Recipe

Canned red beans Cuban style with pumpkin

Name: Canned red beans Cuban style with pumpkin
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 2 cans of red beans of 15 oz (425 g net weight each), about 500 g drained (about 3 cups); 400 g of clean, peeled and seedless pumpkin (about 14 oz, around 3 cups in 2 cm cubes); 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of vegetable or olive oil; 1 medium onion (about 150 g), finely chopped; ½ green pepper (about 75 g), finely chopped; 3 cloves of garlic, crushed or chopped; 120 g of tomato purée (½ cup); ½ teaspoon of ground cumin; ½ teaspoon of dried oregano; 1 bay leaf; 360 ml of unsalted vegetable broth (1½ cups); Up to 120 ml of water or vegetable broth (½ cup) to adjust texture; Salt to taste (start with ¼ teaspoon); Ground black pepper to taste

Stew of canned red beans with pumpkin and criollo sofrito, meat-free and ready in under an hour to serve with white rice.

CiberCubaNovember 6, 2026

Image generated with AI.CiberCuba

Preparation15 min
Cooking35 min
Total time55 min
Servings4 servings (about 1.2 liters of stew)
DifficultyEasy

Red beans with pumpkin are one of those stews that in Cuba were put on the fire any day of the week. The pumpkin breaks down a little, thickens the broth and gives it that orange color and that mild sweetness that is so liked.

This version is designed for when there is no time to soak or soften the grain: it starts with canned cooked red beans, so the method changes. First the sofrito is made, then the pumpkin is cooked in a little broth and the beans are added at the end, just to heat up and take on flavor without breaking apart. If you have time and prefer dry beans, we also have our classic red beans recipe. To accompany, nothing like a white rice criollo style.

Method

Empty the beans into a colander and rinse them with cold water until the water runs clear and without foam. Let them drain. If you can, weigh them: you need about 500 g (about 3 cups).
Image generated with AI.CiberCuba
Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds and cut it into cubes of about 2 cm (¾ in). Finely chop the onion and pepper, and crush or chop the garlic.
Heat the oil in a 3-liter (3 qt) heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and pepper for about 5 or 6 minutes, stirring, until they are soft and the onion is translucent, without burning. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, until it releases its aroma.
Image generated with AI.CiberCuba
Add the tomato purée, cumin, oregano, bay leaf and a little pepper. Cook 2 or 3 minutes, stirring, until the tomato darkens a little and the oil begins to appear on the edges.
Incorporate the pumpkin, stir so it gets coated with the sofrito and pour in the 360 ml of broth: it should be almost covered. When it comes to a boil, lower to medium-low heat, cover and cook 12 to 15 minutes, until the pumpkin is almost tender: the tip of the knife enters with slight resistance.
Image generated with AI.CiberCuba
Add the drained beans and the initial pinch of salt (¼ teaspoon). Mix carefully, lifting from the bottom with the wooden spoon so as not to crush them. Cook uncovered over low heat 8 to 10 minutes, with a gentle bubbling and without strong boiling, so they heat up and take on the flavor.
Image generated with AI.CiberCuba
To thicken, remove about 4 tablespoons of beans and 2 or 3 cubes of pumpkin, mash them with a fork and return them to the pot, or crush them against the side with the spoon. Cook for 2 or 3 more minutes. Look for a thickened broth that coats the spoon, with whole beans intact. If it is too thick, add water in 60 ml increments (¼ cup) up to a maximum of 120 ml. If it remains thin, leave it uncovered for 3 to 5 more minutes.
Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf, turn off the heat and let rest covered 5 minutes: while resting it thickens a little more. Serve hot with white rice.
Image generated with AI.CiberCuba

Tips and variations

Which can to buy. Look for a simple preserve: beans, water and salt, at most. Avoid cans labeled «seasoned», with sofrito already prepared or in chili-style sauce, because they bring sugar, spices and salt that clash with Cuban seasoning.

Net weight is not drained weight. A 15 oz (425 g) US can is net weight and includes the liquid. Drained it usually yields between 240 and 260 g of beans, around 1½ cups. Check the label or weigh them: you need about 500 g drained (about 3 cups). If you fall short, use a little less broth.

Small red beans or red kidney beans. They are not the same. Small red beans are small, with thin skin and resemble more the red bean eaten in Cuba: they soften immediately and give a creamier broth. That is why we recommend them. Red kidney beans are larger and have thicker skin. They hold their shape better and remain meatier, but the broth thickens less. With them, cook 3 or 5 minutes more with the grains inside and mash an extra one or two tablespoons to bind.

Watch out for salt. Canned goods already contain salt, although rinsing them removes some of it. If you find «no salt added» or «low sodium» cans, better, because that way you control it yourself. Add only a pinch when adding the beans and adjust at the end, once the broth is reduced.

Variations. If you like the criollo touch, add a teaspoon of vinegar or a splash of dry wine at the end. For more body, mash more pumpkin instead of beans.

Storage. Refrigerate in a covered container before 2 hours pass, at 4 °C (40 °F) or less, and eat within 3 or 4 days. The next day it will be thicker: add a splash of water when reheating and heat until it simmers gently. It can be frozen for up to 3 months, although the pumpkin becomes softer.