This one pot Chickpea and Rice Dinner is easy, satisfying, and endlessly adaptable. Make it in your Instant Pot tonight and have plenty left for lunches!
When TheCookful asked for a one pot vegetarian meal that you can make in your Instant Pot, I knew I had to share my family’s favorite chickpeas with brown rice and veggies. It’s easy, mostly hands off, and even picky eaters ask for seconds!
What Is The Best Bean Substitute For Chicken?
I love chickpeas, which are sometimes called garbanzo beans and are pure veggie magic. They are the perfect bean to use as a chicken replacement in many of your favorite recipes because they hold up differently than other beans.
Chickpeas don’t get mushy if you cook them too long, unlike pinto, kidney, and other ovalish-shaped beans. That makes them a perfect meat substitute in one pot meals like this, chili, pastas, and my Instant Pot Chickpea Pad Thai.
Can You Cook Chickpeas Without Soaking?
The recipe calls for soaked chickpeas, but if you are just now finding this recipe you can actually quick soak your beans to make the dish for dinner tonight.
Just put your 1 pound of dried beans in your Instant Pot with 6 cups of water. Cook on high for 10 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, and release the rest of the pressure manually.
Drain and rinse the beans, clean your Instant Pot, and dry well. Now you can start making the recipe without waiting 8 hours to soak your beans.
Switch It Up: It’s All About The Options
I love options, don’t you? As written, this recipe reminds me of a meatless chicken casserole with the nutritional yeast bringing the umami flavor, and the herbs used are the same ones in a poultry seasoning blend.
Think of this as a starting point. The rice and the chickpeas will stay the same but we can vary the vegetables and the seasonings.
Just remember that quick cooking veggies like greens, peas, broccoli florets, etc. would be added before serving because they will overcook in the 23 minutes of cooking time.
For example you could make this into a biryani, or Indian rice dish, by adding in 2 cups of cauliflower florets in place of the corn, and use 2 tablespoons of garam masala in place of all the herbs. If you want, go ahead and throw a cinnamon stick in and a couple of cardamom pods in the pot too.
How Can I Reduce The Prep Time?
I always keep chopped onion and bell pepper in my freezer. I cut them up as soon as I get home, place the chopped veggies in quart-size resealable bags, and stick them in the freezer. You do not need to blanch onions or peppers before freezing.
You can prepare a month’s worth in advance. If you do this, just add them straight from the freezer to the hot pot to sauté. You do not need to thaw before you add them to your sauté.
You can also use 6 cups of frozen veggie mix with corn, carrots, and peas instead of the individual amounts called for each one in the recipe. Your peas won’t be a bright green, but it will still taste delicious.
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Instant Pot Chickpea and Rice Dinner
I love making this recipe on the weekend because there’s plenty leftover for lunches and even a dinner later on in the week. Be extra smart and freeze individual portions for a lunch that keeps itself cold until it’s time to heat it up.
Use a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Soaking Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 23 minutes
- Total Time: 8 hours 43 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 (1 lb.) bag dry chickpeas
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup minced onions
- 2 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 cup chopped bell peppers
- 5 ½ cups water
- 2 cups diced carrots
- 2 cups corn kernels, frozen or fresh
- 2 cups long grain brown rice, rinsed and drained
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp. dried thyme
- 2 tsp. rubbed sage
- 2 tsp. dried marjoram
- ½ tsp. ground celery seed
- 2 no-salt vegetable bouillon cubes
- 3 cups chopped kale or collard greens
- 2 cups peas, fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast, optional
- 3 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the dry beans in a large bowl that’s at least twice the size of the dried beans, and fill about ¾ full with water. Let the beans soak for at least 8 hours.
- Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot on high sauté until warm, then add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and bell pepper, then sauté a minute or two more. Turn the Instant Pot off.
- Add the soaked chickpeas, water, carrots, corn kernels, brown rice, bay leaves, thyme, sage, marjoram, and celery seed.
- Note: If you are using no salt bouillon add now, but if it has salt in it add with the salt and pepper before serving instead.
- Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
- Cook on high pressure for 23 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for at least 15 minutes, then you can finish releasing the pressure manually until the pin drops and you can open the lid of your Instant Pot.
- Stir in the kale or collard greens, peas, nutritional yeast, salt, and black pepper, then let cook on the warm setting until the peas are tender and the greens are bright green.
Notes
This will keep in a cold fridge for about 1 week, and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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