Arroz con Habichuelas (Spanish Yellow Rice)

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Arroz con habichuelas, also known as Spanish Yellow Rice, is a delicious and filling side dish for any meal. It’s made with only a few ingredients, but the base is Puerto Rican Sofrito, which gives the whole dish a delicious and herbal taste. 

What kind of beans should I use in Arroz con Habichuelas? 

You can use any beans that your family enjoys. My favorite is pigeon peas, but when I made it for this post I used kidney beans. You can also use garbanzo beans or black beans! You can also omit the beans altogether if you prefer. 

Do I have to make homemade sofrito?

You can buy a green sofrito from the store, it’s usually in the Hispanic or ethnic aisles. I have used it before, but I do find that the taste of the homemade sofrito really lends to the authenticity of this recipe. 

Learn how to make Homemade Puerto Rican Sofrito here!

What makes Arroz con Habichuelas yellow?

Even though the first ingredient in Arroz con Habichuelas is sofrito, which is green, the tomato sauce in the recipe is what makes this rice yellow. 

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Do I need any special equipment to make Arroz con Habichuelas?

Nope! But if you are interested in upgrading or swapping out any of your kitchen utensils for what you have seen in our pictures and posts, check out what we use regularly below! 

Measuring Spoons

Measuring Cups

Skillet

Chefs Knife

9 x 13 Baking Dish

How to Make Arroz Con Habichuelas:

Ingredients:

1-2 tablespoon of olive oil 

4 tablespoons of Puerto Rican Sofrito 

2 teaspoons of salt 

8 ounce can of tomato sauce

2 cups of water

2 cups of rice

2 10-ounce can of beans of your choice, drained (we like pigeon peas or kidney beans)

Instructions: 

In the bottom of a pot on medium heat, add the olive oil, salt, and sofrito.  Stir and let it cook until heated through and aromatic. Then, add the tomato sauce and water. 

Allow the ingredients to come to a boil, and then add the rice.  Return the water to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes and then add the drained beans. 

Cover and let it cook on low for about 10 minutes. Stir, and then cover again, letting it continue to cook for another thirty minutes.

Remove from the heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes before gently stirring the rice and beans. Serve hot and enjoy! This is great as a side dish, but you can also add cooked ground beef or chicken to make this a full meal! Don’t forget to comment below what you think of this recipe, and rate it!

Arroz Con Habichuelas

5 from 2 votes

This recipe is a traditional Puerto Rican recipe for Spanish Yellow Rice and Beans

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Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 tablespoons Puerto Rican Sofrito
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups rice
• 2 10- ounce can of beans of your choice drained

Method

 

1. In the bottom of a pot on medium heat, add the olive oil, salt, and sofrito.
2. Stir and let it cook until heated through and aromatic. Then, add the tomato sauce and water.
3. Allow the ingredients to come to a boil, and then add the rice.
4. Return the water to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes and then add the drained beans.
5. Cover and let it cook on low for about 10 minutes. Stir, and then cover again, letting it continue to cook for another thirty minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes before gently stirring the rice and beans.
7. Serve warm and enjoy!

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