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Three-Herb Risotto

Three-Herb Risotto

By Julia RackowFebruary 26, 2025

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    40 minutes

We learned the principles of cooking risotto in Milan, Italy. At Trattoria Masuelli San Marco, Max Masuelli and his son, Andrea, use neither chicken broth nor onion, and at Trattoria Trippa, Diego Rossi showed us that skipping the traditional wine and adding a splash of vinegar at the end produces bright flavor. These unconventional approaches yield a risotto with an especially light, clean flavor. Here, we use a simple five-ingredient homemade vegetable broth as the cooking liquid. We also add a trio of fresh herbs and a touch of lemon zest, ingredients that nicely complement the Parmesan and butter.

Tip

Don’t add the herbs to the risotto until the very end, just before serving, so they retain their bright color and fresh flavor. In fact, the risotto’s 10-minute off-heat rest is an ideal time to prep the herbs.

Ingredients
  • 6

    cups easy vegetable broth

  • 6

    tablespoons salted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces, divided

  • 1

    cup carnaroli or Arborio rice

  • 1

    ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (½ cup)

  • Kosher salt

  • ¼

    cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • 2

    scallions, thinly sliced

  • 2

    teaspoons minced fresh thyme

  • ½

    teaspoon grated lemon zest

  • 4

    teaspoons white balsamic vinegar

Step 1

In a medium saucepan over medium, bring the broth, covered, to a simmer. Reduce to low to keep warm. In a large saucepan over medium-high, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until translucent at the edges, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of the hot broth and bring to a boil, then reduce to medium and cook, stirring often and briskly, until most of the liquid is absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes; adjust the heat as needed to maintain a vigorous simmer. Add another 1½ cups hot broth and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, 6 to 9 minutes.

Step 2

Add another ½ cup hot broth and cook, stirring often and briskly, until the rice is just shy of al dente but still soupy, 3 to 5 minutes. If the rice is thick and dry or the grains are still too firm, add the remaining hot broth in ¼-cup increments and cook, stirring, until the rice is loose but not soupy and the grains are tender, with just a little firmness at the center.

Step 3

Off heat, quickly stir in the Parmesan, the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and ¼ teaspoon salt; it’s fine if the butter and cheese do not fully melt. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. (Reserve the remaining hot broth in the saucepan for adjusting the consistency of the risotto at the end, if needed.)

Step 4

Stir to fully incorporate the butter and cheese, then stir in the parsley, scallions, thyme, lemon zest and vinegar. If the risotto is stiff and dry, stir in additional broth, a couple tablespoons at a time, until the risotto is “loose” but not soupy. Taste and season with salt. Serve immediately.