They’re a popular side dish, but I usually make them as a main course for an easy weeknight dinner. I bet that once you try your beans the Puerto Rican way, you may never eat them any other way again…
Habichuelas Guisadas Puerto Rican Style
I absolutely love Puerto Rican food, as you may have noticed by now. Some of our earliest posts were their Picadillo and Tostones. Since then, we’ve cooked plenty more, including their famous Christmas combination, Pernil and Arroz con Gandules. This time, I’m going with a simple side dish that’s often served along with rice, but still packs in a ton a flavor.
What are Habichuelas Guisadas?
Simply translated as “stewed beans”, habichuelas guisadas are pink beans that have been cooked with plenty of Latin flavor enhancers. Some versions have meat, such as ham. Some have veggies like potatoes. On our recent trip to Puerto Rico, we found these beans on just about every menu, along with rice, as a side dish. We found them so hearty and satisfying, that when we cooked our own we enjoyed a big pile of habichuelas and rice as our main course. Along with Cuban Black Beans and Mediterranean Cannellini Beans, this is one of my favorite ways to eat legumes.
Why Is Puerto Rican Food So Tasty?
The secret to these Puerto Rican stewed beans, as well as any of their stews or rice dishes, comes down to three ingredients: sofrito, adobo and sazon. Sofrito is a cooking base made by blending green bell pepper, sweet peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro and culantro (an herb with a similar taste and aroma to cilantro). You can buy jarred sofrito in the Latin aisle of your grocery store, but there is nothing like fresh, vibrant homemade sofrito. Check out our detailed post for homemade Sofrito, and keep it ready in your freezer. It’s so good, you’ll find yourself using it in everything. Adobo is a Latin seasoning salt. It is a blend that includes salt, black pepper, dried oregano, garlic powder, and ground turmeric. This is another staple easily found in your grocery store. I like Goya brand adobo seasoning. Sazon seasoning is a Latin favorite for flavoring rice, soups, and stews. Additionally, with its ground annatto seeds, it adds great color to food. Look for Goya brand Sazon Con Culantro Y Achio (with Coriander & Annatto) in your grocery store.
Ingredients for Habichuelas Guisadas
Pink beans – AKA, habichuelas rosadas. I am using canned, but read on for dried bean instructions. Ham – Optional, but I love it here. Other options are bacon, pork belly or leftover shredded pork. Garlic – For that aromatic goodness. Fresh please. Tomato sauce – To deepen the flavor profile. You can also use freshly crushed tomatoes. Chicken broth or stock – I use Better than Bouillon. Seasonings – Sofrito, adobo, sazon, oregano, bay leaves. Veggies – Potatoes and carrots. Olives – Another staple of Puerto Rican stews.
How to Make Habichuelas Guisadas
Though good stewed beans take some time to simmer, the hands on time is minimal…
- Start with the ham: Heat some olive oil in a pot, then sauté the ham and garlic for a few minutes, just till the ham starts to brown up a little. I do about 2-3 minutes.
- Cook the sofrito: Add in the sofrito and cook it a couple of minutes. It should start smelling nice and aromatic.
- Simmer: Stir in all of the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer at least 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust for adobo salt.
- Serve: I usually serve these stewed beans with some freshly cooked rice.
Recipe Notes and Tips
Homemade Sofrito: Seriously, don’t skimp on this. Homemade sofrito takes this dish to new levels of deliciousness. If you use store bought, check if your grocery store has frozen sofrito. I’ve tried both jarred and frozen, and the latter is much better. One little note about store bought: you want the stuff labled “recaito,” not “sofrito.” I won’t bore you with the details. Slow Simmer: Resist the urge to crank up the heat. A slow simmer allows the flavors to meld perfectly. Potato Types: I prefer waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold. They hold their shape better during cooking, giving your dish a nice texture. Doubling the Recipe: This dish scales very well. Just make sure you have a pot large enough to accommodate the increased volume. I often double the recipe because it makes great leftovers.
Can I Use Dried Beans?
Absolutely! I was just trying to give you an easy weeknight dinner option! When I use dried bean, this is what I do:
- Soak: Soak 1 cup of dried pink beans in water overnight or for at least 8 hours.
- Rinse: Drain and rinse the soaked beans.
- Boil: Add the soaked beans to a pot of fresh water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cooking until they are partially tender, about 30-45 minutes.
- Stew: Proceed with my original habichuelas guisadas recipe, adding the partially cooked beans where you would add the canned beans. You’ll need to extend the simmering time to ensure the dried beans are fully cooked, which usually takes me an additional 30-60 minutes. Add the potatoes in only once the beans are almost fully cooked.
Variations
You can make a vegetarian version by omitting the ham and replacing chicken stock with vegetable stock. Try different veggies. Some versions have pumpkin or other hard squashes instead of, or in addition to, potatoes and carrots. Follow the same recipe, but with a different variety of beans, for a little flavor variation. I’ve tried it with cannellini beans and black beans, and both were great. Give it some kick. Add in red chili flakes, diced jalapeno, or hot sauce for a spicier version. Make it soupier. This recipe is pretty thick, sometimes I’ll add more water and eat it with bread rather than rice. Not traditional, but I like it.
The next time you want a simple, easy beans and rice night, give my habichuelas guisadas a try. Or, cook them up along with some Bistec Encebollado and Tostones for an all out Latin feast night. You just may find yourself cooking these again and again. After I tried them the first time, I was cooking up another pot in less than a week! Make sure to save or pin this recipe, I’m pretty sure you’ll be coming back to it. And be sure to subscribe to GypsyPlate, we’re always cooking up new recipes for you!
Habichuelas Guisadas, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great Latin American dishes!Arroz con GandulesCarne GuisadaChile VerdeAlbondigas SoupRopa ViejaPollo GuisadoPastel de ChocloBarbacoa PorkCaldo de ResCaldo de Pollo
