Arroz con Gandules al Puerto Rican Style

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-03-29 · Updated 2026-03-29

A hearty Puerto Rican dish featuring fluffy rice infused with savory pigeon peas, olives, and capers for a briny depth of flavor. This puerto rican-inspired vegetarian ready in about 50 minutes pairs long-grain white rice, dried pigeon peas (gandules), green olives for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 280 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 1 cup dried pigeon peas (gandules)
• 1/4 cup, sliced green olives
• 2 tbsp, rinsed capers
• 1/2 cup, finely chopped onion
• 3 cloves, minced garlic
• 1 cup, diced tomato
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1: Rinse 1 cup dried pigeon peas in cold water, then soak in 4 cups water for 1 hour. Drain and set aside.
2. Step 2: In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Stir in 3 minced garlic cloves and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Step 3: Add 1 cup soaked pigeon peas, 1 cup diced tomato, 1/4 cup sliced green olives, and 2 tbsp rinsed capers. Stir to combine, then add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Cook 5 minutes until tomatoes soften.
4. Step 4: Add 1 1/2 cups rice and stir to coat with the mixture. Pour in 4 cups water (from soaking peas), bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 20 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork before serving.