Arroz con Habichuelas, Puerto Rican Rice and Beans

“Arroz con habichuelas, claro, nena.” That was Mom’s response, always, when asked what we were having with dinner, during the years my sister and I were growing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (It remained her answer once we moved to the States after middle school). Because no matter the main meal, rice and beans made it better: Grilled chicken and arroz con habichuelas. Black bean soup and arroz con habichuelas.  Pork chops or chuletas (one of my favorite words, by the way, ever) and arroz con habichuelas.

Rice and beans is the perfect side: Comforting, savory, delicioso in a basic kind of way. It was what my mom Marisa grew up eating, too. That same scoop of white rice smothered with kidney beans simmered in sofrito and stewed calabaza aka squash was also on her dinner plate almost every day of her childhood.

Mom always said dinner wasn’t dinner if it didn’t include rice and beans.

It’s the Puerto Rican way. Rice and beans have been served on Boricua tables since the 16^th century. The dish represents the history of Puerto Rico’s cultures in one plate: Taino, Spanish, African. That what food historian Cruz Miguel Ortíz Cuadra told our writer Kathleen Squires when she interviewed him for Familia Kitchen about the history of Puerto Rican food. “Beans were a pre-Hispanic crop that [the indigenous people of the island] the Taíno planted systematically,” he explained. The rice was brought in by the Spanish colonizers. Ortiz Cuadra also pointed out that the way rice is cooked “upwards in a pot” as opposed to horizontally (as in paella) shows the dish’s “defining African influence.”

Arroz con habichuelas truly is home cooking at its most Boricua.

I have been long been making our family rice and beans recipe, and I love it deeply. But I got curious. How similar is it to other Puerto Rican recipes for this seemingly simple staple for our island? I emailed one of my favorite Puerto Rican-food cooks and childhood friend Michelle Ezratty Murphy. How did she make her arroz con habichuelas? Michelle sent me her family recipe over that very day. It’s pretty similar to my grandmother’s version, but there are notable differences. (My grandmother, Nani, added green pepper, onion, tomato, potato and a little sugar. Michelle uses cooked ham and chicken broth instead of water in hers. One day I’ll make them side by side and report back.)

Here’s what Michelle told me about her tips for making her family-famous rice and beans.

Q: Michelle, you and your husband both grew up in Puerto Rico. How often do you make arroz con habichuelas now that you live in Arizona?

A: ”Rice and beans are still a a staple in our household. While white rice is always on our stove top, rice and beans are usually prepared at least two times a week and eaten as leftovers all week long.“

Q: What do you think is the secret to making truly great rice and beans?

“This recipe is really all about the sofrito. There are no other spices in the beans, except for a pinch of salt to help bring out the flavor.  My sofrito is made with onions, garlic, aji dulce (or another pepper like Cubanelle if you don’t have access to aji dulce). And of course, cilantro.”

“Sofrito gives it a flavor like no other, and when mixed in with the tomato sauce and ham, it’s pure Puerto Rican food that can be eaten just with rice, or as a side with any Puerto Rican favorite dish. We like eating rice and beans with a side of maduros or tostones for a lighter dinner.”

Q: And then there’s our use of calabaza, which makes our arroz con habichuelas unique. How does your recipe use this ingredient to maximum effect?

A: “My husband remembers his aunt struggling with the calabaza, then cubing it and cooking it on the stove with the beans. In today’s world, squash is easily accessible. I usually buy it at the grocery store, already cubed, either frozen or fresh. I then roast the prepared squash in the oven with olive oil and salt, and sometimes with a little rosemary or garlic.”

“I like to roast the squash al dente. A fork should be able to go into the squash to test for doneness, but needs help to be pulled out. Then you know that the squash can stand another 5 minutes of cooking in the beans without getting mushy. That’s the other secret to making great rice and beans, besides using sofrito.”

Ready to Make Michelle’s Puerto Rican Arroz con Habichuelas?

Arroz con Habichuelas: Puerto Rican Rice and Beans

Recipe by Kim Caviness

0.0 from 0 votes

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

• For the White Rice or Arroz Blanco

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 2 tsp kosher salt

• 2 cups medium grain rice

• 3 cups water

• For the Beans or Habichuelas

• 2 cups calabaza or butternut squash, cubed (fresh or frozen)

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 4 oz cooked ham, finely chopped

• 3 to 4 Tbsp sofrito (see Michelle’s recipe here)

• 1/4 tsp salt, or more to taste

• 8 oz tomato sauce (preferably a brand that is seasoned with oregano and spices)

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 15 oz red kidney beans, canned, drained and rinsed

Directions

• Rinse the rice in a strainer, until the water runs clear.
• In a medium-size pot on medium heat, add olive oil, salt and rice. Stir to coat the rice with oil and salt.
• Pour in water and raise the heat to medium-high.
• Bring the rice to a boil, and continue to boil for 1 minute.
• Cover pot of rice with lid and reduce heat to low.
• Simmer for 25 minutes.
• Turn off heat, remove lid, and carefully fluff rice by rotating rice from bottom of pot to top of pot with a large spoon.
• Roast the Calabaza or Squash
• Preheat oven to 400°.
• If starting with fresh butternut squash, peel, seed and cube.
• Place the cubed fresh or thawed frozen squash on a baking sheet. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt.
• Roast for about 15 to 20 minutes. You want the squash to still be a little firm, because it will continue cooking in the rice and beans. You want to prevent it from getting mushy.
• Once roasted, set aside.
• TO MAKE THE BEANS
• In a heavy pot or Dutch oven on medium heat, pour in olive oil.
• Add ham. Sautée for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add sofrito and salt. Stir to coat ham. Cook for 1 minute.
• Pour in tomato sauce. Stir.
• Pour in chicken broth, stir, and bring to a simmer.
• Add the reserved roasted squash and beans. Bring back to a simmer.
• Cover pot and simmer for 5 minutes or until the liquid has thickened a little.
• Taste for salt.
• Putting It All Together: Puerto Rican Arroz con Habichuelas
• It’s ready to serve. Gently spoon the rice into a small bowl or ramekin. Turn it over and serve it on the plate in a rounded mound. Use a large kitchen spoon to serve a large scoop of simmered beans over the rice. Serve hot alone or as a side.