Craving a Salmon Risotto that's both impressive and surprisingly simple to make? Look no further! This recipe combines starchy arborio rice with perfectly pan-seared salmon, bursting with fresh, spring flavors. It's the perfect dish for a date night in, a special occasion, a gathering with friends, or even a special dinner party. Simple recipe, step-by-step instructions and a little secret to making a super creamy risotto - you will find it all below!
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Risotto to Celebrate Spring
Spring heralds the arrival of fresh produce and vibrant flavours, making it the perfect time to indulge in seasonal produce. Whilst risotto, a creamy and satisfying rice dish is often associated with cold weather, this salmon risotto recipe is a true celebration of spring that the whole family will enjoy.
Looking for more spring-time risotto ideas for a romantic date night or any day of the week? Try our Spinach and Mushroom Risotto, Squid Ink Seafood Risotto or Asparagus and Pea Risotto.
Oh, and you must miss our new favourite - Prawn and Fennel Risotto!
Plenty of other seasonal risotto recipes below:
Secrets to A Creamy Risotto
Here are FOUR pivotal secrets that elevate a basic risotto to a culinary masterpiece.
- Choice of Rice: The foundation of any homemade risotto lies in its heart - the rice. Short-grain rice, specifically Arborio and Carnaroli varieties, is the hero of this creamy rice dish. These grains of rice are stout, starchy, and resilient, designed to endure the cooking time while absorbing the warm stock without losing their shape. Among them, Carnaroli is our go-to kind of rice for achieving the best results.
- Toasting the Rice: Starting the cooking process with toasting the rice in a large pan is a step of paramount importance. This technique seals the grains of rice, protecting their shape and ensuring they have that desirable al dente finish with a slight chew, integral to a beautiful risotto.
- Temperature Control with Warm Stock: Keeping the stock at a low simmer in a separate pan guarantees a steady cooking temperature, allowing the rice to cook evenly.
- Gradual Addition of Stock: The secret to unlocking the rice's starchy potential and achieving that luxurious creamy texture lies in the patience of adding the stock bit by bit.
Read more about making a perfect risotto here.
Ingredients and Substitutes
Here are all the ingredients you will need for this creamy lemon risotto with salmon. Find the quantities, nutritional information and full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
For Risotto
- olive oil: or your favourite neutral oil.
- brown onion: can be replaced with shallow or red onion.
- garlic.
- risotto rice: arborio or carnaroli rice work best.
- fresh lemon juice.
- vegetable stock (vegetable broth): can be replaced with chicken broth (or chicken stock) or seafood stock.
- parmesan: or other hard cheese, like Pecorino Romano or Padana Grano.
- pea shoots: can be replaced with 50g of peas stirred into the risotto about 5 minutes before it is finished cooking.
For The Pan-Seared Salmon
- skinless salmon fillets: you may use thawed frozen fillets if that's what you have. Try it with rainbow trout too!
- lemon juice: freshly squeezed. Add lemon zest to your risotto just before serving for fresh flavor!
- olive oil: or avocado oil.
- butter: salted or unsalted.
- fresh garlic cloves: finely chopped or minced.
- parsley: may be replaced with fresh dill.
Variations and Extras
Salmon risotto is a great recipe to add extras to and adjust the favours based on what you have or like to eat! Here are a few suggestions.
- Like your risotto extra creamy? Add a tablespoon of cream cheese or crème fraîche alongside parmesan.
- Top the risotto with hot-smoked salmon or Lemon Butter Baked Salmon instead of pan-seared salmon.
- Why not pair this risotto with our Miso Salmon recipe, made with butter and white miso paste glaze?
- Add some chili flakes (red pepper flakes) to your lemon butter for the salmon for a kick of spice!
- Try our Salmon and Pea Risotto instead.
Step-By-Step Method
1. Begin with a large sauté pan (or a large saucepan) on low heat to gently cook the finely chopped onion in olive oil until soft.
2. Increase to medium heat and add the risotto rice and garlic, stirring until the rice becomes slightly translucent.
3. Add the lemon juice at this stage to infuse the rice with a fresh lemon flavour.
4. Gradually add hot vegetable stock, one ladle at a time, maintaining a low simmer and constant stirring for 20-30 minutes until the rice is al dente.
5. Parallelly, in another pan, sear the salmon fillets over medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. Add a couple of tablespoons of butter, garlic, and parsley to baste the salmon, ensuring it cooks through fully (internal temperature should be 63°C (145°F)). It takes about 1-2 minutes depending on the thickness of your salmon fillets.
6. Once the risotto is creamy, taste it and season with salt and black pepper, if needed. Stir in the grated parmesan cheese, cover with a lid and leave the risotto for a couple of minutes.
7. Top it with cooked lemon salmon, drizzle with any leftover lemon butter and garnish with pea shoots (or fresh herbs, like fresh dill or parsley) for a beautiful presentation.
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What To Serve With Salmon Risotto?
Salmon risotto can be served as an appetizer or a healthy meal in its own right!
For dinner parties, consider a light salad, like Courgette Ribbon Salad or some green vegetables, like Tenderstem Broccoli to complement the creamy risotto and pan-seared salmon without overshadowing their flavours.
If you don't want to to top your risotto with pea shoots, try serving it with our fresh Pea Shoot Salad instead!
Storage
Leftover salmon risotto can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, making it a perfect next-day meal. Simply warm it through in the microwave, and top it with fresh spring pea shoots.
Recipe FAQs
Can I Really Make A Good Risotto Without Wine?
Absolutely! Whilst wine can certainly add depth of flavour to your risottos, you can easily substitute wine with one of the following:
- Add 2 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice to your rice after toasting, before adding the stock.
- Add 1 tablespoon of white wine or cider vinegar to your stock.
If you do have a spare glass of wine, add it after toasting your rice and let almost all of it absorb into rice before adding stock.
What Wine to Pair with Salmon Risotto?
A glass of dry white wine can elevate your salmon risotto meal into a fine dining experience. Opt for a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, whose acidity and freshness balance the creamy richness of the risotto.
Can I Add Frozen Peas To This Risotto?
Absolutely! Frozen peas are a convenient and nutritious addition to this dish. Just ensure they're thawed before adding to maintain the risotto's creamy consistency.
More Salmon Recipes To Try
Looking for something easy? Try our Baked Salmon in Foil Parcels.
Creamy Salmon Risotto
Equipment
- 2 Large Pans
Ingredients
For Risotto
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 brown onion finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- 130 g (0.8 cups) risotto rice
- juice of ½ lemon
- 600 ml (3 cups) vegetable stock hot
- 20 g parmesan optional
- 20 g peashoots to garnish
For The Salmon
- 2 skinless salmon fillets
- 1.5 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped or minced
- 1 tablespoon parsely finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and saute on low heat for 5 minutes until softened.
- Increase the heat to medium, add the risotto rice and garlic, stir and continue cooking for another minute until the rice turns slightly translucent.
- Pour in the juice of half a lemon and stir the rice quickly.
- One ladle at a time, start adding the stock and stir until all the stock is absorbed. Stir continuously. Add another ladle of stock and keep on cooking until you have no stock left or until your rice is almost cooked.
- In the meantime, cook your salmon. Pat the salmon filets with a piece of paper towel. Season them with salt and black pepper. Squeeze ½ tablespoon of lemon juice over the salmon.
- Heat the oil in a separate large non-stick pan ove rmeidum heat. Place salmon filets in the pan and sear them for 2-3 minutes on each side (or until almost cooked through - the cooking time will depend on the thickness of your salmon fillets).
- Add the butter, garlic, parsley and the remaining juice to the pan and stir, basting the salmon fillets for a further minute once the butter has melted. Take the salmon off the heat, and set aside covered.
- When the rice is cooked al dente, turn the heat off and stir in the parmesan. Cover the pan with a lid and leave the risotto for a couple of minutes.
- Divide the risotto between two bowls, top with a salmon fillet, and drizzle with a generous amount of lemon butter from the pan. Scatter peashoots on top and serve immerdiately!
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Nutrition
Liz says
This risotto was so yummy! Really creamy and it was pretty easy to make. Felt fancy!
Ieva Greber says
Love it that you said "felt fancy!". That's exactly what we were going for! 😀
Paula says
This risotto was soooooo creamy! Loved it with dinner last night.
Ieva Greber says
Thanks!
Sandhya Hariharan says
Absolutely loved this recipe! The creamy texture with the zesty lemon and pea shoots made it irresistible!
Ieva Greber says
Thank you so much - and so nice of you to leave a lovely commment! 🙂
Gianne says
The flavors are perfectly balanced, and the texture is spot-on. The lemon adds a refreshing zing, and the pea shoots bring a pop of freshness. 10/10 would definitely make again!
TAYLER ROSS says
I made this salmon risotto for dinner last night and OMG was it delicious! The salmon was cooked perfectly!
Ieva Greber says
So glad you liked it, Tayler! Thanks for the comment, as usual 🙂