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Arborio rice cooks with chickpeas, spinach and baby kale. Topped with three-ingredient bacon breadcrumbs.
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I made this recipe for the first time about two years ago and posted it on Instagram. You guys loved it so It’s about time it gets it’s own blog post.
I like to call this “cheater’s risotto.” It has the same creamy, smooth texture, but without all the stirring. There’s no need to keep your stock warm, either, since everything cooks in one pot. I live in fear of the Italians’ judgement so I wouldn’t dare call this risotto but just know it’s pretty darn close and the effort to taste ratio is off the charts.
Plus it’s just one of those meals that just feels nourishing.The greens and chickpeas add fiber and nutrients while bacon-y toasted breadcrumbs make it feel indulgent and adds an addictive crunch. Warm, cozy, exactly what I want to be eating as the months get colder.
Ok, that’s all. I hope you love it, happy cooking!
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Kosher salt
- Garlic
- Arborio rice
- Chickpeas
- Chicken or vegetable stock
- Baby kale
- Baby spinach
- Parmesan
- Lemon juice
For the bacon breadcrumbs:
- Bacon
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Lemon zest
How to make creamy rice (cheaters risotto)
Step 1: Cook the onion. In a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and a big pinch of salt and cook for 2–3 minutes, until softened.
Step 2: Toast the garlic and rice. Add the garlic and rice and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. The grains should be coated in oil and look slightly translucent around the edges.
Step 3: Simmer, covered. Add the chickpeas and stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 18–20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Once or twice during cooking, lift the lid and stir vigorously, then cover again right away. If the rice looks thick or dry, stir in more stock until it’s creamy and loose.
Recipe tip: Risotto is creamy because stirring rubs starch off the surface of the rice, and that starch thickens the cooking liquid. A few vigorous stirs does the same job here as constant stirring, while the lid keeps the heat and moisture in so the rice cooks evenly.
Step 4: Wilt the greens. In the last few minutes of cooking, add the chopped kale and spinach on top of the rice. Cover the pot until the greens are wilted, then stir them in.
Step 5: Finish and serve. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and parmesan. Taste and add more salt if needed. Spoon into shallow bowls, drizzle with olive oil and top with a few spoonfuls of bacon breadcrumbs right before eating.
Bacon breadcrumbs (the best thing ever)
I actually like to make these first so they can cool and crisp up while I cook the rice. They’re three ingredients: bacon, panko and lemon zest.
You’ll start by crisping the bacon up in a pan. Medium-low heat is best so you can get super crispy crunchy bacon without burning or uneven cooking. Transfer the bacon to a plate with a paper towel on it to cool. Then we’re going to fry the breadcrumbs straight in that bacon grease until they’re deeply golden brown.
Crumble up the cooled bacon into tiny pieces and add it to the breadcrumbs along with some lemon zest. There’s no need to cook the zest, the warm breadcrumbs plus the fat from the bacon is enough to bring out the lemony flavor off the heat.
I like to lay fresh paper towel over a large plate and spread the breadcrumbs on top so they can continue crisping up as they cool. These keep for a few days in the fridge and taste great on pasta, salads and baked potatoes.
Tips and substitutions
- Don’t rinse the rice. The loose starch on the grains is what makes the rice creamy. Rinsing washes it away.
- Keep the lid tight and the heat low. Too much heat can scorch the bottom before the rice is tender. If your lid lets steam escape, check the pot around 15 minutes and add a splash of stock if it’s drying out.
- Add more stock if needed. The rice keeps absorbing liquid and thickens as it sits, even off the heat. Aim for a texture that slowly spreads in the bowl rather than holding a firm mound.
- Make it dairy free: I use Violife parmesan as a dairy free alternative.
- Make it vegan: use veggie stock and swap out the bacon for vegan bacon or skip it altogether and just fry the breadcrumbs in olive oil.
More cozy dinner recipes
Creamy golden rice with meatballs
Fig, bacon & caramelized onion grilled cheese
Lemon risotto with herb roasted chickpeas
Made this recipe? I would love to hear what you think in the review section down below! Also, make sure to tag @wandering_chickpea on Instagram with your creations and save this recipe on Pinterest for later
Creamy Rice with Greens and Bacon Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
Bacon Breadcrumbs
- 4 bacon strips
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Zest from 1 lemon
Creamy rice with greens
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
- Kosher salt
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock, plus more if needed
- 1 1/2 cups baby kale, roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- To make the bacon breadcrumb topping, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Transfer to a plate with a paper towel.
- Add the the panko breadcrumbs to the bacon fat and toast for 3-5 minutes, until deeply golden brown. Crumble the cooled bacon into tiny pieces and add them to the breadcrumbs along with the lemon zest. Spread the breadcrumbs onto a plate to cool while you make the rice.
- For the rice, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot to which you have tight-fitting lid. When shimmering, add the onion and season with kosher salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and rice. Toast for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the chickpeas and stock. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 18-20 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Once or twice throughout the cooking process, stir vigorously to encourage the rice to release it’s starches. Add more stock if needed to reach a creamy consistency.
- In the last few minutes of cooking, add the chopped kale and spinach. Cover the pot until the greens are wilted.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and parmesan. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve the rice in shallow bowls with a drizzle of olive oil and a few spoonfuls of bacon breadcrumbs.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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