Arroz de Feijão, which simply means ‘bean rice’ or ‘rice with beans’ is a traditional Portuguese side dish.It’s a creamy rice, or how the Portuguese would say maladrinho, that combines some of the most traditional ingredients in the Portuguese cuisine.
Arroz de Feijão is considered a cousin of the classic Arroz de Tomate. What makes this dish so unique though, are the kidney beans that you add just a couple of minutes before the rice is fully cooked. Creating a hearty and nourishing meal that we are sure you will want to add to your Portuguese food repertoire.
About Our Portuguese Rice and Beans Recipe
For this recipe we used the homegrown rice variety ‘Arroz Carolino’, a short grain rice that’s similar to Arborio rice. If you are outside of Portugal, you can replace it with any short grain variety available to you. As for the beans, the recipe is traditionally made with kidney beans, but again you can replace it with any bean of your preference, even Cannellini beans will work here.
As a Brazilian, I always prefer buying dry beans and cooking them myself, if you do that it’s important to soak them for at least 12 hours before cooking. That will not only reduce cooking time but will also make them easier to digest. If you don’t want to go through the trouble of cooking your own beans, you can replace it with tinned beans that you should drain before using. Continue to read for full list of ingredients and instructions.
An Authentic Arroz de Feijão Recipe
Arroz de Feijão – Portuguese Rice with Beans
4
servings5
minutes45
minutes273
kcalArroz de Feijão is a risotto type of dish that combines short grain rice, kidney beans, chopped tomatoes, onions, and garlic cooked in vegetable broth. It’s delicious and easy to prepare.
Ingredients
300 g 300 short grain rice
350 g 350 kidney beans – cooked and drained
1 1 small red pepper – diced
1 1 medium onion – diced
3 tbsp 3 extra virgin olive oil
3 3 garlic cloves – minced
125 ml 125 tomato passata
1 tbsp 1 tomato concentrate
500 ml 500 vegetable stock
500 ml 500 water
1/2 tsp 1/2 sweet paprika
1/4 tsp 1/4 chili flakes
fresh thyme
1 tbsp 1 butter
fresh parsley
salt – to taste
black pepper – to taste
Directions
- Place a large pan over medium heat, once it heats up add the olive oil, pepper and onion. Cook until the onion becomes translucent, about 8 minutes.
- Push the pepper and onion to one side of the pan, add an extra drizzle of olive oil and toss in your garlic, fry for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add in the rice, cook for about 3 minutes before adding passata, tomato concentrate, veg stock and water. Season with paprika, chilli flakes, thyme, some black pepper and salt. Stir well to combine. Bring it to a boil, then reduce it to a gentle simmer.
- Cook for about 25 minutes, stirring every so often, or until the rice becomes al dente (fully cooked, but still slightly firm when you bite into it).
- Add in the kidney beans, stir well to combine. Cook for another 5 minutes. Toss in your butter, stirring gently.
- Season with some more black pepper and salt if needed. Serve it with some chopped fresh parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
- Traditionally the rice used in Arroz de Feijão is the locally grown Carolino rice. It’s a short grain rice that’s similar to Arborio rice.
This is another Portuguese Rice Dish that’s super easy to make and equally delicious! We hope you give it a try, and if you do, please let us know, we would love to hear from you!
If you are looking for other recipes to pair with this dish, perhaps you want to take a look at our Shrimp Rissoles. For something a little more sophisticated, it’s also a great pairing to this Portuguese Baked Bream.
More Portuguese Rice Dishes You Will Love!
- Octopus Rice – Arroz de Polvo
- Tomato Rice – Arroz de Tomate
- Bacalhau Rice – Arroz de Bacalhau
- Monkfish Rice – Arroz de Tamboril
- Razor Clam Rice – Arroz de Lingueirão
- Seafood Rice – Arroz de Marisco
- Duck Rice – Arroz de Pato
- Rice Pudding – Arroz Doce
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