Rich in fiber, bursting with flavorful vegetables, and with added protein of your choice, this Brown Rice Asopao is your new comfort dish.
Why we ❤️ it
Not long ago I got two emails from readers asking if I could give them ideas on how to cook brown rice, specifically, how they could adapt Dominican rice recipes to make them with brown rice.
Luckily, we do have a few lovely brown rice recipes already, but not a brown rice asopao.
As you may know, our traditional asopao dish is made with medium-grain rice (Carolina), which has more starch than, for example, basmati, and less than arborio. As a result, asopao (a rice, vegetables and meat or seafood pottage) is thick, but not as much as risotto.
Making a brown rice risotto will require some adaptations.
About our recipe
This recipe will yield a risotto-like consistency, instead of the more watery asopao, there isn't enough starch in brown rice to thicken the broth in it. However some people do like this consistency in asopao, so it won't be too far from what they're used to. You can add more water if you prefer it more soupy.
Recipe
Brown Rice Asopao Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cup brown rice
- 7 cup water
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, , sliced
- 1 large red onion, , cubed
- 1 medium carrot, , cubed
- 1 medium zucchini, , cubed
- 1 cup boiled black beans, still firm (see notes)
- 3 cup tomato, , cubed
- 1 red bell pepper, , diced
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt, (or more, to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground)
Instructions
- Soak rice: Place the rice in a bowl and add water to it. Let it rest for 2 hours.
- Cook vegetables: In a thick-bottom pot heat the oil over very low heat. Add garlic and onion and cook and stir for a minute.Add carrots, zucchini, beans, tomato, bell pepper, and cook and stir for a minute.
- Season: Add 1 ½ teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of pepper.
- Cook rice: Drain the water from the rice. Set the rice aside and add the water to the pot with the vegetables.When the pot breaks the boil, add the rice. Cook over medium heat for 7 minutes. Lower the heat to the lowest setting.
- Simmer: If you want to add shrimp or chicken, do now.Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer until the rice has opened and it has your preferred consistency. Taste and add salt to taste if you find it necessary.
- Serve: This dish goes great with a few slices of avocado.
Tips and Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutritional information.
