Peruvian green rice (arroz verde)

Name: Peruvian green rice (arroz verde)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Latin American
Ingredients: 1 bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems; 1 cup baby spinach; 1 jalapeño, seeded; 2½ cups vegetable broth, divided; ½ red onion, very thinly sliced; 1 lime, juiced; 1½ tsp salt, divided; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 yellow onion, diced; 1 carrot, diced; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; ½ tsp ground cumin; 1½ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed; ¾ cup frozen peas; ¾ cup frozen corn; 1 avocado, sliced (optional)

Rice simmered in a bright cilantro purée with peppers, corn and peas, then topped with a tangy red onion and lime relish, fresh, filling and very cheap.

50 min total
20 min hands-on
Follow-a-recipe easy
Serves 4
About $2.18 a serving
420 calories
Good the next day
Vegan
Gluten-free
Dairy-free

Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.

Ingredients

For 4 servings.

1 bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems
1 cup baby spinach
1 jalapeño, seeded
2½ cups vegetable broth, divided
½ red onion, very thinly sliced
1 lime, juiced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1½ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
¾ cup frozen peas
¾ cup frozen corn
1 avocado, sliced (optional)

From your pantry

1½ tsp salt, divided
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp ground cumin

Each serving has about 420 calories, 9 g protein, 79 g carbs and 8 g fat, and costs about $2.18 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.

Missing something?

No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
No baby spinach? Kale or arugula works.
No red onions? White onions work.
No limes? Lemons work.
No yellow onions? White onions work.
No red bell peppers? Yellow bell peppers work.
No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
No frozen peas? Frozen mixed vegetables work.
No frozen corn? Canned corn works.
No avocados? Guacamole works.

Steps

Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.

Blend the cilantro, spinach, jalapeño and 1 cup of the broth until completely smooth.
Dolly’s tip: Keep the cilantro stems. They hold most of the flavor and blend right in.
the red onion with the lime juice and ½ teaspoon salt in a small bowl and set it aside. This is the salsa criolla, and it turns pink and mellow as it sits.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the yellow onion, carrot and pepper and cook, stirring now and then, 6 minutes, until soft.
Medium heatTimer: 6 min
Add the garlic and cumin and stir 1 minute, .
Medium heat
Add the rice and stir 2 minutes, until every grain is shiny with oil.
Medium heatTimer: 2 min
Pour in the green purée, the rest of the broth and 1 teaspoon salt and over high heat.
High heat
Stir once, cover, turn the heat to low and cook 15 minutes.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
Dolly’s tip: Don’t lift the lid while it cooks. The trapped steam is what cooks the rice evenly.
Scatter the peas and corn over the rice, cover again and cook 5 minutes more, until the liquid is gone and the rice is tender.
Low heatTimer: 5 min
Fluff with a fork, stirring the vegetables through, and serve topped with the salsa criolla and avocado.