Description
If there’s one Puerto Rican dish you have to try, it’s my mom’s Habichuelas Guisadas (also known as habichuelas rojas or stewed beans). Made with sofrito, sazon and winter squash, these stewed beans are the definition of comfort served over a bed of warm rice.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 tbsp olive oil (or achiote oil)
- 3 tbsp sofrito
- 1 tsp sazon seasoning
- 1 tsp adobo seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 cup (8oz) tomato sauce
- 2 cups water or broth
- 1 1/2 cups winter squash, cubed (acorn, kabocha, etc.)
- 2 (16oz) cans red or pink beans, drained and rinsed
- 10 sprigs culantro and/or cilantro
Instructions
- Simmer the oil & sofrito. In a large soup pot heat your oil over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Toss in sofrito and sautee for a few minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients. Add spices. Mix for a minute to allow the spices to bloom. Add bay leaves, tomato sauce, water or broth, squash, beans, and herbs. Turn up the heat and bring liquid to a boil.
- Simmer until reduced. Lower the heat, cover and cook on low for at least 30 minutes, or until the squash is tender and the broth has thickened. Stir every 10-15 minutes.
- Blend (optional) & serve. For a thicker stew, remove a few spoonfuls of the contents of the pot (making sure to get some squash, broth, and all the herbs) and blend. Return to the pot, stir and serve over rice or mofongo.
Notes
To make with dried beans instead of canned: Rinse dry beans and add to a pot of salted water (using a 1:4 ratio, 1 cup of beans to 4 cups of water). Bring to a boil before lowering and simmering for an hour, or until tender. Drain water and follow recipe above as instructed.