts!

      Reply

  21. Natalie

    How does one, bring to boil, reduce heat, and then simmer for 10 minutes on high? So we don’t reduce the temp? Confused.

    Reply

    • The Clean Eating Couple

      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!

      Reply

  22. Kaitlin

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply

  23. Jessica

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply