Skip to content

Vegetarian, Maghreb and Middle East

Turkish style artichokes with olive oil and rice

Turkish style artichokes with olive oil are a vegetarian dish for 4 people, ready in 50 minutes and easy to make, costing around €3.00 per person. Artichoke bottoms, carrots, potato and peas simmer gently in olive oil with lemon and dill. The key is letting the dish cool slightly before serving it warm, alongside plain rice.

Tonight it's Turkish style cooking with olive oil, artichokes, carrots and sweet peas simmered with lemon and dill, best enjoyed warm with rice.

Turkish style artichokes with olive oil and rice
Total time
50 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.00
Calories per person
640 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring

This is a dish that surprises people the first time, vegetables simmered in generous olive oil and served warm, almost like a warm salad. Lemon brings freshness, dill adds an anise like note, and the soft potato ties everything together. The artichoke bottoms turn tender and soak up all these flavors, without any bitterness.

It's a great choice for a weeknight spring dinner, light looking but filling once paired with rice. It also works well for guests, since it's made ahead and doesn't need to be served piping hot. Kids used to simpler flavors might be thrown off by the generous olive oil, but anyone who likes Mediterranean cooking will feel right at home.

The ingredients

4 people

Frozen foods

  • Frozen or jarred artichoke bottoms 12
  • Frozen peas 250 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Carrots 3
  • Onion 2
  • Potato 1
  • Lemon 2
  • Fresh dill 1 bunch

Pantry

  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 8 tbsp
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

The step by step recipe

  1. Peel the carrots and potato, cut them into large chunks, and thinly slice the onions.

    Pieces of the same size cook evenly together, which is key to this dish working well.

  2. Sauté the onions in the oil for a few minutes, then add the carrots, potato and artichoke bottoms. 8 min

    The vegetables should be nearly half covered in oil, that's the whole principle of this dish.

  3. Add the juice of one lemon, the sugar, the salt and a glass of water, cover and let simmer over low heat. 25 min

    A pinch of sugar balances out the lemon's acidity.

  4. Add the peas in the last ten minutes, then the chopped dill off the heat. 10 min

    Frozen peas cook fast, adding them at the end keeps them bright green.

  5. Meanwhile, cook the rice in salted water and serve the vegetables warm with the juice of the second lemon. 11 min

    This dish is even better warm than piping hot, let it rest a bit before serving.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick frozen artichoke bottoms over jarred ones if you can, they taste less of preserving vinegar and pair better with fresh lemon.
  • Don't skimp on the olive oil, it carries the whole dish, so use one you'd happily taste raw.
  • Always taste near the end before adding the second lemon's juice, the acidity should stay balanced against the sugar already in the pot.

The variations

  • Swap the peas for shelled fresh fava beans when they're in season, they bring a stronger flavor.
  • For a quicker version, use pre sliced carrots and cut the simmering time down to 20 minutes.
  • Add a few extra artichoke bottoms and serve small cold portions as an appetizer, it's also very good the next day.

What to serve it with

  • Plain or lightly seasoned rice
  • Plain yogurt
  • Warm flatbread

Storage

This dish keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, the flavor even improves the next day. It freezes well without the rice, in an airtight container, for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in a pan, or just eat it cold or warm, the way it's often served in Turkey.

Questions about this dish

Can I use fresh artichoke bottoms instead of frozen ones?

Yes, but you need to prep them first, boiling them for 20 minutes in lemon water before adding them to the other vegetables. Frozen bottoms are more convenient for a weeknight.

Can this dish be made ahead?

Yes, it's actually recommended, since it tastes best warm or cold and the flavors develop as it sits for a few hours. Cook the rice at the last minute so it stays soft.

Does this dish freeze well?

Yes, olive oil braised vegetables freeze well for up to 2 months in an airtight container, without the rice. Thaw in the fridge, then reheat gently or serve cold.

Why do artichokes turn brown when you cut them?

It's a natural reaction to air exposure, easily avoided by rubbing the bottoms with lemon right after cutting. Frozen or jarred bottoms are already protected from this.

How long does it take to make Turkish style artichokes with olive oil, served with rice?

Count 50 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in Turkish style artichokes with olive oil, served with rice?

About 640 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does Turkish style artichokes with olive oil, served with rice cost?

About €3.00 per serving, or €12.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains none of the major allergens tracked by Mon Chou. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

Maghreb and Middle Eastern cuisine

See all

Recipes with carrots

See all