Creamy vegetable rice

Creamy without a drop of cream. It's all in the broth ratio and gentle stirring.

40 min
Total time: 40 min
Hands-on: 4 servings
Servings: 435 cal
Per serving: Medium
Difficulty: Wide pan
Method

Photo: Andy Li · CC0

Ingredients

4 servings

Nutrition facts

per serving

435cal

Protein: 10 g9 %
Carbs: 78 g71 %
Fat: 10 g20 %
Fiber: 6 g
Sugarstotal, including the natural sugars in fruit and dairy: 8 g

Approximate values, calculated from food composition tables. They vary with the brands and cuts you use.

Step by step

6 steps · turn the pages with the arrows or by swiping

Cover

Creamy vegetable rice

Creamy without a drop of cream. It's all in the broth ratio and gentle stirring.

1Step 1 of 6

Heat the broth

Before anything else, put the broth over the heat in a separate saucepan. It has to be hot when you add it: it's the only way to keep the rice from seizing halfway through cooking.

2Step 2 of 6

Sauté the vegetables

In a wide, shallow pan, cook the chopped onion and pepper for 8 minutes over medium heat. Add the garlic, diced zucchini and chopped green beans and cook 5 more minutes.

13:0013 min · Sauté the vegetables

3Step 3 of 6

Tomato and paprika

Take the pan off the heat, add the paprika, stir and return it to the heat. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat until they darken and the oil separates at the edges.

4Step 4 of 6

Toast the rice

Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes over medium heat until the grains look glossy and slightly translucent. This step seals the grain and keeps it from breaking down later.

02:002 min · Toast the rice

5Step 5 of 6

Hot broth and 18 minutes

Add the saffron and all the boiling broth at once. Cook for 18 minutes over medium heat, stirring gently every 2 or 3 minutes. You'll see the broth thicken on its own.

Tip: Stirring is what draws out the starch and makes it creamy. In a dry paella it would be a mistake; here it's the technique.

18:0018 min · Hot broth and 18 minutes

6Step 6 of 6

Rest for 3 minutes

Turn off the heat and let it rest covered for 3 minutes. Serve right away: creamy rice keeps absorbing broth and in ten minutes it turns dry.

03:003 min · Rest for 3 minutes

About this recipe

Spanish arroz meloso sits between a dry paella-style rice and a soupy one: it's served in a thick, creamy sauce that hugs every grain and you eat it with a spoon. The creaminess doesn't come from cream or cheese but from the starch the rice releases as you stir it.

The ratio that works is 3 parts broth to 1 part rice, adding the broth piping hot. With cold broth the rice seizes up and stops releasing starch.

It's a complete one-dish vegetarian meal and one of the best value dishes around.

Tips for getting it right

Short-grain rice, no exceptions. Basmati or long-grain don't release starch and will never turn creamy.
A wide, shallow pan spreads the heat much better than a tall pot.
If it dries out too soon, add another ladle of hot broth and keep going.

Storage

2 days in the fridge. When reheating you'll definitely need to add broth or water, because the rice absorbs everything when cold.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What's the broth-to-rice ratio for creamy rice?

Three parts broth to one part rice: 1 liter (about 4 cups) for 320 grams (1½ cups). For a dry paella-style rice it would be 2 to 1, and for a soupy rice, 4 to 1.

Why does the broth have to be hot?

Because cold broth suddenly drops the temperature, interrupts the cooking and the grain stops releasing starch. It's the most common reason creamy rice doesn't turn out creamy.

Can I make it with brown rice?

Yes, but it needs about 35 minutes and a bit more broth, and it's never as creamy because the bran keeps the starch in. It makes a tasty dish, just a different one.

Keep cooking