Habichuelas Guisadas Boricuas (Puerto Rican Stewed Pink Beans)
Pink beans simmered in sofrito with ham, tomato sauce, olives and soft cubes of squash until thick and saucy. Spooned over white rice for the everyday Puerto Rican lunch.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Fry the ham and sofrito
Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart (4 L) pot over medium heat. Fry the diced ham for 2 minutes, then add the and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 80 g ham
- 4 tbsp
✅ Done when: ham is lightly browned and the sofrito smells fragrant
Add the tomato and olives
Stir in the tomato sauce, olives and cumin and cook for 2 minutes, stirring now and then.
- 4 tbsp tomato sauce
- 8 olives
- ½ tsp cumin
✅ Done when: the sauce turns a deeper red and smells toasted
Add the beans and squash
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Simmer until thick
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Serve
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Fry the ham and sofrito
Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart (4 L) pot over medium heat. Fry the diced ham for 2 minutes, then add the and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 80 g ham
- 4 tbsp
✅ Done when: ham is lightly browned and the sofrito smells fragrant
Add the tomato and olives
Stir in the tomato sauce, olives and cumin and cook for 2 minutes, stirring now and then.
- 4 tbsp tomato sauce
- 8 olives
- ½ tsp cumin
✅ Done when: the sauce turns a deeper red and smells toasted
Add the beans and squash
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Simmer until thick
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Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Rice and stewed beans are the backbone of Puerto Rican home cooking, served at lunch almost every day. Puerto Ricans favour pink beans (habichuelas rosadas), cooked in the island's essential sofrito with a little ham and squash.
Every family has its own version, and many people say no restaurant beans ever taste as good as their mother's.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Thick, savoury and comforting, they're the heart of the everyday Puerto Rican plate.
💡 Fun Fact
Puerto Rican sofrito traditionally uses recao (culantro), a long-leafed herb with a stronger flavour than coriander.
Puerto Rico
18.47°N, -66.11°W
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