Pea and mint risotto

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Serves: 4

A simple, light and easy to make dish which is low in potassium, phosphate and salt. It is a good choice for anyone reducing their protein intake.

Nutrition

	Low phosphate
	Low potassium
	Low protein
	Low salt
87.0g	Carbohydrate
611.0Kcal	Energy
	Low fat
£0.00	Price Per Portion

	Low phosphate		Low protein
	Low potassium		Low salt
87.0g	Carbohydrate	611.0Kcal	Energy
	Low fat	£0.00	Price Per Portion

Nutrition values are calculated per serving
Kidney diet guidelines vary for each individual
Consult your dietitian or doctor for the specific diet that is right for you

Chef Paul Ripley

The vibrant colours and refreshing flavours of this dish will awaken your taste buds.

Download recipe card

Ingredients

570ml low salt vegetable stock

1 small onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

350g arborio risotto rice

340g garden peas

25g unsalted butter

30g fresh mint

30g vegetarian Italian style cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat the stock until almost boiling and then simmer over a very low heat. Chop the onion and cook with a little oil on a low heat until soft in a separate saucepan. Add the rice to the onion and mix well for a few seconds to coat the grains with oil. Pour in 1/3 of the stock and simmer until almost all the stock is absorbed.

Keep adding a little stock at a time until the rice is firm and slightly chewy. You may not need all the stock, but the texture should be loose and creamy.

Puree 250g of the peas with half of the fresh mint using an electric or hand blender. Boil the remaining 90g peas in plenty of unsalted water.

Stir the pureed pea and mint mix with butter into the risotto along with the remaining boiled whole peas, the rest of the mint and the grated cheese. Season well with pepper. Divide between four bowls and serve.

Food Facts

Carbohydrate

The main source of carbohydrate in this dish is the arborio rice. The carbohydrate value of this dish has been provided for those who have been trained in insulin adjustment.

Phosphate/potassium

Although this dish contains vegetarian cheese which is a high phosphate food we have only used a small quantity. This helps to keep the overall dish low in phosphate. If you have been prescribed a phosphate binder, ensure you take them with this dish. Peas and rice are low in potassium making this dish ideal for a low potassium diet.

Protein

This dish contains a moderate amount of protein, with the peas being the main source. It is therefore an ideal meal if you have been advised to reduce your protein intake. If you are not vegetarian, then adding chicken or fish would increase the protein in this dish, making it especially suitable if you are on dialysis or have been advised to follow a higher protein diet.

Gluten free

Use a gluten free stock.

Vegan

Use a dairy free butter and cheese alternative.

Healthier option

We have not added any salt to this recipe. The cheese does contain some salt but you can choose to leave this out. Using a homemade stock would help reduce the salt content compared to using a readymade stock. You can find our recipe for low salt vegetable stock in the Kidney Kitchen. Alternatively low salt and very low salt stock cubes and stock pots are available to buy in the supermarkets.

Cheaper option

Use frozen peas as a cheaper and more convenient option to fresh peas. You could use 2 teaspoons of dried mint leaves instead of the bunch of fresh mint. If you cook with mint regularly buying a plant and growing it yourself is a cheaper option.

Storage

Allow to cool and refrigerate and eat within one day. When reheating the dish, ensure the centre is piping hot. If freezing, place in a sealed container and when reheating, ensure that the food has been thoroughly defrosted is piping hot before serving.

Tips

If you aren’t vegetarian, you can use parmesan cheese.