Puerto Rican FoodPuerto Rican Soupy Rice with Longaniza, Pumpkin, and White Beans with Crispy Green Plantain
An original soupy rice inspired by Puerto Rican flavors, made with browned longaniza, sofrito, pumpkin, and white beans, finished with crispy green plantain for texture and contrast.
Ingredients
- 340 g Puerto Rican longaniza sausage (without tripa if possible, en medias lunas)
- 30 ml olive oil (divided)
- 1 grande approx. 220 g green plantain (pelado and in strips finas)
- 150 g yellow onion (chopped en cubitos)
- 90 g cubanelle pepper (chopped)
- 60 g sweet mini peppers (chopped)
- 12 g garlic (majado or chopped)
- 120 ml sofrito (casero or preparado)
- 30 g tomato paste
- 200 g medium-grain rice (enjuagado and escurrido)
- 300 g Caribbean pumpkin (diced small)
- 260 g cooked white beans (escurridas and enjuagadas si son enlatadas)
- 45 g green olives stuffed with pimiento (sliced)
- 1 g dried oregano
- 1 g ground cumin
- 1 unit bay leaf
- 1200 ml chicken broth (low sodium preferiblemente)
- 4 g salt (or to taste)
- 1 g black pepper (or to taste)
- 10 g culantro leaves (chopped)
- 15 ml lime juice (freshly squeezed)
Nutrition facts
per serving
Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.
Allergens
No declared allergens
Instructions
- 1
1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C / 425 °F. Toss the green plantain strips with 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread on a tray and bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 220 °C / 425 °F, turning halfway through, until golden and crisp. Set aside.
- 2
2. While the plantain bakes, heat a wide pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the remaining 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil and cook the longaniza for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until browned and some fat has rendered.
- 3
3. Add the onion, cubanelle pepper, and sweet mini peppers to the pot with the longaniza. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the vegetables soften. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- 4
4. Add the sofrito and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring well, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and the sofrito smells fragrant.
- 5
5. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute to coat it with the sofrito flavors and the longaniza drippings.
- 6
6. Add the pumpkin, white beans, olives, dried oregano, ground cumin, and bay leaf. Stir well to distribute everything evenly.
- 7
7. Pour in the chicken broth, add the salt and black pepper, and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce to medium-low and cook uncovered for 18 to 22 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and the broth is thickened but still soupy.
- 8
8. Remove the bay leaf. Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh culantro and lime juice. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
- 9
9. Serve the soupy rice hot and top each portion with the crispy green plantain so it keeps its texture.
Chef tips
If you want an even soupier texture, add 120 to 240 ml (1/2 to 1 cup) more hot broth at the end. For a deeper finish, let the rice rest for 5 minutes before serving so the broth blends better with the pumpkin.
Substitutions
You can substitute the longaniza with fresh criollo-style sausage. Culantro can be replaced with cilantro, though the flavor will be less traditional. If Caribbean pumpkin is unavailable, use kabocha or butternut squash.
What I used to make it
Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.
Illustrative imageCosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
Illustrative imageTempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
Illustrative imageVictorinox Fibrox Pro 8" Chef’s Knife
Chopping, slicing and cutting strips
- The knife I use most when cooking
- Chops, slices and cuts into strips
- Keep it sharp and hand-dry it
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