Is Congri just rice and beans by another name?  Well, no—not exactly.  While a steaming helping of beans on top of or next to rice is a staple throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, and much of the South, the Cuban classic Congri differs in one major way: the beans and rice cook together rather than in separate pots.  Rice with beans, if you will. The result is a deeply flavored mixture, where the beans lend color and earthiness to the rice—all of it married within a savory sofrito base.

Now that’s not to say you can’t mix our Congri with our Cuban Black Beans.  In fact, because both use the same classic green sofrito, what you get is kind of a double sofrito rice and beans with big flavor—a dish quickly becoming the go-to side of our summer. 

Double Sofrito Rice and Beans

2 pouches of Congri

2 pouches of Cuban Black Beans.

Heat pouches separately and combine on a large platter.