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Nutty Chickpea Pilaf
Nutty Chickpea Pilaf. The title is straight-up, succinct, to the point, a little silly. Kind of like the recipe itself. Well, except the actual dish is not all that silly. But it is nice and simple. Relatively few ingredients, not too much hands-on time. It’s a keeper.
Substantial sides like this one are crucial to the balance we try to maintain in our multi-vore kitchen. With hazelnuts, pecans, and chickpeas added to the mix, the protein makes it satiating – the perfect main for me. And then, if my guy wants, he can treat it more as a side and have meat with it.
Hey, we all need a little nuttiness in our lives!
Nutty Chickpea Pilaf
A hearty pilaf with a satisfying nutty crunch and, thanks to a handful of dried cranberries, a touch of contrasting sweetness. A plethora of chickpeas elevates what's typically a side to entree status. My favorite dinner lately!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 2 large (or 3 medium cloves garlic, minced)
- 1 cup brown Basmati rice (rinsed)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
- 1/3 cup unsalted hazelnuts (chopped)
- 1/3 cup unsalted pecans (chopped)
- 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- Set a large saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic, rice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice begins to crackle, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the vegetable broth, the dried cranberries, and the chickpeas. Increase heat to high to bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and the liquid has evaporated, about 35 minutes. If the liquid cooks off before your rice is cooked through, add a little more water and keep cooking until the rice is done.
- Fold in the hazelnuts, pecans, and parsley. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Remove from heat and serve.
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