Green Rice Recipe (Arroz Verde)
I traditionally teach a Mexican-inspired menu during the month of April so that my students have some fun recipes to cook for their family and friends on Cinco de Mayo. Â I am obsessed with Mexican food, so I really look forward to this time of year. Â Of course, April has come to an end and sadly, so will my daily fish tacos. Â I wish it were Cinco de Mayo every month!
I usually have no problem coming up with an entree for a Mexican-inspired meal, but sometimes the sides stump me. Â Here’s a winner for Cinco de Mayo or any night. Â This green rice was originally inspired by a recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, Sunday Suppers at Lucques. Â I’ve simplified the recipe a bit, but it is still unbelievably tasty and reminiscent of the green rice you may have had at a Mexican restaurant. Â The color is pretty subtle, unlike the the spinach risotto recipe I posted last month, but green enough that no one will know if you made it with brown rice or white. Â Pretty tricky!
There are so many things to love about this green rice. Â For one, it’s delicious! Â I adore basmati rice, which I think naturally tastes better than almost all other rices. Â But in my opinion it’s hard to beat rice with garlic, butter and salt. Â The flavor from the onions, pepper and cilantro are just a nice bonus. Â Green rice is also very versatile. Â Besides being the perfect side dish to fajitas, tacos or Mexican beans, this rice can easily be made into a vegetarian entree with the addition of some cooked pinto beans or sliced almonds. Â Combined with some protein, green rice makes a perfect school lunch. Â On the weekends, I’ll use leftovers in a burrito with beans. Â Yum! Â This recipe is also easy. Â Don’t let the blender discourage you. Â Think of it as a friend who will chop your cilantro and spinach into the bittiest pieces so you don’t have to. Â Last but not least, whole grain brown rice with spinach, herbs and garlic — are good for you!
If you have eaters in the house who are green-averse, see if they’ll be more inclined to eat the rice with corn tortilla chips crumbled on top. Â If not, add it to chicken and avocado soup, vegetable chili or freeze it for a rainy day. Â Of course, you can do what I do and eat it for breakfast with some eggs and guacamole!
- ½ heaping cup cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
- 1 cup tightly packed baby spinach leaves (stemmed if larger)
- 2 ¾ cups water, chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon unrefined extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups long-grain brown basmati rice*
- ¼ cup green onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 Poblano chili, stem and seeds discarded, diced (or if you have time, roasted, skin peeled, diced) or 1 green bell pepper, diced
- Put the cilantro, spinach, and 1 ¼ cups of water in a blender and blend until pureed. Add the remaining 1 ½ cups of water and salt and blend until well combined.
- In a medium (3 qt) heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil and butter over medium heat. When butter is melted, add the rice and sauté, stirring about every 30 seconds, until it just begins to brown, 3-4 minutes. Add the onion, garlic and chili and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the contents of the blender, stir well, turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 50 minutes. Fluff with a fork, cover, and cook another 5 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat and let the rice steam in the covered pot for 10 minutes or until you are ready to serve.