I broke my Lenten Daniel Fast with rice verde this past Easter/Resurrection Sunday. I served it to my family with engagement chicken and spinach for supper. This dish is also a lovely accoutrement to fish and seafood. Additionally with the vegan adjustments this dish can be served with and vegetable and a plant based protein for a vegan meal or even a Kosher meal with lamb or beef for Purim, Chanukkah and Rosh Hashanah or Shabbat. It can even be made to be gluten and chametz free for celiac disease sufferers and Passover observers alike by omitting the orzo pasta and adding an additional cup of rice. Clean eaters can omit the orzo pasta also and make it super healthy with brown rice. This recipe is my take on the Green Giant Rice Verde which I grew up eating. Please enjoy Edelmira's Rice Verde

INGREDIENTS

32 ounces of chicken broth or stock or vegetable stock
3 fresh poblano chiles, stems removed, and finely chopped
14 sprigs fresh cilantro, or parsley if you don’t like cilantro, chopped
¼ Knorr chicken bouillon cube or one whole Rapunzel vegetable bouillon cube
1 tablespoon of Adobo seasoning with cumin
1 tablespoon herbs de provence
4 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
4 tablespoons of flavored/seasoned olive or vegetable oil or butter
2 cups rice, preferably long grain
1 cup orzo pasta
3 scallions, diced
1 celery stalk, diced finely
7 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 Embasa Salsa Verde Medium Can, 7 Ounce
1 can of regular or vegan cream of mushroom soup, condensed, 10.75 or 10.5 ounce

EQUIPTMENT

10 quart stock pot
10 inch frying pan

PREPARATION

The veggies: In the 10 quart stock pot, melt the butter and dissolve the bouillon cube then saute the vegetables and cilantro or parsley. Deglaze the pan with the chicken or vegetable stock. Bring liquid to rapid boil and add salsa verde and mushroom soup. Bring heat down and simmer during initial preparation of rice.
The rice: In the 10 inch frying pan,with the oil, add herbs de provence and Adobo, then lightly toast the rice and orzo pasta in the oil and spice mixture for about five minutes. Now transfer the rice to the stock pot. Bring the temperature up to medium until the liquid boils and stir the pot. Lower the temperature and simmer for about twenty minutes or until rice is tender. Stir pot again and turn the stove off and let rice dish stand in a tightly closed pot until all liquid is absorbed.