Puerto Rican FoodCreamy coconut rice with shrimp, roasted pumpkin, and crispy Puerto Rican sausage
An original Puerto Rican main dish featuring creamy coconut rice cooked with sofrito, seasoned shrimp, roasted pumpkin, and browned sausage for a delicious contrast of richness, sweetness, and smoky island flavor.
Ingredients
- 450 g large shrimp, peeled and deveined (secados with papel)
- 6 g Puerto Rican adobo seasoning (divided)
- 30 ml olive oil (divided)
- 400 g pumpkin or kabocha squash, cut into 2 cm cubes (without peel)
- 4 g salt (or to taste, divided)
- 1 g black pepper (or to taste)
- 170 g Puerto Rican sausage (without tripa and desmenuzada)
- 120 g white onion, finely chopped
- 60 g sweet peppers, chopped
- 12 g garlic, minced
- 60 g Puerto Rican sofrito
- 30 g tomato paste
- 240 g medium-grain rice (enjuagado and escurrido)
- 400 ml coconut milk (well mezclada)
- 480 ml chicken or seafood broth (hot)
- 10 g culantro leaves, chopped (more extra for terminar)
- 2 g lime zest
- 15 ml lime juice
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
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 425 °F / 220 °C. Toss the pumpkin with 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil, 2 g (about 1/4 tsp) salt, 1 g (1/4 tsp) black pepper, and 2 g (about 1/3 tsp) Puerto Rican adobo seasoning. Spread on a tray and roast for 22 to 25 minutes, turning halfway, until tender and browned at the edges.
- 2
While the pumpkin roasts, season the shrimp with 4 g (about 2/3 tsp) adobo seasoning, the lime juice, and lime zest. Let stand for 10 minutes.
- 3
Heat a wide skillet or caldero over medium heat. Add the crumbled sausage and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until it renders its fat and turns crisp. Remove the sausage with a spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pan.
- 4
In the same skillet or caldero, add the remaining olive oil if needed. Sauté the onion and sweet peppers for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the sofrito and tomato paste, and cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly.
- 5
Add the drained rice to the sofrito and stir for 1 minute to lightly toast and coat it. Pour in the coconut milk and hot broth. Add 2 g (about 1/3 tsp) salt and half of the chopped culantro. Bring to a gentle boil.
- 6
Once boiling, reduce to medium-low heat, cover, and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring once or twice to keep a creamy texture, until the rice is tender and luscious. If it dries out too much before it is done, add a small splash of extra hot broth.
- 7
While the rice finishes, heat another skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until pink and just firm. Do not overcook.
- 8
Fold the roasted pumpkin, half of the crispy sausage, and the cooked shrimp into the rice. Mix gently so the pumpkin keeps some shape. Cook 1 minute more to blend the flavors.
- 9
Turn off the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 3 minutes. Finish with the remaining culantro and the rest of the crispy sausage on top. Adjust salt if needed and serve hot.
Chef tips
For a creamier texture, use medium-grain rice and stir only a couple of times; too much stirring can make it pasty. Brown the sausage well so it adds deep flavor to the rice.
Substitutions
You can replace the sausage with browned cooked ham for a milder flavor. If culantro is unavailable, use cilantro, though the flavor will be less traditional. Kabocha or butternut squash work well in place of Caribbean pumpkin.
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 imageNinja Professional BL610 Blender
Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Easy-to-wash jar
- Check the power and jar size
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
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ratings & reviews
Sign in to rate this recipe
Sign inRelated recipes
Creamy Puerto Rican rabbit rice with roasted squash, sweet peppers, and crispy cassava flatbread
90 min
Puerto Rican Sweet Plantain Lasagna with Sofrito Chicken, Spinach, and Queso del País
75 min
Braised chicken caldero with green bananas, olives, and toasted recao rice
75 min
Yuca Dumplings Stuffed with Crab in a Mild Coconut and Culantro Sauce
75 min
Puerto Rican Sweet Potato and Beef Pastelón with Queso del País, Sweet Pepper Sofrito and Crispy Cassava Bread Crumble
85 min
Crab-Stuffed Bacalaito Fritters with Roasted Garlic Aioli and Warm Corn Salad
65 min