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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.
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 was hands down the worst recipe I’ve made from HBH. I’m usually her biggest fan. My husband threw this recipe in the trash. 🤪 weird taste and just not very exciting. (and no, I didn’t leave anything out. I triple-checked!
Hey Missi,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
We love this rice! The combination of rice and chickpeas so so good. I don’t always make the greens with it (young kids), but even the rice alone as a side dish is delicious!
Hey Karen,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was delish! xx
I expected to love this recipe – it looked beautiful but did not work for me. Rice was over cooked and surprisingly tasteless – greens were WAY way over cooked (like prison food bad) they ruined the mushy rice (I think they should have been added only at the very end) – and the chickpeas never got crispy and they too were surprisingly tasteless + the canned ones are full of shells.
Hi Jenkins,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
This is one of those “why does this work” recipes. From prep to garnishing my plate was under an hour which is a rarity in our house. I would encourage you to slice and not mince the garlic as the bites of rice with fried shallot, garlic chips, coconut and mint were a delight. If you’re bored of making the same weeknight meals I would highly recommend trying this one!
Hey there,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! xT
Oh, my goodness. What a great dish! It looked good, and reported to be comforting, which sounded perfect for January in Washington state.
It was better than perfect. Healthy, but so comforting. Easy and delicious (two of my favorite things) and different enough it wasn’t like any of the order rice dishes I make.
I made your naan bread to go with (another win) and we served it up with some scallops for protein. All together it was a wonderful Sunday night dinner.
Hey Kristen,
Happy Monday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx
Delicious! My partner had been craving yellow rice, and when I surprised him with this dish he kept asking me to make more golden rice. I baked tofu on the side with a similar seasoning blend of tumeric, ginger, and curry powder.
Hey Janine,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it:) xx
I make this ALL the time, and even my kids love the “golden rice”! It is just so delicious!! What a satisfying mix of tastes and textures.
Hey Laura,
Happy Sunday!!🎃 I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed!
This was amazing! I added some chicken for protein using some of the same seasonings in the chickpeas and didn’t add very much water so it was less like a soup and more like a rice bowl and it was perfect! Thank you!
Hi Marissa,
Happy Wednesday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! xT
Would any part of this meal freeze well? It looks delicious.
Hey Kathleen,
I’m not sure this is the best recipe for freezing, I would check out my freezer friendly recipe section! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I freaking love this recipe. I’ve made it twice now, and the combo of the sweet and savory is just spot on. And those crunchy bits! It’s always such a delight once I get to sit down and dig in.
Hey Caitlin,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am so glad it was a winner:) Have the best week! xx
This was insane. Omg. My kids devoured it and scraped the pan. I added a few drops of sirracha to the dollop of Greek yogurt and a little arugula with Brianna’s blush wine dressing on top. You are unreal, Tieghan!! You’ve literally changed our lives in terms of our nightly dinners.
Meant to give it FIVE STARS!!
Lol thanks again:)
Hey Amy,
Awesome!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for your comment and sharing your feedback! Thanks so much for your kind message:) xxT
My husband hates chickpeas, when I described the dinner I was going to make he sighed, but I made it anyway because I had been looking forward to it ? well, her ended up LOVING it! This will for sure be an addition to our normal rotation. Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Tara,
LOL too funny!! Well, I’m glad he liked the recipes, thanks so much for making it!! xT
How can you keep the chickpeas crispy for leftovers? Last time I tried to crisp some they had a very weird texture the next day.
Hi Michelle,
Unfortunately that’s what happens when you crisp them and then keep them in the fridge overnight, they tend to get soggy. You might just want to set some chickpeas aside and crisp them freshly for leftovers. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Any suggestions for coconut milk substitute? It sadly doesn’t do well in my system…..but i love it!
Hey Beth,
You can use another milk that you enjoy. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope it turns out amazing for you!! xTieghan
I am a meat loving lady, so when there’s a vegetarian meal that I love that’s huge. Will definitely be making this again.
Hey Kristen,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it. Have the best week:) xT