1/2 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 carrot
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
1 cup uncooked Spanish round rice
2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (canned or jarred)
4 1/3 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika
1/4 tsp saffron threads
handful finely chopped parsley
dash sea salt
dash black pepper
Roughly chop 1/2 onion, roughly chop 4 cloves garlic, thinly slice 1 carrot (peeled), roughly chop 1/2 green & 1/2 red bell pepper and drain a jar or can of cooked chickpeas (570 grams/400 grams drained/20 oz) into a colander and rinse under cold running water. Heat a large deep fry pan with a medium-high heat and add in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, after 2 minutes add the chopped onion, carrot and bell peppers, mix with the olive oil, after 5 to 6 minutes and all the vegetables are lightly sauteed, remove them from the pan and set aside. Using the same pan with the same heat, add in 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and the chopped garlic, mix together, after 15 to 20 seconds add in 1 cup uncooked round rice and mix together, after 2 minutes and the rice is lightly toasted, add in 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together, then add in 4 cups vegetable broth and 1/4 tsp saffron threads, mix together and simmer on a medium-high heat. Meanwhile, add the reserved cooked vegetables into a tall plastic cylinder (you can also use a food processor), along with a 1/4 cup of the rinsed chickpeas, 1/3 cup vegetable broth and a pinch of sea salt, using a handheld mixer, blend together until you form a creamy puree. Once the broth comes to a boil in the pan, add in the remainder of the chickpeas and the vegetable puree, mix together and bring to a boil again, then lower the fire to a low-medium heat and simmer, making sure to mix the rice around every minute or so, after 12 minutes and a lot of the broth has been absorbed by the rice, but there is still plenty of broth left, place a lid on the pan and turn off the heat, let it rest for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove the lid and serve, sprinkled with finely chopped parsley.