Chorizo and Black Bean Rice

By davidv

I've always wondered how, at restaurants, they can make a simple dish of rice and beans taste so incredibly flavorful! Now, you can make it at home!

Tip: Annatto is a seed that's typically used in this dish to add beautiful color and a nice smoky flavor. However, if you can't find it you can simply omit it—it won't dramatically alter the dish.

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 vine ripe tomato, chopped
• 1 lb chorizo, casing removed and crumbled
• 2 tsp ground annatto*
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground oregano
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 2 cups long-grain white rice
• 3 cups water
• 1 can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Details

Adapted from qvc.co

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the oil in a 5-qt stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the crumbled chorizo and cook for 7 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the annatto, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and white wine and cook for 3 minutes, stirring until fully combined.

Add the rice and stir until it’s fully incorporated with the cooked vegetable mixture. Add in the water and cook, uncovered and without stirring, until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the black beans and stir until evenly incorporated. Reduce the heat to very low, cover the pot, and cook for 18-20 minutes, until rice is tender.

Remove the lid, add the chopped cilantro, and mix until evenly combined.

*You can find annatto in the Latin section of most grocery stores. If you can only find the whole seeds, you can simply grind it in a Ninja or a Vitamix.