Vegetarian Arroz con Gandules

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-02 · Updated 2026-04-02

A vibrant rice dish packed with pigeon peas, aromatic sofrito, and citrus notes, perfect as a main or side. This Puerto Rican-inspired vegetarian recipe, ready in about 40 minutes, pairs long-grain white rice, canned pigeon peas, yellow onion for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 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 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 cup, drained canned pigeon peas
• 1 medium, diced yellow onion
• 1, diced green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves, minced garlic
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 tsp adobo seasoning
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup, chopped fresh cilantro

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear, then drain completely.
2. Step 2: Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and bell pepper, cooking for 5 minutes until softened and translucent.
3. Step 3: Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant, then stir in tomato sauce and 1 tsp adobo seasoning. Cook 2 minutes until sauce thickens.
4. Step 4: Add drained pigeon peas, rinsed rice, and 2 cups vegetable stock to pot. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low for 20 minutes until rice is tender and liquid absorbed.
5. Step 5: Remove from heat, fluff rice with a fork, and stir in 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Season with salt to taste before serving.