Start by washing and chopping your asparagus into bite-sized pieces. Finely chop one onion and mince three cloves of garlic.

In your crockpot, combine 1 cup of Arborio rice with 4 cups of vegetable broth. Add the chopped asparagus, frozen peas, onion, minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Stir everything together until well incorporated.

Cover the crockpot with its lid and set the heat to low. Cook for 4 to 5 hours, stirring occasionally if you can.

Once the cooking time is up, stir in the zest of one lemon and the juice. If desired, mix in half a cup of Parmesan cheese to enhance the creaminess further.

Scoop the warm risotto into bowls, garnishing with freshly chopped parsley and additional lemon zest, if you like.