Authentic Costa Rican Gallo Pinto (beans and rice)
I was fortunate to get my hands on a personal recipe to share, thanks to the concierge at my hotel who hails from a region she feels is known for the best Gallo Pinto!
Servings 12 1/2-cup servings (Approximately 6 cups gallo pinto total)
Calories 118kcal
Ingredients
- ½ medium Onion , chopped
- 1 Bell Pepper , chopped
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 2 Garlic Cloves , chopped
- 2 cups cooked Black Beans
- 1/2 cup Bean Stock or ½ cup Chicken Stock if bean is not available
- 3 cups cooked White Rice
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh Coriander (cilantro), chopped*
- Heavy cream (sour cream), if desired as topping
Instructions
- Fry onion and bell pepper in vegetable oil, about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sauté a bit more.
- Pour in the beans and the stock, bring to a simmer. Avoid the mixture drying up.
- Add in the rice and stir thoroughly, gently. Don’t mash the beans!
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Right before serving stir in the coriander (fresh cilantro) and top with heavy cream (sour cream) if desired.
Notes
*In the United States 'coriander' is the dried version of cilantro. In most of the rest of the world coriander is the combination of the fresh leaves and seeds of cilantro. For this recipe fresh cilantro should be used.
Nutrition
Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 15mg | Potassium: 153mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 315IU | Vitamin C: 13.2mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.7mg