Mexican | Cilantro Rice

Revised on February 18, 2014

This goes well with many Mexican dishes.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 cup lightly packed cilantro, tender stems and leaves, plus sprigs for garnish

1 onion quartered

2 cloves garlic

1 poblano chile, stemmed and seeded

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups long-grain rice

1 teaspoon salt

 

Method

Puree the vegetables: Combine the cilantro, onion, garlic, poblano chile, and 2 tablespoons of the chicken broth in a blender. Purée until smooth and set aside.

Sauté the rice: Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the rice and stir to coat well. Sauté for about 1 minute, or until the rice begins to smell toasty.

Add the cilantro purée and stir until all the rice is evenly coated with the mixture. Pour in the remaining chicken broth and season with the salt.

Simmer the rice: Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover the pan, and continue simmering for 30 minutes.

Fluff and serve: Remove the pan from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes before uncovering and fluffing the rice with a fork. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with sprigs of cilantro.

 

(Ref. "Cilantro Rice" recipe, Simply Mexican, page 79.)