National Bean Day was on January 6th, and our team at Caribbean Breeze couldn’t let too much time go by without mentioning one of our favorite bean dishes: habichuelas quisadas. If this is a dish you’ve never heard of, you need to pay us a visit for some Puerto Rican food. Habichelas quisadas are stewed beans, and they’re the perfect side to pair with rice. They’re also incredibly easy to make. If your winter meals have been lacking flavor, habichuelas quisadas are the perfect dish to add to your repertoire.
Add some Puerto Rican food to your winter menu! Here’s an easy recipe so you can learn to make habichuelas quisadas at home.
Puerto Rican Habichuelas Quisadas
Ingredients
You may have to source some ingredients that you haven’t used before. You should be able to find them in the international section of the grocery store or at a nearby market that specializes in Latin American cuisine.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup diced country ham or bacon (you can omit this if you want to make a vegetarian version
- ¼ cup sofrito (you can make this from scratch or find it premade)
- ¼ cup tomato sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon sazón (a traditional Latin American spice blend)
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 30 ounces (2 cans) undrained pink beans (habicuelas rosadas)
- ⅓ cup dice potato, pumpkin, or carrots (or a combination)
- Adobo seasoning or salt, to taste
- Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the ham and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sofrito and sazón and cook for another 2 minutes. Next, put the tomato sauce, oregano, and cumin in the pot and let it cook for another minute. Finally, add the broth, beans (with their liquid), and the potato (or pumpkin or carrot). Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and let it cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. The flavors will meld, and the beans will become tender. It should be a creamy rather than a soupy consistency. Taste test the mixture and add salt or adobo as desired. Serve over rice, garnish with cilantro, and enjoy!
