I’ve been afraid of risotto ever since I tried to make some for the blog over a year ago, and failed miserably. But back then, I was a much less experienced cook, and also a very impatient one. I didn’t wait long enough for the liquid to be absorbed after each addition, and thinking back, I know that I added too much liquid at a time. The rice was confused, and came out undercooked and extremely unappealing.

But I was determined to be victorious in the field of risotto, and when I was searching for a recipe to make on Bewitching Kitchen for this month’s Secret Recipe Club, I saw this recipe for green tea risotto. I was so intrigued with the green tea in place of the broth or wine — and that paired with my desire to be a risotto champ — swayed me to give this recipe a try.

And not only did the risotto come out to the right creamy consistency, it was superb. Thanks for the amazing recipe, Sally! (And be sure to check out all of her awesome recipes over at Bewitching Kitchen — it was so hard to choose one!)

Green Tea Risotto (Adapted from Bewtiching Kitchen)
>> Click here for printable recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 cups water
• 4 bags green tea
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1 tbsp dried parsley (1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped)
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
• Juice of 1 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring the 4 cups of water to a near boil, then add the 4 bags of green tea to the pot and allow it to steep for 2 minutes. Remove the bags and place the pot over low heat to keep it warm.
2. Cook the peas in the microwave according to package directions.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and saute the onions until they are soft. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly for 4-5 minutes.
4. Add the warm tea to the rice, one soup ladle at a time. Stir constantly until all of the tea has been absorbed by the rice and add another ladle. Continue this process until all of the tea has been absorbed by the rice. Be patient! — this will take about 25-30 minutes.
5. Stir in the grated cheese and peas until the cheese is melted. Remove the risotto from the heat and add the lemon juice. Then stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

My Two Cents: Not only is the green tea healthier and lighter than using broth or wine, but it has a beautiful bright flavor that pairs well with the lemon juice and the peas.

Risotto takes time and patience to make, and cannot be rushed, but it’s so worth it in the end. No cream, no butter — but tastes like there’s both.

I served this with sweet potato fries, but this will work well as a side dish to steak, chicken, pork, etc.

I’ll be making this over and over again, you can bet on it!

Click the link below to view all the secret recipe club posts from today: