Arroz verde is a tasty Mexican side dish that gets its signature green color from herbs like cilantro and parsley and peppers like roasted poblanos and jalapeño.
Ingredients
1 ½cupslong-grain white rice
2poblano peppers,stemmed
1jalapeño,stemmed
½mediumyellow onion
½cupchopped cilantro
½cupchopped parsley
2clovesgarlic
2 ¼cupschicken broth,divided
4tablespoonsolive oil
¾teaspoonkosher salt,plus more to taste
2tablespoonslime juice
Instructions
Add the rice to a fine mesh strainer or colander and rinse under running water until the water runs clear. Drain well and set aside.
Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or grease with oil. Place the poblanos and jalapeño on the baking sheet and place under the broiler. Broil on high for 10 minutes, flipping over halfway through.
Remove the baking sheet from the broiler and cover it with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Uncover and remove as much of the skin from the peppers as possible. At this point, you can also remove the seeds from any of the peppers if you don’t want it too spicy.
Add the roasted poblanos, jalapeño, onion, cilantro, parsley, garlic, and ¾ cup of broth to a food processor or blender. Blend or pulse until smooth. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the rinsed rice and saute for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice begins to brown very slightly. At this point, some grains of rice may even pop. This step adds some nuttiness and more depth of flavor to the rice.
Stir in the blended poblano mixture and cook for 1 minute.
Pour in the remaining 2 cups of broth and salt. Stir together with the rice until fully combined.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes until the rice is fully cooked and all the liquid has been absorbed.
Add lime juice and lightly fluff the rice with a fork. Allow the rice to sit uncovered for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
This dish is about a medium spice level. You can omit the jalapeño completely to make it mild.