Gathering with family and friends for a delicious meal is one of the best parts of the holiday season. Here’s a dish that you can bring to any pot-luck, or just serve to friends!
This recipe is excellent served warm or at room temperature. A healthy dose of kale is coated in a delicious, creamy, cholesterol-free cashew sour cream, and mixed with rice and beans to make it a filling main course. Antioxidant packed red peppers add color and crunch when layered on top, with bright, vibrant cilantro packing a flavorful punch and making the dish look beautiful. It’s made with whole foods, filled with flavor, and travels beautifully because it tastes just as good at room temperature as it does right after you make it.
Kale and Cilantro Mexican Rice
Makes plenty to share 🙂
4 cups cooked white or brown rice
3 cups cooked black beans (or two 15 oz cans, drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup mild salsa
3 cups fresh kale, cut into ribbons
1 cup frozen corn, cooked (the microwave simplifies cleanup)
2 red peppers, chopped
1 packed cup of cilantro, major stems removed
lime (optional)
For the cashew sour cream:
1 cup cashews
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
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3-6 hours ahead: soak the cashews in water. Rinse and drain. (This makes them softer and easier to digest, as well as making their nutrients more available.) Combine rinsed cashews with other sour cream ingredients in a high speed blender and process until creamy and smooth.
Mix cooked rice, beans, salsa, kale, corn and cashew sour cream together. Pour into a large casserole dish. Top with chopped red pepper and fresh cilantro. Garnish with wedges of lime and a side of salsa, if desired.
Serve warm or at room temperature! Remember to notify anyone with a nut allergy that the creaminess comes from cashews rather than dairy. If there are no nut allergies, then you can decide if you want to tell them that delicious creaminess is cholesterol free 🙂
Hey Kelly, I’m going to try this recipe this week and I have a question – could I use a food processor instead of a blender to make the cashew sour cream? (Our blender leaks.)
That should be fine! I would just cut the eater down slightly so it’s not as runny in your processor. It’ll taste just as good but won’t be as likely to splash!
Another question – salted cashews or plain cashews? Thanks
Plain and I use unroasted! Tried to reply from my phone I guess it didn’t go through :/ glad you made the recipe and loved it, that makes me so happy!
I made this last night and it was exceptional!! Sooooo delicious!! Thank you Kelly!!!!!
(I used the leaky blender and unsalted cashews.)
🙂 I am so glad!