Mexican Green Rice

Can’t Stop Eating This Rice! Have you ever had green rice? It’s basically a simple rice pilaf in which you brown the rice first by frying it with a little oil. Then you mix in a purée of chiles and herbs, add stock, cover and cook.

This green rice recipe easily feeds six, but somehow I’ve been eating through each batch all on my own. I just sneak into the fridge, pull out a small bowlful, zap it, and have my green rice morning-afternoon-late-night-whenever snack.

The following recipe is loosely based on a somewhat more involved recipe for arroz verde by Diana Kennedy. A classic Mexican side, the green comes from poblano chiles, parsley, and cilantro.

I’ve also seen versions with spinach and Anaheim green chiles or jalapeños. It’s a perfect side for Mexican dishes, or alongside steak and beans.

I love the idea of incorporating greens and herbs into a rice pilaf this way, and am wondering about similar recipes from other cuisines. If you have suggestions, please let us know in the comments!

Mexican Green Rice Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp canola or grapeseed oil
• 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
• 2 1/4 cups chicken stock (or more depending on your rice*)
• 1 cup roughly chopped parsley, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro, lightly packed
• 2 large poblano chiles, seeded and roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, peeled, roughly chopped
• Salt to taste**

*Use the amount of stock that is the liquid requirement of your particular brand of rice. Long grain rice typically ranges from 1 1/2 cups of liquid per cup of rice to 2 cups of liquid per cup of rice.

**If you are using homemade unsalted stock, you will want to add at least half a teaspoon of salt to the stock.

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