I have been making my version of Spanish Rice for many years. I don’t know how it came to be, but I always make it when I make BBQ Baby Back Ribs. For me, it’s just like love and marriage, you can’t have one without the other.
Tip : Spanish Rice is meant to be dense and not light and fluffy. Since the tomato soup has sugar, the rice will tend to stick to the bottom of the pan. Scrape the bottom every 5-10 minutes with a wooden spoon to prevent burning. If the rice appears to be cooked but there is a substantial amount of liquid, remove the lid and let the liquid evaporate.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 1/2 medium Spanish onion peeled and diced
- 8-10 green beans trimmed, or 1/3 green pepper diced
- 1 small fresh tomato chopped
- 1 12 oz can Campbell's tomato soup
- 1/2 12 oz can water
- 1/2 cup basmati or jasmati rice
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients before starting recipe.
- Melt 2 tbsp unsalted butter in a deep medium sized saucepan over medium heat and add 1/2 medium Spanish onion, chopped, 1 stalk celery chopped, 8-10 green beans trimmed, or 1/3 green pepper diced and 1 small fresh tomato fresh diced. Sauté until the vegetables are soft but not falling apart, about 5 minutes at medium high heat.
- Add 1/2 cup basmati or jasmati rice and mix using a wooden spoon until the rice is covered with butter and well blended with vegetables.
- Add 1 12 oz can Campbell's tomato soup and 1/2 12 oz can water from the tomato soup. The mixture should be moist but not thin, bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, just above the lowest setting and cover with a lid propped open and cook slowly for 25-35 minutes.. Scrape the bottom of the pan every 5-10 minutes until the rice is soft, but still maintains its shape.
Author Notes
This recipe varies slightly depending on what's available in the pantry and fridge. It's best made with Campbell's Tomato Soup and green beans. But since I usually make it with BBQ spareribs, I usually have BBQ sauce on hand and I always have tomato sauce, so if no soup, this is equally good prepared with tomato sauce and few tablespoons of BBQ sauce. If no green beans, then use green bell pepper, another fridge staple for me.
