Cilantro Lime Rice (Arroz con cilantro y limón)

Cilantro lime rice is a tasty side to brighten up any dish. The color of the rice shows it's loaded with cilantro while the zest and juice of the lime create an explosion of flavor. Serve as a side, in a wrap, or to make a burrito bowl.

Combining cilantro with rice is a common thing in Peruvian cooking so it's no surprise that combination is a winner. What did surprise me was the addition of lime. The first time I tried it was at Chipotle’s, probably like everyone else.

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• Cilantro Lime Rice

Being a connoisseur of cilantro rice already, I can tell you this version is superb and I state that with confidence. Well, unless you don’t like cilantro...or lime...

The rice is made slightly different to my aptly named perfect rice. I use minced garlic and sauté it just until fragrant. Then the rice is added and stirred, coating it with the garlic and oil giving it a head start in flavor.

Blend the cilantro with the water

Instead of adding plain water, I blend the water with half of the cilantro then add it to the rice. The cilantro is pulverized bringing out all that flavor which gets absorbed by the rice.

But wait, there’s more. You chop the other half of cilantro and mix that in after the rice is cooked. Now, you’re adding a fresh cilantro taste to the already cilantro flavored rice.

Same goes for the lime. The lime zest is added to the rice along with the cilantro water and salt. After the rice is cooked and fluffed with a fork, the lime juice is added with the reserved chopped cilantro to bring out a fresh citrusy flavor.

This rice is delicious and makes a great side to any dish. If serving more than four, I recommend making double.