There’s something sacred about food that tells a story—especially when that story begins in your Puerto Rican grandma’s kitchen making arroz con gandules. The sound of a wooden spoon tapping a caldero, the smell of sofrito dancing through the house… these moments aren’t just memories. They’re healing moments.

Food has been one of my greatest tools in my healing journey—physically and emotionally. I’m not just talking about buzzwords (like anti-inflammatory and antioxidants), either. I’m talking about the foods that raised us, the ones that feel like home. And in my kitchen, that often means arroz con gandules.

Healing doesn’t mean giving up flavor, tradition, or soul. It just means we cook with intention. We choose ingredients that love us back. We slow down, we breathe, we stir with purpose. So today, I want to share with you how I take this beloved Puerto Rican dish and turn it into something that nourishes both body and spirit.

🌿 Why Latin Food Can Heal You

We don’t always think of Latin food when we think of healing foods. But we should. Our ingredients are rich, bold, and—when we prepare them with care—deeply nourishing. Take gandules, for example. These little pigeon peas are packed with fiber, protein, and folate supporting gut health and regulating blood sugar. The sofrito—that magical blend of garlic, onion, peppers, and herbs—is full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Even a simple switch like using brown rice instead of white adds fiber and helps regulate blood sugar—while still giving you that comforting, fluffy bite. Additionally, when we cook with carefully crafted Domestic Gourmet annatto oil (aceite de achiote)… well, now we’re cooking food that heals.

This version of arroz con gandules is plant-based, anti-inflammatory, and packed with Latin flavor. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to support their wellness without giving up the dishes they love. And let me be real with you—it’s still so damn delicioso.

Reconnecting with your culture through cooking may be one of the most powerful forms of nourishment. If your healing journey still calls for some pork or chicken, you can absolutely add clean, well-sourced proteins. The key is intentional cooking: every ingredient is added with thought, care, and purpose.

Cooking gives us the chance to slow down. To be present. To reconnect with our roots, our families, and ourselves.

iBuen provecho!

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Healthy Arroz con Gandules - Domestic Gourmet

Foods That Heal: Arroz con Gandules

A nourishing, anti-inflammatory twist on arroz con gandules.

Servings people

Tiempo de preparación 15

Tiempo de cocción 45

Resting Time 10

Tiempo total 1 10

Equipment

Ingredientes

2 cups brown rice
3½ cups vegetable stock can be substituted with water
1 15oz can of gandules (pigeon peas)
3 tbsp Domestic Gourmet annatto oil (aceite de achiote)
½ cup tomato sauce
½ chopped small onion
½ chopped green bell pepper
¼ chopped red bell pepper
4-5 minced cloves of garlic
¼ bunch minced cilantro
2 leaves minced culantro
1 tsp salt to taste, based on the salinity of the vegetable stock
½ tsp sazón
1 bay leaf

Optional add-ins:

washed banana leaf To cover the rice (you may be able to find this in your freezer section)
Spanish olives
4-5 minced ají cachucha add to the sofrito if you can find it in your area
ham
mushrooms for a protein subsitute
jackfruit for a protein substitute

Elaboración paso a paso

Add the rice to a colander and rinse until the water runs clear. Set aside.
Prepare the sofrito* by dicing the onions, peppers, garlic, and herbs with a chef's knife or blending them together in a food processor until smooth.
*Sofrito recipe and tutorial can be found in the recipe index.*
Add the annatto oil to the caldero and sauté the sofrito (onions, peppers, garlic, herbs) and bay leaf over medium-high heat.
Pour the liquid from the can of gandules into a 4-cup measuring cup (you'll have ½-¾ cups of liquid), then add the vegetable stock to this until you have 3½ cups of liquid in the measuring cup.
Once the sofrito is fragrant, add the washed brown rice, vegetable stock, tomato sauce, salt*, and sazón and bring to a boil.
*Taste the liquid to determine whether you need to add additional salt.
Once the rice mixture is boiling, lower the heat until just simmering and cover*. Set a timer for 45 minutes.
*If you have a banana leaf, lay it over the caldero and cover it with the lid to infuse the rice. This will impart authentic Indigenous flavor.
When the timer goes off, remove the caldero from the heat, and remove the banana leaf. Gently fluff the rice using a fork and replace the lid. Set aside for 10 minutes to rest.
Serve immediately after resting time.

Pro Tip:

For an additional boost of healing, add ½ tsp of ground turmeric. Turmeric aids joints, is anti-inflammatory, helps rid the body of free radicals and toxins, and will not noticeably alter the dish's flavor.
Can be enjoyed as a side or as a main. As a side dish, this recipe feeds 6-8 people. As a main dish, this recipe feeds 4-5 people.

Notas

Notes on including your child(ren): Let your little chef(s) run their hands through the cool grains while rinsing the rice. The texture, the sound of water, and the repetition—build sensory awareness and even help with fine motor development.

Open and Rinse the Gandules: The can opener (with supervision!) is a great way to introduce safe kitchen tools. Rinsing beans in a colander is splashy fun that strengthens their grip and hand-eye coordination.

Pick the Cilantro: Have them smell the herbs, feel the leaves, and pluck them into a bowl. This builds both patience and a connection to ingredients from the earth.

Stir the Sofrito: Once it’s in the pot and safely cooking, guide your little chef’s hand with yours and let them feel the rhythm of stirring. When we do skin-to-skin, our bodies release oxytocin—the “love hormone.” That hormone reduces stress and strengthens the bond between parent and child. Stirring sofrito together while holding them close creates a sense of safety, warmth, and belonging. At that moment, the kitchen becomes a sanctuary, and this arroz con gandules becomes a healing dish that will carry nostalgia every time they eat it.

Skills They’ll Pick Up Without Even Knowing

Math & Measurement: From scooping rice to pouring broth, they learn ratios and counting.
Following a Sequence: Cooking teaches order—first, we sauté, then we add the rice, then the gandules. That’s the foundation of recipe-following and reading comprehension.
Cultural Pride: Most importantly, they learn where they come from. They see that our food is sacred, and their hands belong in this story.

You don’t have to wait until they’re “old enough” to help in the kitchen. Every little task—no matter how small—builds something bigger: connection, confidence, curiosity.

So give them an apron. Let them stir the love into the rice. And don’t forget to cheer them on at the table: “This arroz con gandules? Mi ____ helped make it.”

Calories: 235kcal

Plato: Main Course, Side Dish

Cocina: Caribbean, Caribeño, Latin America, Puerto Rican

Keyword: anti-inflammatory, arroz con gandules, healthy, rice and pigeon peas

Nutrition

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below, tag @domesticgourmetfoods on Instagram, and hashtag #cookwithdomesticgourmet.

About the Author: Ciji Castro

Ciji Castro is the CEO and Executive Chef behind Domestic Gourmet, a premium food and lifestyle brand rooted in honoring ancestral cooking and Latin traditions. With a deep love for bold, heritage-inspired flavors and clean ingredients, Ciji leads the vision and culinary direction of Domestic Gourmet’s product line.

Her flagship product, 🌿 Domestic Gourmet Organic Annatto Oil (Aceite de Achiote), brings vibrant color and flavor to every dish—celebrating the flavors of her Cuban and Puerto Rican roots while meeting the standards of today’s health-conscious kitchens.

Through Domestic Gourmet, Ciji is on a mission to share the richness of cultural cooking with a modern and convenient twist—one thoughtfully crafted product at a time.

Follow along at @domesticgourmet for recipes, cooking tips, and more.

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How to Make Healing Arroz con Gandules: A Latin Comfort Food with Benefits