Cilantro lime pesto adds a flavorful twist to this vegetarian & gluten free mexican style pesto risotto recipe! It's great as a side dish with chicken, fish or veggies!
Bring the 8 cups of broth to a boil in a large saucepan.
Get another burner going over medium heat, and add the butter to a large skillet.
Once melted, add the diced onion, saute 4-5 minutes, then add the garlic, saute 1 minute, then add the rice.
Toast the rice for 3-4 minutes, then begin adding the boiling broth to the rice 1/2 cup at a time.
Once the first 1/2 cup of broth is absorbed into the rice, add the next 1/2 cup, and so on until all of the broth has been absorbed and the risotto is nice and creamy.
Remove from the heat and stir in the salt, pepper and pesto.
Notes
Vegan Option: Use a vegan butter substitute and vegetable broth to make this recipe vegan.Instant Pot Option:
Press the saute button on the Instant Pot and use the adjust button to set it on the “normal” setting.
Add 1/4 cup butter to the pressure cooker. When the display says “hot”, add 1 cup diced onions, saute 4-5 minutes. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and saute an additional minute.
Add 2 cups arborio rice and toast for 3-4 minutes.
Press the Keep Warm/Cancel button on the pressure cooker.
Add 4 cups of vegetable broth or chicken broth. Stir to combine.
Place the lid on the pressure cooker and make sure the steam release is set to “sealing”.
Press the “manual” button and set the pressure cooker to high pressure. Use the +/- buttons to set the pressure cooker to 6 minutes.
When the cooking time is up, wait 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure before unlocking the lid.
Remove the lid and stir in the salt, pepper and Cilantro Pesto.