Puerto Rican Sofrito-Infused Rice with Black Beans

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-13 · Updated 2026-04-13

A vibrant, aromatic rice and bean dish featuring the essential Puerto Rican sofrito base, perfect for a weeknight dinner. This puerto rican-inspired one pot ready in about 100 minutes pairs long-grain white rice, dried black beans, medium, finely diced onion for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 calories and feeds 6, 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 black beans
• 1 medium, finely diced onion
• 1/2 cup, finely diced green bell pepper
• 3 cloves, minced garlic
• 1 medium, diced tomato
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 leaves epazote leaves
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Step 1: Rinse dried black beans under cold water until water runs clear, then soak overnight in a large bowl with 4 cups water.
2. Step 2: In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, green bell pepper, and garlic, sautéing for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
3. Step 3: Stir in tomato and cook for 2 minutes until it breaks down into a sauce.
4. Step 4: Drain soaked beans and add to pot with chicken broth, epazote leaves, cumin, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes until beans are tender.
5. Step 5: While beans cook, rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear. In a separate pot, bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil, add rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 18 minutes until water is absorbed.
6. Step 6: Once beans are tender, remove bay leaf and epazote leaves. Fluff cooked rice with a fork and gently fold in 1/4 cup of the bean liquid. Serve rice and beans together in bowls.