“I looooooooove Risi e Bisi!” he said as I placed the bowl of steaming rice and peas on the table in front of my husband. He is a huge fan of anything with rice, but when I make Risi e Bisi he is transported to culinary heaven. And as we say in our family, what’s not love about peas and rice?

This is one of those simple and delicious comfort foods that always gets a positive response in our house. The recipe I use is from The New Romagnoli’s Table cookbook by Margaret and G. Franco Romagnoli. The book is not so new anymore—it was first published in 1975 and I think is only available used. There are many absolutely scrumptious recipes in the book, many of which are vegetarian—so if you find a copy of the book, you have a real treasure.

The original recipe in the Romagnoli’s cookbook calls for prosciutto and chicken broth, which are the traditional ingredients in this classic Venetian dish. I have revised the recipe so it is suitable for a vegetarian and vegan diet (without the Parmesan).It is still delicious.

If there are any leftovers (I doubt it!) they can be reheated and used as a risotto-like side dish. Note: add more vegetable broth when reheating.

Vegetarian Risi e Bisi

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, minced
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (or 1-2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Earth Balance Vegan buttery spread sticks
• 10 oz. frozen peas or 1 lb. fresh peas
• 4 cups vegetable broth plus an additional 2-3 cups more
• 1 cup rice (medium grain white rice or Arborio rice) I do not recommend brown rice for this recipe.
• Salt, about 1 teaspoon (more or less to taste)
• Pepper to taste
• grated Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Put oil and butter in a big, heavy pot over medium heat and add the minced onion and parsley.
2. Sauté until the onion is translucent and limp. Add the peas and sauté until everything is coated with oil and Earth Balance.
3. Add 4 cups of the vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
4. Add the rice.
5. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring frequently until the rice is tender.
6. The soup is now very thick. Add more hot vegetable broth if you desire a thinner (and less traditional) soup. (I find that you need to add about 1-1/2 cups additional broth. It will still be quite thick.)
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve piping hot in bowls (with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, if desired).

Serves 4 as a main dish, 6 as a first course.

For your reference:
This recipe is vegetarian and vegan (without the cheese). It is also nightshade free, dairy free (without the cheese), wheat free, gluten free, soy free, cinnamon free, and contains no msg.

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