
It’s time for harvesting wild garlic
In and around Bristol, there are plenty of lovely places to go for a walk. Many of which are through beautiful woodlands. I mention this because if you’ve been out for a woodland walk in the last month or so, you’ll probably have noticed the unmistakable smell of wild garlic in the air! Not far from us, here in Bristol, is Ashton Court and Leigh Woods. Two places that are a foragers heaven, absolutely packed full of wild garlic just waiting to be picked. Although it’s easily identifiable, make sure you’re confident and have done your research on wild garlic before you cook it!
Cooking with wild garlic
There are loads of great recipes to make from wild garlic. My family and friends often whip up a batch of delicious wild garlic pesto. We decided instead to make up some wild garlic risotto because cooking wild garlic changes its flavour. Wild garlic can be very overpowering when raw (like in a pesto). However, when it’s cooked, it’s much more gentle. This makes it great for pairing with other delicate veggies like asparagus. The garlic flavour is still there, but you can add in much more of it when it’s cooked. We use the whole plant (excluding the roots), including the leaves and stalks, which has a beautiful verdant dark green colour, which stands out against the white wild garlic flowers and risotto rice. For such an elegant looking plate of food, it really is easy to cook.
This risotto is wonderfully creamy and smooth, which is why the delicate crunch from the asparagus spears is such a great pairing. This recipe is so simple to cook, but you’ll want to take your time. You’ll need to be constantly stirring whilst slowly adding in the stock as it gets absorbed into the rice to ensure it’s as creamy as possible. It’s a very relaxing dinner to make and almost mesmerising to stir the pot. I like to make sure I also pour myself out a glass of white wine as I add in the stock. It makes the whole experience that much more enjoyable! A good tip is to keep the stock you’re adding hot. I like to keep it in a pan on low heat, using a ladle to add it in one spoonful at a time.
Now is the season for picking wild garlic!
You’ll be able to find wild garlic for most of Spring, so head out soon and grab yourself a couple large handfuls of wild garlic because this recipe is really worth making whilst you have the chance.
This recipe is:
- Simple and relaxing
- Beautiful on the plate
- A great reason to go for a woodland walk
- Gluten-free and dairy-free
If you liked the look of this then why not try:
- Roasted Butternut Squash, Sage & Vegan Bacon Bit Risotto
- Creamy Vegan Lemon, Garlic & Asparagus Pasta
- Super Green Kale And Walnut Pesto


Wild Garlic and Asparagus Risotto
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp dairy-free butter
- 150 g risotto rice
- 1 shallot medium
- 1 clove garlic
- 100 ml white wine
- 600 ml vegetable stock
- 1 pack asparagus chopped into inch long pieces
- 75 g wild garlic roughly chopped
- pinch salt
- pinch pepper
- 1/2 lemon juiced
Method
- Heat the dairy-free butter in a wide frying pan on a medium heat. Then add in the risotto rice and lightly toast for a few minutes. Then add in the shallot and garlic, and fry for a few more minutes until they have softened. Keep stirring regularly so that the rice, shallot and garlic do not stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Add in the white wine, and turn down the heat. Keep stirring until the wine has been absorbed by the rice. Now add in the chopped asparagus and wild garlic and stir to combine.
- Next, add in the stock, one ladle at a time. Keep stirring the risotto all the time. Don’t add any more stock until all the liquid in the pan has been absorbed by the rice. Keep doing this until all the stock has been added to the pan. Add in the peas with the last ladle of stock.
- Lastly, add in the lemon juice, salt and pepper, stir, and leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Top with fresh wild garlic flowers.
Notes
Nutritional info:
- 9g protein
- 32.2g carbs
- 12.3g fat
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