Dairy-Free Arroz con Gandules

Transform your weeknight dinners with this flavorful Dairy-Free Arroz con Gandules, a mouthwatering twist on the classic Puerto Rican dish that’s perfect for those avoiding dairy. This vibrant recipe combines fluffy long-grain white rice with hearty gandules (pigeon peas), an aromatic sofrito base, and a medley of spices like sazon, cumin, and oregano. Simmered to perfection in vegetable broth, this one-pot wonder delivers bold, savory flavors in every bite. With just 15 minutes of prep time and 30 minutes of cooking, it’s an easy yet impressive dish to feed a crowd. Garnish with fresh cilantro for a burst of color and brightness, and serve it as a stand-alone meal or as a perfect complement to your favorite plant-based entrees.

Nutriscore Rating: 75/100

Prep Time:15 mins

Cook Time:30 mins

Total Time:45 mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 cups long-grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 unit small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 unit bell pepper, diced
• 3 unit cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 0.25 cup sofrito (or store-bought sofrito sauce)
• 1 15 oz can gandules (pigeon peas), drained and rinsed
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 packet sazon seasoning
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 unit bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• 0.25 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

Directions

Step 1

Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Drain and set aside.

Step 2

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

Step 3

Add the chopped onion and diced bell pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent.

Step 4

Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

Step 5

Stir in the tomato sauce and sofrito, cooking for an additional 3 minutes to combine the flavors.

Step 6

Add the drained gandules (pigeon peas), vegetable broth, sazon seasoning, ground cumin, dried oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir well.

Step 7

Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the rinsed rice. Stir to distribute the ingredients evenly.

Step 8

Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid.

Step 9

Let the rice simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid.

Step 10

Remove from heat and let the rice sit covered for another 5 minutes.

Step 11

Discard the bay leaf, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve garnished with chopped fresh cilantro.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(2112.4g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	1642.8

Total Fat 45.4g	0%
Saturated Fat 7.4g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4.8g
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 5429.4mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 260.2g	0%
Dietary Fiber 44.9g	0%
Total Sugars 38.0g
Protein 55.7g	0%

Vitamin D 0IU	0%
Calcium 421.3mg	0%
Iron 20.3mg	0%
Potassium 3410.1mg	0%

*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Source of Calories

Fat: 24.4%

Protein: 13.3%

Carbs: 62.2%