Arroz con Garbanzos

This is a vegan version of arroz con pollo. It is very versatile since you can make modifications according to what you have in the pantry. If you don't have cooked chickpeas, any type of cooked beans or lentils will do. If you have fresh tomatoes that are getting old, this is the perfect opportunity to use them, they can be blended, or chopped small, even any tomato pasta sauce will do. I always like to have broth in the freezer so I used chicken broth, but you can use water or store bought vegetable broth. If you want to skip the vegetable chopping, you can use frozen chopped vegetables, just add them at the end. My two year old daughter loves this rice with a little grated Parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon. Once you make it, let me know what kind of beans you used and your toppings.

Servings: 4 to 6 Prep time: 15 mins Cooking time: it will depend on the type of rice you use

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice

2 ½ cups of broth or water

1 small onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 cup of crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons paprika

2 garlic heads, minced

1 bay leaf

1 can or 1 ½ cups of cooked chickpeas (without water)

1 cup frozen peas

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Dried oregano

Fresh parsley

Directions:

1. With olive oil sauté the onion, paprika and carrot.

2. When the onion is a little translucent add salt, paprika, oregano, and mix.

3. Add the tomato and the chopped garlic, stir well and cook for a few minutes.

4. Add the rice and the broth or water

5. When it starts to boil, lower the temperature and cover.

6. Simmer until the rice is aldente.

7. Uncover and sprinkle the frozen peas and cooked chickpeas on top of the rice.

8. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes.

9. Serve with your favorite toppings

Toppings: extra virgin olive oil, lemon, grated Parmesan cheese, hot sauce.

Tips:

Brown rice will take longer than white rice.

If you use white rice you will need less broth/water. About 1 ½ cups of liquid per cup of rice.

The amount of salt you add will depend on the broth you use. If you buy the broth, taste a little before adding it to get an idea of how much salt to add.