Moro de Habas [Video+Recipe] Rice with Butter Beans

Tired of serving your family the same rice dishes? Challenge yourself with this flavorful variation: Moro de habas (rice and butter beans).

📝 Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 bell pepper (diced)
• 1 stalk leek (sliced)
• 1/4 cup pitted green olives
• 4 tablespoons capers ((optional))
• 3 clove garlic (crushed)
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano ( (dry, ground))
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper ( (freshly-cracked, or ground))
• 1 1/2 tablespoon salt ((or more, to taste))
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves ((or 2 sprigs of fresh thyme))
• 1 cup dry butter beans
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 cups rice
• 2 teaspoons parsley (finely diced (or cilantro, or both))

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- 1. Soak the beans ---
2. 2Rinse the dry beans and place them in a deep bowl. Add enough water to cover it, and let it rest in the fridge overnight.Once they have been soaked, discard the water the beans were soaked in.
3. 3--- 2. Boil the beans ---
4. 4Place the beans in a pot or pressure cooker, and add enough water to cover it (about 5 cups).Boil until they are tender (test by pressing one, it should be like mashed potatoes inside, but the skin is mostly intact). It takes 35 to 45 minutes in a regular pot, 15 to 20 minutes in a pressure cooker.Separate the liquid and the beans and set both aside.
5. 5--- 3. Sautée vegetables ---
6. 6Prepping peppers: In a Dutch oven or pot heat half of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the leek, bell pepper, green olives, capers, garlic, oregano, and one tablespoon of salt. Sautee until the ingredients are heated through.Add the bay leaf, and thyme, and mix well. Stir in the beans, followed by the tomato sauce. Simmer until they start to boil.
7. 7--- 4. Heat water ---
8. 8Cooking rice: Pour in 2 cups of the liquid the beans boiled in and stir. Season with salt to taste, if you find it necessary.Heat until the water breaks the boil.
9. 9--- 5. Cooking rice ---
10. 10Cooking peppers: Add the rice. Stir to mix. Stir regularly to avoid excessive sticking. When the liquid has evaporated, cover with a tight-fitting lid and switch to low heat. Simmer for 15 minutes.Uncover and stir, moving the rice from the bottom to the top. Cover and simmer for ten more minutes. Uncover and check for doneness: the rice should be cooked through. If necessary, cover and simmer five more minutes.
11. 11--- 6. Serving ---
12. 12Serving: Uncover the rice and drizzle with the remaining oil. Add the parsley and stir to mix them in, and fluff the rice. ServeSee serving suggestions above the recipe.