I’ll openly admit that I’ve tried to make paella on more than one occasion and failed miserably. It’s probably a combination of not having the right paella pan or not using the correct method, but I can never get it to turn out quite right. That being said, I still love the concept of cooking rice with a bunch of other super flavorful ingredients in one pot, so this Spanish Chickpeas and Rice, which is loosely based on paella, was born. No expensive seafood or saffron, but still tons of flavor in one dish.
P.S. You can make this in a rice cooker! Check out my recipe for the Rice Cooker Spanish Chickpeas and Rice.
No Meat, Still Tons of Flavor
I wanted to go vegetarian for this recipe, so I subbed chickpeas for the meat and seafood usually found in paella. I added plenty of spices like smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, and oregano (flavors you’d normally find in chorizo), to make sure this dish had plenty going on. Artichoke hearts added flavor and texture, and helped make this dish more of a one pot meal than just a rice and bean pilaf. A little fresh lemon on top brightens the whole dish and gives it a slightly summery feel.
The results were stunning, both in flavor and appearance. I can definitely see myself making this Spanish Chickpeas and Rice over and over and trying new add-ins each time (spinach is next on my list!).
Can I Freeze Spanish Chickpeas and Rice?
Yes! This is a very freezer friendly dish. Just portion the recipe out into single serving containers, chill it completely in the refrigerator first, then transfer to the freezer later. This dish will last about 4-5 days in the refrigerator, or about 3 months in the freezer.
What Type of Skillet Should I Use?
It’s very important to use a thick, heavy cookware for one pot dishes like this. Thin pots and pans don’t transmit heat evenly, which may cause the rice to be undercooked in some areas and overcooked in others. I am using an OXO stainless steel deep covered skillet from this set (affiliate link), but a more affordable option could be something like Covered Fry Pan from Calphalon (affiliate link).
Looking for something to serve on the side with your Spanish Chickpeas and Rice? Try my Lemon Pepper Zucchini!
Spanish Chickpeas and Rice
Servings 4 (1.5 cups each)Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika ($0.15)
- 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.05)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.36)
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice ($0.33)
- 1 15oz. can diced tomatoes ($0.79)
- 1 15oz. can quartered artichoke hearts ($2.50)
- 1 15oz. can chickpeas ($1.89)
- 1.5 cups vegetable broth* ($0.18)
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste) ($0.02)
- 1/4 bunch fresh parsley ($0.22)
- 1 fresh lemon ( $0.25)
Instructions
- Mince the garlic and add it to a large deep skillet along with the olive oil. Cook over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until soft and fragrant. Add the smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and some freshly cracked black pepper to the skillet. Stir and sauté the spices in the hot oil for one more minute.
- Dice the onion and add it to the skillet. Sauté the onion until it is soft and translucent (about 5 min). Add the rice and sauté for 2 minutes more.
- Drain the chickpeas and artichoke hearts, then add them to the skillet along with the can of diced tomatoes (with juices), vegetable broth, and a half teaspoon of salt. Roughly chop the parsley and add it to the skillet, reserving a small amount to sprinkle over the finished dish. Stir all the ingredients in the skillet until evenly combined.
- Place a lid on the skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high. Allow the skillet to come to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 20 minutes. Make sure it’s simmering the whole time and adjust the heat up slightly if necessary to keep it simmering.
- After simmering for 20 minutes, turn the heat off and let it rest for 5 minutes without removing the lid. Finally, remove the lid, fluff with a fork and top with the remaining chopped parsley. Cut the lemon into wedges and squeeze the fresh juice over each bowl.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Spanish Chickpeas and Rice – Step by Step Photos
Start by mincing two cloves of garlic. Sauté the garlic in 2 Tbsp of olive oil, in a large deep skillet, over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic is soft and fragrant. (Dice one yellow onion while the garlic is sautéing.)
Add 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, and some freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill) to the skillet.
Sauté the spices in the hot oil for about a minute. This toasts the spices and brings out their maximum flavor.
Add the diced onion to the skillet and continue to sauté until the onion is soft and transparent (5 minutes or so).
Add one cup of uncooked long-grain white rice to the skillet. Stir and cook the rice for about two minutes. It should sound like it is snap, crackling, and popping. This toasts the rice and gives it a bit of extra flavor.
Drain one 15oz can of chickpeas and 1 15oz. can of quartered artichoke hearts. Add both to the skillet along with one 15oz. can of diced tomatoes, with all its juices.
Finally, add 1.5 cups of vegetable broth. Roughly chop about 1/4 bunch of parsley. Reserve a small amount of the parsley to sprinkle over the finished dish, and add the rest to the skillet. Stir all the ingredients together until evenly combined.
Place a lid on the skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high. Allow the skillet to come up to a boil, then turn it down to low. Let it simmer over low for 20 minutes. Make sure the skillet is simmering the whole time and adjust the heat up slightly if needed to keep it simmering. After it simmers for 20 minutes, turn the heat off and let it sit undisturbed with the lid in place for five more minutes. Then it should look like the photo above.
Fluff the rice with a fork and top with the reserved parsley. Cut the lemon into quarters and squeeze the juice over each serving. Your Spanish Chickpeas and Rice is now complete!
Beans and rice never tasted so good…
This is so good I saw through space and time. This may sound a little weird, but I slightly burned the rice on the bottom and I think it made it better? Or maybe this dish is just delicious regardless. Gonna have to practice some serious self control to not eat all of it in one sitting.
Me-oh-My I must have made this recipe 10+ times already because my wife cannot get over how scrumdidlyumptious this is. We sometimes add some shredded cheese at the end, to assure that we aren’t eating healthy. :p Thanks for all of the great recipes. Not sure how many I’ve made, but 30+ Kudos!
Loved this flavored in this, but mine came out too wet and mushy. Next time I’ll try reducing the veggie stock and drain a tad off the tomatoes.
Oh my yum! I just made this for the first time last night and could not stop eating it! The leftovers for lunch today were equally as yummy. I’m trying to reduce/eliminate animal products from my diet…recipes like this make it seem possible. I’ll be making this one again, and again.
This was SO good! I could seriously eat this daily. Thank you!!
I made this recipe as written and it has become one of our favorites. It is filling and flavorful. Smoked paprika really makes this one come alive without dominating it.
I used regular paprika since I didn’t have the smoked variety. Added mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper, and used black beans instead of chickpeas. Still great! I also made some shredded chicken and cooked everything together with brown rice. Lovely! Meal prep for five days – done!
Did you have to adjust anything for the brown rice? I want to use that also.
Brown rice usually requires more liquid and a longer cooking time. I can’t say for sure without testing it, though, because it can be kind of tricky.
Beth, I’ve made this 5 times since you’ve posted it, and it’s been delicious every single time. I can make it Vegan, if I follow your original recipe and use a veggie stock. I can also bulk it up minus the chickpeas and artichokes and add diced up Chorizo, chicken or add frozen shrimp at the last few moments. I find that adding a diced up green bell pepper is also really delicious. I’ve tried different variations depending on what I have on hand, and this is a tried and true winner. The spice combo is amazing. Thanks for my husband’s favourite new recipe!
Very good and easy. I am a new mom and needed a simple, tasty, quick meal and this fit the bill. I replaced the parsley with cilantro because I like it better and added a half bag of frozen peas at the end because I love them and for more green. I bet fresh spinach at the end would be good too. Thanks for the inspiration!
Pretty Good. We would have liked it better without the artichokes. It added a briny taste that we didn’t care for but thats just our personal preference. The recipe is a keeper though, sans artichokes!
Thanks!
Wowzers this is a keeper. Got some kick and the spices together with the other ingredients are an amazing blend of yum. Easy to make too!
This was good when served hot and better the next day served cold. I can see this being a frequent item in my lunch box. I’ve never been a fan of chickpeas buy I like this. I used cilantro instead of parsley because that’s what’s growing in my garden.
I can’t give 5 stars because there are too many canned ingredients. Next time I will precook some dried chick peas and dice a couple fresh tomatoes.
Would I have to do anything special to sub Brown Rice for the White Rice?
So excited to try this!
Yes, in general brown rice requires more liquid and a longer cooking time. I can’t say what the exact changes would be without having experimented with it, though.
Crap-meant to rate it with my comment :)
Man oh man this is delicious!! I meant to pair it with the lemon pepper zucchini but I forgot and it’s so filling that I’m not sure I would have had the room! Huge fan of your website, Beth- probably half of my regular meals come from you :) thanks for another home run for a vegetarian wife cooking for a picky meat-eating husband!