"Sos Pwa (Quick Version)"
Haitian Bean Sauce

​Let’s be honest, some Haitian dishes take forever to prepare and cook. After a long day’s work and you need to make dinner now, things like legume, sos pwa, bouyon, or diriz kole ak pwa are the last thing on your mind. Ain’t nobody got time fo’ dat! My mother worked full time and had 11 children and a husband to feed at home. My dad always wanted “real” food. That basically meant anything that had some sort of rice. I grew up watching my mom make 3 course meals within the time span of an hour! We’d be like, “Mom! We’re hungry!” Then before we knew it, she was yelling at us to come down to the kitchen to eat. And yes, we’d run down those stairs like a stampede. 
​My mother was able to whip out meals so quickly because she knew how to take short cuts and multitask. So I decided, why not take a short cut with Sos Pwa? Using cans is the quickest way and combining a few simple ingredients will make this taste just as good as using dried beans in less than half the time. To be honest, I personally make the canned version more frequently than the dry beans version for the sake of convenience and time. Give this a try and let me know what you think. 

Ingredients:

1 can (30 oz.) OR 2 cans (15 oz.) beans of your choice
2 – 3 Garlic Cloves
3 Cloves (Jirof)
½ tsp. Seasoned Salt
½ tsp. Goya Adobo
2 tbsps. Butter
2 tbsps. Vegetable Oil
2 tbsp. Epis
Water
Salt to taste

Directions:

​1. Drain the can of beans and reserve the liquid. Place about 1/3 cup of beans into a blender along with 2 – 3 garlic cloves, 3 cloves, and the reserved liquid. Blend on high until smooth. 
​2. In a sauce pan on medium heat, add 2 tbsps. of vegetable oil, 2 tbsps. of epis and the remaining unblended beans. Add ½ tsp. seasoned salt, ½ tsp. adobo, stir contents to mix thoroughly and sauté for about 2 – 4 minutes. Stir frequently to keep beans from sticking to the bottom of the pot.  
​3. Add the blended beans and stir. Fill the empty 30 oz. can with water and add to the sauce pan (if using 2 of the 15 oz. cans, then fill one of them twice). Stir to combine all the ingredients and continue to cook on medium heat for about 15 – 20 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally.
​4. Add 2 tbsps. of butter and stir until it melts and fully incorporates. Sample Sos Pwa and add salt to taste if desired. Cook for an additional 5 – 10 minutes (stirring occasionally) on medium heat or until sos pwa reduces to desired consistency. 
Serves 5 - 8
What do you think of this recipe? Which beans do you prefer for Sos Pwa; dry or canned?
​Let me know and comment below!