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
2tablespoonsolive oil
1medium yellow oniondiced
2largeor 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1cupbrown Basmati ricerinsed
1/4teaspoonkosher saltplus more to taste
1/8teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperplus more to taste
2cupslow-sodium vegetable broth
1/2cupdried cranberries
115-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1/3cupunsalted hazelnutschopped
1/3cupunsalted pecanschopped
1/2cupfresh Italian parsleychopped
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.