Rice with chickpeas: the recipe for a creamy and light dish

He chickpea rice it’s a first courseor simple and nutritious, the gluten-free alternative to classic chickpea pasta. An inexpensive and nutritionally balanced recipe, perfect for any family lunch or dinner: tasty and with an enveloping texture, it will appeal to young and old alike.

Easy to make, simply simmer the chickpeas, already boiled and well drained, with an oil and onion sauce, then blend them to obtain a smooth cream and rather soda; this condiment is added to the rice, previously grilled in a pan with a drizzle of oil, then cooking continues by pouring a ladleful of hot vegetable broth at a time, as it is absorbed.

The result is a tasty dish super creamy, a great comfort food to pamper yourself on a cold winter evening. For convenience, you can use i precooked chickpeaspreferring those preserved in glass jars, or dried: in this case, let them soak in cold water for at least 12 hours, adding a piece of kombu seaweed to make them more digestible.

If you want an even more succulent risotto, you can mix it with a Cream cheese, like robiola, or a stretched curd, like smoked provola; you can complete the dish with golden sausage in the pan, crispy bacon or even with strips of speck and walnut kernels. You can add some seasonal vegetables and season with spices and aromatic herbs, such as mild curry, turmeric, thyme and parsley.

You can also choose to mix only part of the chickpeas, in order to obtain two different consistencies. Also try flavoring the risotto, after cooking, with a spoonful of tahini sauce: you will obtain a vegan dish suitable for any guest.

Learn how to make chickpea rice with step-by-step procedure and tips. If you love these precious legumes, don’t miss our rich selection.

How to prepare chickpea rice

Pour a drizzle of oil in a pan and add half the finely chopped onion 1.

Sauté the onion over low heat 2.

When the onion is well softened, add the chickpeas already boiled and well drained 3.

Peeled rosemary perfumes 4.

Let the chickpeas flavor for a few moments 5.

Pour the hot broth 6until the chickpeas are coated, and salt if necessary.

Cook the chickpeas for 20-25 minutes, possibly adding more broth 7. At the end of cooking, the broth should have slightly shrunk.

At this point, remove the chickpeas from the heat and blend them with an immersion blender. 8.

You will have to obtain a creamy and very firm cream 9. Set aside and take care of the rice.

Pour a drizzle of oil in a pan, add the remaining chopped onion and simmer over low heat ten.

Pour the rice 11.

Let it grill over high heat, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn 12.

Wet the rice with the hot broth 13, until the surface is coated, and continue cooking, adding more broth as it is absorbed. Season with salt, if necessary.

Halfway through cooking the rice, add the chickpea cream 14.

Mix well 15 and continue cooking, pouring in more hot broth.

Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and pour a drizzle of raw oil 16.

Manteca well 17 and smells like a fresh pepper mill.

Make the chickpea risotto and serve it hot 18.

storage

It is advisable to prepare rice with chickpeas and enjoy it hot at the time. If there is any left, you can store it in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for one day; at the time of consumption, heat it in a pot with a drop of vegetable broth.