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creamy rice with greens and bacon breadcrumbs
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Creamy Rice with Greens and Bacon Breadcrumbs

Creamy rice with baby spinach and kale, chickpeas and parmesan. Topped with crispy bacon breadcrumbs for an easy, comforting winter meal.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Dinner, One Pot
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 360kcal

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

Serving: 1serving (makes 4) | Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g