I love all things “one pot”. Cooking everything in one pot or skillet just makes my life so much easier, and when everything cooks together, all the flavor stays in the pot! This simple Spinach and Chickpea Rice Pilaf is like a classic “beans and rice” meal, but elevated. It’s still super inexpensive and filling, but it has tons of herbs and spices, some extra greens to keep things well rounded, plus bright pops of fresh lemon and salty feta. SO GOOD.
Serve as a Side Dish or Main
Spinach and Chickpea Rice Pilaf is a tasty little skillet dish that can easily be used as a side dish for roasted meat (I’m thinking something like Herb Roasted Pork Loin or Greek Marinated Chicken), or can be served in bigger portions as a vegetarian main dish. With its herby flavor and bright pops of lemon and feta, it definitely has enough going on to stand on its own. I’m going to be eating it as a main dish this week, probably sometimes topped with a fried egg (because I luuuuurv my fried eggs).
Fresh Lemon is Key
Fresh lemon is really key for this recipe. You’ll be using both the juice and the zest. Fresh lemon zest adds a TON of lemony flavor, without all the extra acidity that the juice brings. Single lemons can be pricey on their own, so consider buying a bag of lemons and freezing them. Frozen lemons work great for juicing and zesting (but not slicing). Learn how to freeze whole citrus here.
What Kind of Skillet works Best?
For any one pot recipe you want to make sure you’re using a quality piece of cookware that is thick, heavy, and transmits heat evenly. If the cookware is too thin you’re likely to get hot and cold spots and the rice will not cook evenly. A wide bottomed (12-inch wide) soup pot would also work. And lastly, you need to make sure to use a skillet or pot that has a tight fitting lid. I’m using a 4 quart OXO stainless steel covered deep skillet (affiliate link).
Can you Freeze Spinach and Chickpea Rice Pilaf?
Yes ma’am! This one should freeze very well, so if you have leftovers don’t let them go to waste! Just divide the Spinach and Chickpea Rice Pilaf into single portions, place in freezer-safe reusable food storage containers, cool completely in the refrigerator, then transfer to the freezer. The frozen pilaf should be good for about 3 months. Reheat in the microwave first using the defrost function, then heat through on high.
Spinach and Chickpea Rice Pilaf
Servings 4 1.25 cups eachIngredients
- 1 fresh lemon ($0.37)
- 1/2 lb. frozen chopped spinach ($0.79)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 1 cup long grain white rice (uncooked) ($0.66)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin ( $0.03)
- 1 15oz. can chickpeas ($0.55)
- 1 3/4 cup vegetable broth ($0.23)
- 1 oz. feta, crumbled ($0.38)
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper (optional) ($0.02)
Instructions
- Zest the lemon, set the zest aside, then squeeze the juice into a small bowl. Thaw the spinach in the microwave and then squeeze out the excess liquid.
- Mince the garlic and dice the onion. Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat in a deep skillet until the onion are soft and translucent (about 3-5 minutes).
- Add the smoked paprika, oregano, cumin, and dry rice to the skillet. Stir and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes to toast the rice and spices. You should hear the rice popping and it should begin to look slightly translucent.
- Drain the chickpeas and add them to the skillet along with the spinach. Add about 2 Tbsp of the lemon juice and the vegetable broth to the skillet, then stir the ingredients to combine.
- Place a lid on the skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high. Allow it to come to a boil, then immediately turn it down to low or just above low. Let the skillet continue to simmer for 15 minutes, with the lid in place. After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let it sit undisturbed for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid and fluff the skillet with a fork to redistribute the chickpeas and spinach. Sprinkle the lemon zest and crumbled feta over the skillet just before serving.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
How to Make Spinach and Chickpea Rice Pilaf – Step by Step Photos
Zest one lemon and squeeze the juice into a small bowl. Set the zest and juice aside. Thaw ½ lb. frozen spinach in the microwave, then squeeze out the excess liquid.
Dice one yellow onion and mince two cloves of garlic. Add them to a deep skillet (4 quart) along with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are softened.
Add 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp dried oregano, and ¼ tsp cumin to the skillet.
Continue to cook and stir over medium heat for about 2 minutes to toast the rice and spices. You should hear the rice popping and crackling, and it should begin to look a little translucent.
Drain one 15 oz. can of chickpeas, then add them to the skillet along with the spinach, 1.75 cups vegetable broth and 2 Tbsp of the lemon juice.
Stir the contents of the skillet until they are evenly combined. Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow it to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to just above low, and let it simmer for 15 minutes (lid in place, no stirring). After simmering for 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let it rest, without lifting the lid, for another 5 minutes.
After resting for 5 minutes with no heat, lift the lid. The spinach and chickpeas will have all floated to the top, so use a fork to fluff the rice and redistribute the ingredients.
Finally, top the cooked pilaf with the lemon zest and crumbled feta.
Serve immediately or divide and refrigerate for later.
Really enjoyed this!
I made this tonight with double the spices and I also used fresh spinach – it was delicious!! My family loved it and even my fussy 3 year old ate it all and asked for more!! This will be a firm favourite in our house from now on. Cheap, nutritious and very tasty -what’s not to like??!!
I’m wanting to make this today and only have fresh spinach. Saw your comment and wanted to ask if you did any special prep to the fresh spinach or just added it as in same as the frozen as stated in recipe?
Made it as written and it was alright. The second time, I doubled the spices and the chickpeas and I loved it! Since I doubled the chickpeas I added 1/4 cup more broth and that worked out. A bit of sriracha mixed in is wonderful, as is a fried egg on top! I’m always looking for good vegetarian dishes, so thank you!
Beth! This looks amazing ! How can I swap rice for quinoa ????
You’d definitely need to adjust the liquid ratio, but I’d have to test it to find out exactly how much you’d need.
Beth, your rice dishes are awesome! I was never a big fan of pilaf, or other dishes featuring rice. But I made this one anyways, because, you know…money. I flagged it as a fav! Keep it up girl :)
First time commenting on any recipe EVER! Usually too lazy lol but this recipe?? OMG! I made this twice already in 1 one week! Yummm! I made a few adjustments, I used cooking spray instead of olive oil. I used quick-cook brown basmati rice from Trader Joe’s. I used lime instead of lemon because that’s what I had. And I added some red chilli flakes for a little kick, left out the feta because I didn’t have any and my my my! Thanks for this!
This is fantastic! My husband and I are vegetarian and always looking for new recipes. We used a smoked swiss instead of feta on top to complement the smoked paprika and loved it. I’d recommend about a tablespoon of all the spices instead of a teaspoon to get the best flavor. This is definitely a recipe we’ll repeat!
I’m thinking of making this as a side/vegetarian entrée option for Friendsgiving. Do you think farro would work as well here or should I stick with white rice for the flavor?
I would definitely stick with rice for this one. Farro would be too strong of a flavor, I think, and the texture would be too rough.
could I use pilau rice?
I’m sorry, I’ve never used that type of rice before so I’m not sure. :)
plesase stop auto play of videos..
This meal is stellar. Simple, flavorful, nutritious, reheats well. We made it with brown rice and chicken broth because it’s what we had. Thank you for all that you do – truly – your recipes have carried me for 4 years and counting!
Made this dish this afternoon and not sure what went wrong… I had too much liquid in the pan when I was finished so wondering if my measurement of frozen spinach was off and gave off excess liquid. Pretty tasty but would up all the seasonings next time, and maybe use an extra stock cube (I used chicken since it was all I had in). :)
Would I be able to substitute edamame for the chickpeas? It seems possible but I’m a bit of a newbie to real cooking and don’t want to mess up!
Hmm, to me the flavor and texture of edamame wouldn’t work nearly as well as chickpeas in this dish. I wouldn’t suggest it.
Oh man, this is so good! The combination of flavors is unique and somehow light but filling. A new staple in my house.
This pilaf is REALLY good with salmon. Just for the record.