🥬 Creamy Spinach Artichoke Risotto

You’re craving spinach artichoke dip… I got you. 💚

This creamy risotto has all the flavors of that classic party dip — garlic, onions, spinach, and artichokes — turned into an easy, cozy, one-pan dinner. It’s so simple, I can actually make it during what I lovingly call the “needy children hours” (somewhere between 5 and 7 p.m. in our house).

It’s creamy, lemony, and plant-based — the perfect comfort food that doesn’t require 12 ingredients or total silence in your kitchen.

🛒 Ingredients

Serves: 3–4
Time: 35 minutes
Vegan / Gluten-Free

• 1 tbsp olive oil (I use Graza 🌿)

• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 cup arborio rice

• 3 cups vegetable broth (warm)

• 1 cup artichoke hearts, roughly chopped (jarred or canned, drained)

• 2 cups baby spinach, chopped

• ¼ cup vegan ricotta or cream cheese (Kite Hill or Treeline work beautifully)

• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan

• Zest + juice of ½ lemon

• Salt + pepper to taste

• Optional: red pepper flakes, fresh parsley or thyme

🍋 Instructions

1. Sauté the aromatics
   Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Stir in garlic and cook another 30 seconds until fragrant.

2. Toast the rice
   Add the arborio rice and stir for 1–2 minutes until the edges look glossy. This gives the risotto that classic nutty flavor.

3. Add broth gradually
   Pour in about ½ cup of warm broth at a time, stirring frequently. Let each addition absorb before adding more. Continue this process until the rice is creamy and tender — about 20 minutes total.

4. Add the veggies
   Stir in chopped artichoke hearts and spinach. Let the spinach wilt and the artichokes warm through.

5. Make it creamy
   Turn off the heat and fold in vegan ricotta, nutritional yeast, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like a little kick.

6. Serve + enjoy
   Spoon into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and top with fresh herbs or a sprinkle of vegan parmesan.

💚 Notes & Swaps

• If you don’t have arborio rice, you can use short-grain rice — just keep the broth warm and stir often for that creamy texture.

• For extra protein, add white beans or chickpeas near the end.

• You can use frozen spinach in a pinch (just squeeze out excess liquid).

• The vegan ricotta makes this dish extra silky — but a little vegan cream cheese or cashew cream works too.