Spanish baked rice with chickpeas (arroz al horno)
Short-grain rice baked with chickpeas and smoky paprika under golden potato slices, blistered tomatoes and a whole head of garlic, the Valencian Sunday rice made meatless.
- 60 min total
- 30 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 4
- About $2.24 a serving
- 540 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 Yukon Gold potato, cut into ¼-inch slices
- 2 Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1½ cups arborio rice
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
Each serving has about 540 calories, 14 g protein, 92 g carbs and 13 g fat, and costs about $2.24 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No Yukon Gold potatoes? Russet potatoes or red potatoes work.
- No fresh parsley? Cilantro works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 425°F. Warm the broth in a over low heat so it’s hot when you need it.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Low heat
Heat the oil in a 12-inch oven-safe over medium-high heat. the potato slices 3 to 4 minutes a side with of salt, then move them to a plate.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Pinch. A pinch is what you can hold between your thumb and two fingers, less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It’s a small, forgiving amount, so there’s no need to measure.
How you’ll know: It’s a light sprinkle you can barely see on the food, not a little pile.
Medium-high heatTimer: 7 min
Add the tomatoes and the garlic head cut side down and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until . Move them to the plate.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Medium-high heatTimer: 2 min
Turn the heat to medium and stir in the tomato paste, smoked paprika and turmeric for 30 seconds.
Medium heat
Dolly’s tip: Have the rice ready to go in. Paprika scorches fast in a hot pan.Add the rice and stir 1 minute, until coated, then pour in the hot broth, add the chickpeas and the rest of the salt, and stir once.
Medium heat
Arrange the potatoes, tomatoes and garlic on top, bring it , and move the to the oven.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Dolly’s tip: No oven-safe skillet? Pour everything into a 9x13-inch baking dish at this step.uncovered 18 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Timer: 19 min
Let it rest 5 minutes, scatter parsley over the top, and serve with lemon wedges. Squeeze the soft garlic out over your rice.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Timer: 5 min
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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