Gandules con Coco (Dominican Pigeon Peas with Coconut)

There’s something about coconut milk in Dominican cooking that instantly feels comforting. It adds richness without making a dish feel heavy, and when paired with gandules, herbs, and soft pieces of squash, the result is pure Caribbean comfort in a bowl.

Gandules con coco is especially popular in the northern coastal regions of the Dominican Republic, where coconut milk finds its way into everything from rice dishes to seafood stews and desserts. The flavor is subtle but unmistakable. Creamy, savory, slightly sweet, and deeply rooted in coastal Dominican cooking.

This is the kind of dish that tastes even better served next to a big plate of White Rice, a piece of Pollo Guisado (Dominican Stewed Chicken), or alongside crispy Concón or Pegao Rice (Dominican Crispy Rice) when you want that extra crunchy bite.

What I love most about this recipe is how humble the ingredients are. A few aromatics, coconut milk, squash, and pigeon peas slowly come together into something that feels rich, nourishing, and full of homey flavor.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Start by rubbing the pigeon peas with salt before rinsing them well under cold water. This is a traditional step many Dominican cooks use before boiling gandules, and helps remove some of the cloudy residue the gandules release before cooking.

Add the pigeon peas to a large pot with water and let them simmer until tender. Depending on the gandules, this can take around 45 minutes. Once they’re soft, reserve some of the cooking liquid before draining them.

While the pigeon peas cook, mash the garlic, ají gustoso peppers, oregano, and salt in a pilón until a coarse paste forms. This simple seasoning mixture gives the dish its signature Dominican flavor.

Return the gandules to the pot and add the fresh seasoning paste, squash, herbs, onion, cubanelle pepper, bouillon, bitter orange juice, black pepper, and coconut milk. As everything simmers together, the broth becomes rich, fragrant, and creamy.

Once the squash is tender, blend part of it with a little cooking liquid before stirring it back into the pot. This creates a naturally creamy texture without making the dish feel too heavy.

Keep the heat gentle during the final simmer so the coconut milk reduces slowly without separating too much. By the end, the broth should feel silky and flavorful, coating the gandules beautifully.

If you’ve already made my Easy 15-Minute Sofrito Recipe, you can use a few spoonfuls in place of the garlic paste, onion, cubanelle pepper, cilantro, and culantro for a quicker version with lots of flavor.

Serving Suggestions

Gandules con coco is usually served as part of a full Dominican meal with white rice and a protein on the side.

A few of my favorite pairings are:

• White Rice (Arroz Blanco)
• Pollo Guisado (Dominican Stewed Chicken)
• Bistec Encebollado (Dominican Steak and Onions)
• Pescado en Coco
• Chicharrón de Cerdo in the Air Fryer (Crispy Pork Belly Bites)

And if you grew up loving crunchy rice like I did, serving this with a side of Concón or Pegao Rice (Dominican Crispy Rice) feels almost like a treat.

For a full Dominican-style meal, serve these creamy gandules alongside fried fish, white rice, and a fresh side salad for a comforting combination of flavors and textures.

Storage Tips

Store leftover gandules con coco in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

As it sits, the broth will continue to thicken slightly because of the blended squash. When reheating, simply add a splash of water to loosen the consistency if needed.

You can reheat it gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave until warmed through.

This dish also freezes well for up to 2 months.

Recipe Tips

• Ají gustoso adds a very traditional Dominican flavor to this dish. If you can find it, it’s absolutely worth using.
• Keep the cubanelle pepper and onion whole while simmering so they flavor the broth without overpowering it.
• Blending part of the squash into the broth creates a naturally creamy texture while keeping the dish smooth and comforting.
• If using canned gandules, make sure to rinse them well before adding them to the pot.
• Coconut milk can naturally separate while cooking. Just stir gently and continue simmering until the broth becomes smooth again.

Gandules con Coco (Dominican Pigeon Peas with Coconut)

Author: Vanessa

Gandules con coco is a comforting Dominican side dish made with tender pigeon peas simmered in a creamy coconut broth with squash, herbs, and aromatics. Popular in the northern coast region of the Dominican Republic, this rich and flavorful dish brings together savory Caribbean flavors with a subtle tropical touch from coconut milk.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Dominican

Servings 6 servings

Calories 334 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Saucepan
• 1 Medium bowl
• 1 Colander
• 1 Pilón
• 1 Blender
• 1 Wooden spoon or rice paddle

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 28 ounces frozen pigeon peas, thawed (about 800 g)
• ▢ 2 ½ teaspoons salt, divided (15 g)
• ▢ 8 ½ cups water, divided (2 L)
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves
• ▢ 2 medium ají gustoso peppers, seeded
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried oregano (0.5 g)
• ▢ 6 ounces kabocha squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (170 g)
• ▢ 2 culantro leaves
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cilantro stems and leaves
• ▢ ½ medium cubanelle pepper, left whole
• ▢ ½ small red onion, left whole
• ▢ 1 chicken or vegetable bouillon tablet
• ▢ 3 tablespoons bitter orange juice (45 ml)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (0.5 g)
• ▢ 1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk (400 ml)

Instructions

 

• Place the pigeon peas in a medium bowl with 2 teaspoons of salt. Rub the peas gently with the salt for a few seconds, then rinse with cold water and drain well.
• Add the pigeon peas and 6 ½ cups of water to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the pigeon peas are tender.
• Drain the pigeon peas, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking liquid in the saucepan.
• While the pigeon peas cook, mash the garlic, ají gustoso peppers, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and oregano in a pilón or mortar and pestle until a coarse paste forms.
• Return the pigeon peas to the saucepan with the reserved liquid. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of water, garlic paste, squash, culantro, cilantro, cubanelle pepper, onion, bouillon tablet, bitter orange juice, black pepper, and coconut milk.
• Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for about 25 minutes, or until the squash is tender and the broth has slightly thickened.
• Remove and discard the culantro, cilantro stems, cubanelle pepper, and onion.
• Transfer half of the cooked squash and about ½ cup of the cooking liquid to a blender. Blend until smooth.
• Pour the blended squash mixture back into the saucepan and stir well to create a creamier texture.
• Simmer for 2 to 3 more minutes, then remove from the heat.
• Serve warm with white rice, stewed chicken, codfish, or your favorite Dominican main dish.

Notes

• If using canned pigeon peas, drain and rinse them well. Skip the boiling step and begin at Step 4. Add 3 cups of water instead of 2 cups in Step 5.
• Blending part of the squash helps naturally thicken the stew while keeping the texture creamy and smooth.
• For even more flavor, serve with Dominican white rice and a side of crispy concón.

Nutrition

Calories: 334kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 11gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1006mgPotassium: 889mgFiber: 10gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 683IUVitamin C: 45mgCalcium: 103mgIron: 4mg

The nutritional information of this recipe and all recipes on mydominicankitchen.com is only an estimate. The accuracy of any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Keywordgandules con coco, pigeon peas with coconut milk

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