Entrées · comfort food
Cozy Sunday Beans and Rice
Saucy beans simmered with grated butternut squash and cilantro, spooned over warm brown rice and topped off with a crisp salad. Recipe is inspired by habichuelas guisadas, one of the most loved dishes in the Dominican Republic.
Ingredients
Rice and beans
- ¼ cup diced onions
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup chopped green bell peppers
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 (15-ounce) cans beans of your choice (pinto, black, red), rinsed and drained
- ½ cup grated butternut squash
- 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon 50/50 salt or light salt
- 4 cups cooked brown rice, for serving
Salad
- 2 cups sliced lettuce
- 2 cups sliced cabbage
- ¾ cup sliced cucumber
- ¾ cup sliced beets
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 1 large avocado, pitted and sliced
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons water
- ¼ teaspoon 50/50 salt or light salt, adjust to taste
Method
- 1
In a large saucepan, sauté the onions, garlic, bell peppers, and cilantro in the vegetable broth over medium-high heat until the onions brown.
- 2
Add the water, beans, and squash. Bring to a low simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- 3
While the beans cook, make the salad: toss all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside.
- 4
Stir the tomato paste and salt into the beans. Taste, add more salt if needed, and cook 2–3 minutes more. Remove from heat.
- 5
Spoon the beans over the rice, top with salad, and drizzle with lemon juice and/or rice vinegar.
Make ahead & leftovers
Brown rice keeps 4–5 days in the fridge and reheats with a splash of water. A batch on Sunday makes this a 20-minute dinner.
The bean mixture keeps 4 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen. Loosen with a little water when reheating — it thickens as it sits.
Store the sliced vegetables undressed and add the vinegar, avocado, and lemon just before serving so the crunch holds up.
Times are estimates.
