Oh my! I can't believe it! In one week, I will almost be in Venice, Italy.
I made this incredible soup last year from my Williams & Sonoma Soup of the Day cookbook,
I've been wanting to post it and well.... whadda ya know??
I will get to eat authetic Venetian Pea Soup soooo soon!
I've been thinking about this soup a lot. But I gave up cheese for lent and there is a nice scoop of Parmesan cheese in this soup, so now I reeeeally can't stop thinking about it.
.......mmmm...cheese.......
Okay, I am done daydreaming. Back to reality, sitting on my couch in San Diego.
Here's the lowdown on this comforting soup.
Venetian Rice & Pea Soup:
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
1 celery rib, chopped
1/2 c Arborio rice
3 c chicken broth
2 c fresh or frozen peas
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley
Salt & fresh ground pepper
In a large, heavy pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and celery and saute until the shallot is translucent (about 2 minutes). Add the rice & cook, stirring until the grains are translucent with a white dot in the center (about 1 minute). Um... starting to notice Williams & Sonoma likes to cook until things are translucent for some "close-to" amount of time.
Raise the heat to a medium-high, add the broth and 2 cups water & bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the rice is tender (about 15 minutes). Add the pears and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan and parsley, season with salt and pepper and serve!
Your belly should now be warm & satisfied.
Salute,
Belle
