Risotto w/red peppers - Vegan

By mariannefeldman

From: Jolinda Hackett - About.com Vegetarian Food Guide ([e-mail])

Spicy Red Pepper Risotto Recipe

See also:

# Vegan Risotto with Sun Dried Tomatoes (pictured)
# Mushroom and White Wine Risotto
# How to Make Risotto: Step-by-Step

Making Vegan Risotto:
Friday March 20, 2009
Risotto. The word melts on your tongue just like the creamy Italian rice dish itself. It does take a bit of effort to make the perfect risotto along with a little "know-how", but the technique is easy, and the end result delicious and impressive. A vegan risotto can actually be much more tasty than traditional versions with butter and cheese, as you'll need to add lots of extra flavor, such as a quality broth, and maybe some wine, mushrooms, spices or fresh herbs, rather than relying on a layer of Parmesan for flavor.

Here's a few tips to make sure your cheeseless vegan risottos are even better than with butter:
# Start with lots of fresh onions and garlic sauteed in a good quality olive oil.
# The best risottos are stirred constantly, so don't put that spoon down!
# Keep your vegetable broth simmering on the stove so it's hot when you add it.
# Use an extra rich broth. I like to use both vegetable broth and a vegetarian bouillon cube for maximum flavor. Why not?
# Add some extra flavors into your rice while it simmers: a bay leaf or two, a couple whole cloves or dried shiitake mushrooms.
# Instead of Parmesan cheese, sprinkle the top of your risotto with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, garlic salt, or nutritional yeast.

I find that if you follow all these tips, you can get away with using just a broth and don't really need to add the wine that most risotto recipes call for. Vegan risottos really are superior. But shhh! Don't tell anyone! Let the others think that their butter, cheese and chicken broth risottos are better. We'll all know the truth.

Ingredients

• 1 * 1 onion, diced
• 3 * 3 green onions (scallions), sliced
• 1 * 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 * 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 * 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/3 * 1 1/3 cups arborio rice
• 1/4 * 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste - less for less spicy)
• 1/2 * 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste-less for less spicy)
• 2 1/2 * 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 2/3 * 2/3 cup white wine
• * salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

Step 1

Saute the onion, green onions, bell pepper and garlic in olive oil until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add rice and cook for one more minute.

Add red pepper and cayenne. Begin to add vegetable broth, 1/2 cup at a time. Stir, and wait until most of the liquid has been absorbed before adding more. Continue adding vegetable broth, and then the white wine 1/2 cup at a time.

Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese or a vegan cheese if desired.