Cilantro Rice

I’m a big fan of Mexican food. Mark? Not so much. Sure he’ll eat a taco or fajita but neither of us have had authentic Mexican food. That’s where my friend, Jen, comes in.

Jen is an EXCELLENT cook. She lived in Arizona for years and makes the best Mexican. I commandeered her for a Saturday of cooking. We made Fire Roasted Salsa, Beef Street Tacos, Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce and Cilantro Rice.

Everything was absolutely delicious. The secret to great Mexican is using fresh ingredients and, thanks to Jen, now I know how.

Me and Jen. At the bottom of the pic is my dog Izzy trying to get in on the action.

The Cilantro Rice was amazing. It was a great accompaniment to our feast. The secret is making a sofrito to flavor the rice. The sofrito couldn’t be easier to make. We simply tossed a handful of cilantro, two cloves of garlic, a poblano pepper and a little chicken broth into the food processor.

Cilantro rice ingredients

Coat the bottom of a medium sized sauce pan with a heavy bottom with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Add two cups of basmati rice and cook over medium heat until the rice is opaque. Add the sofrito. Stir.

Add three cups of chicken broth and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes until the rice is done.

This is now my go-to recipe for cilantro rice. If you like Chipotle’s cilantro rice, you’ll love this.

Cilantro Rice

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Cilantro rice made with a sofrito of fresh ingredients.

Author: Kim Hickok

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• Cilantro, a handful
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 poblano, cut in thirds
• 2 tablespoons chicken broth or water
• Olive oil
• 2 cups long grain rice (I used basmati)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• Salt

Instructions

1. Make the sofrito. In a food processor, add the cilantro, garlic, poblano and chicken broth and process until smooth.
2. Over medium heat in a medium sized sauce pan, add a tablespoon or two of olive oil and the rice.
3. Stir, cooking until the rice is opaque.
4. Add the sofrito and cook for a few more minutes
5. Add a pinch of salt and the chicken broth.
6. Bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat and cover.
8. Cook for about 20 minutes until done.

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