Vegetarian Lemon Rice With Artichokes and Chickpeas

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium onion or 1 large onion
• 1 medium red bell pepper or 1 large red bell pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 cups brown basmati rice or rice, of your choice (not instant)
• 1 lemon, juice of or 2 lemons, juice of
• 3 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth, if you prefer
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained (cut into quarters if they don't come that way)
• 2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained
• 6 tablespoons parmesan cheese (if you prefer)

Directions

1. 1

   Heat olive oil in very large pan with a lid.

2. 2

   Add rice and sauté until golden brown.

3. 3

   Add onions and red bell pepper and sauté until soft and onions are translucent.

4. 4

   A couple of minutes before onions and red pepper are soft, add the garlic (I don’t know about you, but I do this to prevent the garlic from burning).

5. 5

   Stir in broth, lemon juice, salt and pepper; bring to a boil.

6. 6

   Cover and reduce heat; simmer for 40 minutes or until rice is tender.

7. 7

   Remove from heat; stir in artichokes and chickpeas.

8. 8

   Cover for about 5 minutes to make sure they get warm.

9. 9

   When serving, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.