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This Creamy Golden Rice with Spiced Chickpeas is the best bowl of (healthy) comfort food. Kind of like soup, similar to a stew, but creamier with more rice. Turmeric infused golden rice made creamy with coconut milk and made “soupy” with a bit more broth than usual. Top each bowl of souper golden rice with spiced, extra crispy chickpeas, and a dollop of creamy yogurt. The perfect bowl of warming comfort food that’s also healthy and quickly made on the stove in less than an hour. Just be sure to serve with a side of fresh naan for a bowl of (easily made vegan) comfort food.
Starting the week off on a healthy, but still cozy, note with this Indian..ish inspired recipe. Somehow it’s already the second week of February and I know many of you have spring on your minds. Here in Colorado, it’s still very much winter, and very, very much comfort food kind of weather.
That said, we’re coming off a weekend of enjoying way too much ski resort food, meaning lots of french fries and cocktails, after watching my younger brother, Red, compete (and win!!!) at the Dew Tour on Saturday. I will share more details and photos in Sunday’s Favorites post, but I will say that it was such a special weekend and everyone soaked up the time together. I know I’ve said it before, but being able to watch both Malachi and Red achieve their goals, and do it together, makes me the happiest, proudest sister.
Anyway, a fun weekend spent snowboarding and eating with family means that colorful recipes full of food with all things good for us are very much needed today.
Enter this “souper” creamy golden rice. This is the ultimate bowl of healthy comfort food that’s truly just as delicious as a bowl of cheesy pasta. That’s saying a lot coming from the girl who loves both cheese and pasta more than most.
It. Is. SO GOOD. Creamy, herby, perfectly spiced, and topped with addictingly delicious crispy chickpeas…and served with naan. Of course.
Ingredients
- Salted butter
- Ground turmeric
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Long grain rice, such as jasmine or basmati
- Full fat coconut milk
- Low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- Kosher salt
- Greens such as kale, chard, or spinach
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Chickpeas
- 4 cloves garlic
- Shallots
- Ground ginger
- Unsweetened coconut flakes
- Raw sesame seeds
- Fresh mint or cilantro
- Toasted naan, Greek yogurt, red harissa sauce for serving
The inspiration.
Growing up my mom would make what she called “souper rice”. Basically, it was cream of chicken soup plus a whole lot of rice. So much rice that you really couldn’t call it soup anymore…enter “souper rice”. To this day she still recalls it as one of her favorite childhood comfort foods.
I drew inspiration from mom’s souper rice and created a more Indian inspired version, made with coconut milk for extra creaminess. It’s not quite the same as mom’s canned soup version (thankfully), but it’s just as delicious. Different, but delicious.
Here is how you make this creamy golden rice.
First up, the rice. GOLDEN RICE, I’m all about some golden rice. It’s simple. Just melt a little butter, add in some turmeric, crushed red pepper, canned coconut milk (preferably full fat for extra creaminess), and water. Once boiling, stir in the rice, then add plenty of greens, cover and let the rice steam until cooked.
For the greens, you can really use whatever greens you love most. My top choices are kale, spinach, or chard. The greens steam with the rice, so you don’t even have to worry about cooking them. It’s so easy.
While the rice is cooking, you should make the chickpeas, and trust me, you do NEED the chickpeas. They add not only heartiness but a nice crunch and plenty of good flavor to this creamy rice. They’re salty, savory, and just a little hard to stop eating. Kind of like a healthier chip with crispy shallots, nutty coconut, and toasty sesame seeds too.
The secret to souper golden rice?
Once the rice is cooked, stir in a splash more broth to make the rice on the soupy side. As you are stirring, smells of turmeric, coconut, and butter will quickly hit your nose.
It’s wonderful.
Remove the rice from the heat, and simply top with a dollop of yogurt, those spiced crispy chickpeas, and plenty of fresh mint or cilantro. At this point, you should eat immediately. This dish is meant to be on the soupy side, meaning there should still be broth around the rice. The rice will soak up the broth if it sits too long. So enjoy it right away, it will be just perfect.
So much flavor. Extra creamy. A touch crunchy. So delicious.
How are the leftovers?
The leftovers are just as good, but a little different. Even though this is best right off the stove, the leftovers are still so delicious. The rice becomes more like risotto and when heated up, makes for the perfect lunch the next day. Love a dish that you can enjoy for dinner one night and lunch the following day!
If you’d like to make this a little heartier, try adding a fried or soft boiled egg. Or serve alongside last week’s lemon garlic chicken. That would be so good.
And that’s it. The simplest, healthy bowl of winter comfort food. Hope you all enjoy!!
If you make this creamy golden rice with spiced chickpeas, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Souper Creamy Golden Rice with Spiced Chickpeas
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 1080 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter (using vegan butter or olive oil, if desired)
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 cups long grain rice, such as jasmine or basmati
- 1 (14 ounce) can full fat coconut milk
- 2-2 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 2 cups roughly torn greens such, as kale, chard, or spinach
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 (16 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and patted dry
- 2-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or smashed
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
- 2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup fresh mint or cilantro
- toasted naan, Greek yogurt, and red harissa sauce, for serving
Instructions
- 1. To make the rice. Melt the butter, turmeric, and crushed red pepper flakes in a medium pot over high heat. Add the rice and toss to coat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of broth, the coconut milk, and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Add the greens on top of the rice, but do not stir. Place the lid on the pot and turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook ten minutes on low and then turn the heat off completely. Let the rice sit, covered, for another 10 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, make the chickpeas. Heat a large, high sided skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, chickpeas, garlic, shallots, ginger, and a pinch of red pepper flakes and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the chickpeas are crisped all over, about 8-10 minutes. Add the coconut flakes and sesame seeds, tossing to combine. Cook 2 minutes, until toasted, remove from the heat.3. When the rice is cooked, switch the heat onto low, add additional broth 1/2 cup at a time until the rice is creamy, but with just a touch of liquid. Taste, adding salt as needed.4. To serve, divide the rice among bowls and spoon the chickpeas overtop. Serve with naan, yogurt, and fresh mint or cilantro. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on February 10, 2020
This is definitely one of the best recipes I have ever made/tasted- and I cook A LOT! Sooo good. I donMt make the rice quite as soupy though. Also remember salt is your friend with the onions and chickpeas. The burst of buttery saltiness completes the dish perfectly.
Thank you so much Karen!! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Holy smokes! I never leave recipe reviews, but this was outstanding! We were so impressed by the complexitity and orginality of flavors. Really well done, Tieghan!
Thank you so much Sam! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
We enjoyed the different textures – the creamy rice and the crispy garbanzo beans. I didn’t have harissa on hand, so we used sriracha – yum!
Thank you so much Jen! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Perfect Quarantine recipe straight from my pantry! Big hit with everyone!!! Made it just as written. Thank you!!!
Thank you so much Heather! That is so amazing to hear! xTieghan
This sounds so amazing! I grabbed all the ingredients to make this for dinner tomorrow. As I live alone, I have been eating all my leftovers for lunch during quarantine. I know you mentioned that this is something that’s best eaten right away but any tips on reviving this the next day?
Thanks!
Hi Karina,
You could reheat on the skillet the next day. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So good! I was a bit nervous as I wasn’t sure my daughters and husband would like this, but everyone loved it! Thank you!
Thank you so much Eileen! xTieghan
This has become one of my very favorite meals. It is comfort food that is also good for you.
Thank you so much Kelly! xTieghan
This recipe is incredibly delicious and so simple to make. The crispy chickpeas compliment the creamy rice so well. I love this recipe so much, I have made it three times in the past month!
Thank you so much! I am so glad you have been loving this recipe! xTieghan
I’ve made this recipe at least 4 times now and love how easy it is! The coconut milk adds the perfect flavor and the rice is so creamy. But the crunch of the coconut and garlic with the roasted chickpeas adds the perfect balance. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Thank you so much Megan! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I don’t ever leave reviews, but your site is the only place I get my recipes from. You make me feel proud to cook and that I create things that people rave about! You’re so talented- thank you so much for making my family happy 🙂 I just served this dish and it was fantastic!
Thank you so much Lindsey! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Made this one again during quarantine so didn’t have sesame seeds or cilantro/mint to garnish but it was still amazingly good. Hugely recommended.
Thank you so much Rebecca! xTieghan
This was absolutely delicious! My granddaughters, 10 (more picky usually) and 7 (always adventurous) both loved it! Tasting either the rice or the chickpea mixture separately is good but the magic is in the combination. Wow!
I used swiss chard. I was tempted to use less olive oil for the chickpea mixture but decided to stick to the recipe and I’m glad I did. The trick is not to eat past fullness. It’s that good!
Oh wow that is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much for trying this, Kelly! xTieghan
Just made this with pantry staples. Sooo good easy to come together. I added the mint leaves with th spinach when rice was cooking. My husband loved it. Will for sure make again.
Thank you so much Sessia! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This is just ridiculously good. I added some slivered beets to the rice and then subbed soy yogurt. I feel like nobody writes recipes that require so little editing on my part. So I’m seriously thankful for our similar taste in food, you really save me on nights when I’m just not feeling inspired!!!
Aw that is amazing to hear! I am so glad you are enjoying my recipes and I may just have to try some beets in here next time! Thank you Lara! xTieghan
This person stole your recipe and photos: https://simplykitch.com/creamy-golden-rice-with-spiced-chickpeas/
Hi Jasmine! Thank you so much for letting me know! xTieghan