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Habichuelas guisadas
Puerto Rican stewed pink beans with sofrito, calabaza, olives and tomato, for spooning over white rice
Habichuelas guisadas are on the stove most weekdays in Puerto Rico, from Ponce to Fajardo, ladled over plain white rice for the everyday plate called arroz con habichuelas. Pink or red beans simmer with sofrito, tomato sauce and olives, and cubes of calabaza (West Indian pumpkin) melt into the pot to make a thick, orange-red, gently sweet sauce. It's homely, cheap and deeply savoury. Island cooks often add a piece of ham; this version doesn't need it. Chef's tip: when the pumpkin is soft, crush a few pieces against the side of the pot; they dissolve into the liquid and thicken it without any flour.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
To serve
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a medium pot over a medium heat. Add 4 tbsp Puerto Rican sofrito and fry, stirring, for 3–4 minutes, until it softens and smells sweet rather than raw.
4 minStep 2: Stir in ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp dried oregano and ½ tsp ground annatto or sweet paprika for 30 seconds, then add ½ cup tomato sauce (passata) and 8 pimento-stuffed green olives. Simmer for 2 minutes, until the sauce darkens a shade.
3 minStep 3: Add 1 ¾ lb tinned pink or red kidney beans, 9 oz calabaza or other orange winter squash, 1 potato, 2 cups water or vegetable stock, 1 bay leaf, ¾ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Bring to the boil, then cover partly and simmer over a low-medium heat.
5 minStep 4: Cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the potato and pumpkin are completely soft. Crush a few pumpkin cubes against the side of the pot so they melt into the sauce. A common mistake is serving it too soon: the liquid should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, not watery.
25 minStep 5: Taste for salt, remove the bay leaf and stir in 2 tbsp chopped cilantro. Serve hot over 1 ⅓ lb cooked white rice. The beans taste even better the next day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 14 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does habichuelas guisadas take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground cumin?
- Cumin seeds, toasted and ground.
- What can I use instead of dried oregano?
- Dried thyme or marjoram, same amount.
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