Rice And Beans Recipe

Rinse and soak

Rinse the dried beans under cold water; remove any stones or damaged beans. Place beans in a large bowl and cover with about 6 cups cold water. Soak for 6–8 hours or overnight (or use quick-soak: bring to a boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover and sit 1 hour). Drain and rinse before cooking.

Cook beans

Place soaked, drained beans in a large pot with 6 cups fresh water and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Skim any foam that rises. Simmer gently, partially covered, until beans are tender but not falling apart, about 60–90 minutes depending on bean age. Add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper during the last 15–20 minutes of cooking so beans finish tender. If needed, add more water to keep beans just covered. Remove bay leaves before using.

Season beans

Once beans are tender, taste and adjust seasoning (salt and pepper). If you want a slightly saucier beans, reserve 1/2–1 cup of the cooking liquid and mash a few beans against the pot side to thicken. Keep warm while preparing rice and sofrito.

Prepare vegetables: finely chop onion, bell peppers, and mince garlic. Warm a medium skillet or saucepan over medium heat and add 2 tbs olive oil.

Sauté aromatics: Add the chopped onion and peppers to the hot oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5–7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds more until fragrant—do not brown.

Build flavor: Stir in 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, and 1 tbs tomato paste. Cook 1–2 minutes, stirring, to cook out the tomato paste. Add the bay leaf. If the mixture looks dry, add 2–3 tbsp of the reserved bean cooking liquid (or water) to deglaze and form a saucy base.

Combine with beans: Scoop about 1 cup of the cooked beans (with some cooking liquid) and stir into the sofrito. Simmer together 3–5 minutes so flavors meld. Taste and adjust salt/pepper. If you prefer all beans mixed into the sauce, stir all cooked beans in and simmer gently 5–10 minutes. Keep warm.

Rinse rice: Place rice in a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until water runs clear to remove excess starch. Drain well.

Cook rice: In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tbs olive oil or butter over medium heat. Add the drained rice and gently toast, stirring, 1–2 minutes. Add 4 cups water or broth and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, stir once, reduce to low heat, cover tightly and simmer undisturbed for 15–18 minutes for long-grain white rice.

Rest and fluff: Turn off heat and let rice rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove lid, fluff with a fork and keep covered until ready to serve.

Assemble: Spoon rice into shallow bowls or a large serving platter. Top with a generous portion of the beans and sofrito mixture. If beans were cooked separately, ladle some of the reserved cooking liquid or bean sauce over rice so it isn’t dry.

Garnish: Finely chop cilantro and slice scallions. Sprinkle cilantro and scallions over the rice and beans. Cut lime into wedges and serve on the side for squeezing. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil if desired.

Serve: Offer additional hot sauce or chopped fresh chiles at the table. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of water to loosen the sauce.