Casamiento is an authentic El Salvadoran recipe for rice and beans. It makes a great vegetarian or vegan meal, or add a meat protein of your choice. This hearty dish is comforting, customizable, and great for meal prep!
It’s helpful to have some vegetarian meal prep recipes in your back pocket like Sushi Salad Bowl, Make Ahead Mac and Cheese, Lentil Soup, or this rice and beans recipe.
Beans and rice are a staple comfort food in many cultures and are known by different names. Its Cuban name is moros y cristianos; in the Caribbean it's called gallo pinto; in Creole the name is red beans and rice, and in El Salvador it’s called casamiento. The Spanish word casamiento translates to marriage, referring to the classic union of the rice and beans. It’s a simple dish where the sum is greater than the individual parts.
Dana's Note: This recipe is a fun twist on casamiento because serving the rice and beans in a wrap is a convenient way to eat it, and the toppings add more interest and nutrition. Nevertheless, this is an authentic El Salvadoran recipe that I learned from two El Salvadoran women. I just love how simple, inexpensive ingredients combine into a satisfying meal with a variety of flavors and textures.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's a great way to use up leftovers along with the rice and beans.
- The wrap is convenient for a grab and go meal.
- It's great for meal prepping ahead of time.
- Easy to customize with your favorite toppings.
- This hearty combination is filling and inexpensive.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the recipe card below for a complete ingredient list and measurements.
Jump to Recipe- Dried small red beans - The El Salvadoran red beans are small, and are not kidney beans. They are available in my regular supermarket in Southern California under a generic supermarket brand. Other brands I’ve seen include Goya and Rancho Gordo. Red beans are also sold on Amazon. If red beans aren’t available, black beans are an excellent substitute.
- Produce - Can use white, yellow, or brown onion. Other vegetables include carrots, celery, and garlic. A shortcut to save time is to use a thick vegetable broth instead of the sautéed vegetables and chicken broth. The puréed vegetables lend more nutrients and flavor to the rice.
- Broth - Use chicken broth or vegetable broth. Can even use water in a pinch.
- Brown jasmine rice - I buy brown jasmine or basmati rice because I like fragrant rice, but any medium or long grain rice will work. I like brown rice for extra nutrition and fiber, but white rice works as well.
- Wraps - I like unprocessed whole wheat tortillas, but use what you like.
- Topping options - This dish is versatile and works with a variety of toppings. Try corn, cheese, sautéed vegetables, green pepper, avocado slices, cilantro, lettuce, salsa, or lime juice. Add a fried egg on top for breakfast, or serve it with chicken, beef, or fish. I enjoy this dish with toppings; however, the toppings are optional. Traditional casamiento is just the rice and beans, which are really homey just by themselves.
Variations
Add a few shakes of Tabasco if you like food with a kick of heat. Another way to serve casamiento is to skip the tortilla and eat it like a rice bowl with toppings.
Step by Step Photos
See the recipe card below for complete directions.
Jump to RecipeMake the Beans
Step 1. Add water to a large pot with salt, beans, garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer. Stir occasionally.
Step 2. Meanwhile, caramelize half an onion until light brown.
Step 3. Taste beans for doneness. When there is about 1 cup of cooking liquid left in the beans, purée with the onions using a blender or immersion blender.
Step 4: Finally, re-fry the beans in a skillet with some oil. Stir frequently to prevent beans from sticking. Traditional casamiento usually includes refried beans, but if you're in a hurry, you can skip this step.
Make the Rice
Step 1. Heat oil and sauté vegetables until tender.
Step 2. Add some broth and purée the vegetables with an immersion blender or blender.
Step 3. Add puréed vegetables in a pot with rice, the rest of the broth, and salt.
Step 4: Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until just done and tender.
Make a Casamiento Wrap
Step 1. Mix together beans and rice in a bowl.
Step 2. Place a tortilla on a microwaveable plate and add the rice and beans mixture on top with any warm toppings.
Step 3. Microwave until warm.
Step 4. Add any cold toppings, then serve.
Top Tips
- I like to use a teaspoon of dried epazote, a Mexican and Central American herb, when I boil 1 pound of beans because it may help reduce the gasiness of beans, and it lends a nice herby flavor similar to a mix of oregano, mint, and citrus. The flavor can get too strong and prominent, so don’t add too much.
- To save time, use a thick vegetable broth and skip sautéing and puréeing the vegetables.
- I like to purée the beans, but it’s common to smash the beans with a potato masher and leave them partially chunky.
- Make a large batch of beans, and portion out to freeze for later. They freeze well!
When to Serve
My kids, along with other neighborhood kids, really enjoy this dish for lunch, which I make with leftovers. This dish also can be served for breakfast along with eggs. And it's a great snack when kids come home starving after school. Lastly, after work, this dish makes a quick dinner if the rice and beans are made ahead.
Make Ahead
Casamiento is a great dish to prepare ahead of time. It refrigerates, reheats, and freezes really well. Make it in the beginning of the week, and repurpose for different dishes throughout the week.
Storage and Reheating
How to store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
How to freeze: Freeze in a freezer safe container for up to 6 months.
Reheating: Beans and rice reheat well in the microwave.
More Vegetarian Recipes
- Italian Zucchini Latkes
- Matzo Lasagna for Passover
- Creamy Roasted Eggplant Dip
- Italian Fresh Tomato Sauce
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This post was updated in 2024 to include new photos, revised text, and more tips. The recipe remains the same.
Recipe
Casamiento (El Salvadoran Rice and Beans Recipe)
Equipment
- Large pot
- Medium pot
- Skillet
Ingredients
For The Beans
- 16 cups filtered water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or adjust to your preference
- 1 pound bag of dried small red beans
- 4 large cloves of garlic peeled and cut in half (use 6 if cloves are small)
- 1-½ small brown or yellow onions peel and quarter whole onion; chop ½ onion into small pieces.
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
For the Rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped carrots about 4 small carrots
- ½ cup chopped celery about 4 celery ribs
- ½ cup chopped brown or yellow onion about ¼ to ½ of an onion
- 1½ cups brown jasmine rice
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth or water or vegetable broth
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt omit if broth is salty
For The Wrap and Toppings
- 1 tortilla per wrap
- Warm toppings such as corn, cheese, chicken, sautéed vegetables
- Cold toppings such as avocado slices, cilantro, lettuce, salsa, squeeze of lime
Instructions
For The Beans
- Sort the beans to remove little rocks and damaged beans. Rinse to remove mud.
- Place a large pot on the stove, and stir in water, salt, beans, garlic, and 1 onion cut into quarters. Turn the flame on high, leave uncovered, and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the flame to medium low, stir, and let simmer.
- Stir occasionally and leave uncovered for most of the cooking time. Monitor the beans for enough water and doneness. Cook until the beans are tender. The cooking time varies from bag to bag and takes from one to two hours. The beans are not ready if they are white inside and have a sandy texture. Taste several beans in the pot for doneness; sometimes some beans are cooked and some are not. When the beans are done, you want about one cup of cooking liquid left in the pot. If most of the water cooks out before the beans are soft, add an additional 1 cup of hot water as needed. Once much of the water has cooked out, finish cooking with the lid ajar to keep the beans moist.
- In a sauté pan on medium low heat, sauté ½ of a chopped onion in 1 tablespoon oil until the onion turns light brown and caramelizes.
- Once the beans are tender, purée them with the remaining cooking liquid (about 1 cup) and the caramelized onions. Use an immersion blender in the pot or a regular blender.
- Then add 1 teaspoon more oil to the sauté pan, and lightly re-fry the puréed beans. Start with the flame on medium, and stir frequently to prevent the beans from sticking. Once the beans start swelling and boiling, reduce the flame to medium low. Continue cooking and stirring for about 20 minutes or until the beans are a consistency that is not too watery and not too dry. The consistency is similar to mashed potatoes.
For The Rice
- In a medium-sized pot, heat the olive oil. Add the chopped vegetables, and sauté on medium low heat until tender.
- Add a small amount of the broth, and purée the vegetables using an immersion blender in the pot, or use a regular blender.
- Have the pureed vegetables in the pot, and add the rice, the rest of the broth, and salt. Stir, then bring to a boil using high heat. Then reduce the flame to low, cover and cook for the time recommended on the rice package, usually about 40 minutes. Cook rice until just done and each grain has a slight firmness to it. Do not over cook.
To Make A Casamiento Wrap
- In a bowl stir together some refried red beans and vegetable brown rice with a 50-50 ratio.
- Place a tortilla on a microwaveable plate. Add the rice and beans mixture on top. Also add any toppings that need heating like corn, cheese, chicken, sautéed vegetables, etc. Microwave until warm, about 1 minute.
- Add on any cold toppings like cilantro, lettuce, avocado, salsa, and a squeeze of lime.
- Fold up the wrap and enjoy warm.
Notes
- Substitute red beans for black beans.
- Brown or white rice will work.
- Make ahead: Casamiento is a great dish to prepare ahead of time. It saves, reheats, and freezes really well. Make it in the beginning of the week and repurpose for different dishes throughout the week.
- How to store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- How to freeze: Freeze in a freezer safe container for up to 6 months.
- How to reheat: Beans and rice reheats well in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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