Skip to main contentSkip to footer
Start today
Start today
Join WeightWatchers® today and gain full access to all of our recipes and meal plans. Sign up today!
Photo of Ropa vieja with brown rice by WW

Ropa vieja with brown rice

15
Points® value
Total Time
4 hr 40 min
Prep
10 min
Cook
4 hr 30 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Smoked paprika – made from drying red peppers over wood fires – gives this slow-cooked, Cuban beef dish its rich red hue and smoky notes. It’s deliciously comforting on a chilly evening

Ingredients

Calorie controlled cooking spray

4 spray(s)

Onion

1 medium, finely sliced

Red pepper

1 medium, deseeded and finely sliced

Yellow pepper

1 medium, deseeded and finely sliced

Beef Braising Steak, Lean, raw

800 g, diced

Garlic

4 clove(s), crushed

Oregano, Dried

1 teaspoon(s), level

Ground Cumin

1 teaspoon(s), level

Paprika

2 teaspoon(s), level

Tinned Tomatoes

2 can(s), large, plum

Beef stock cube(s)

1 cube(s), 200ml stock

Brown Rice, dry

240 g

Olives, in Brine

50 g, sliced

Coriander, fresh

1 tablespoon(s), leaves, to garnish

Lime

1 medium, wedges, to serve

Instructions

  1. Heat a large casserole dish over a medium heat and lightly mist with cooking spray. Fry the onion and peppers for 10 minutes, until starting to soften. Remove and set aside.
  2. Mist the dish again with cooking spray and turn up the heat to high. Season the beef and add to the pan in 2 batches to cook – you don’t want to overcrowd the dish, so make it 3 batches if necessary. Cook each batch for 5 minutes, until well browned, adding the cooked beef to the resting onion and pepper as you go.
  3. Once all the beef is browned, put it back in the dish along with the onion and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the dried herbs and spices and cook for another minute. Pour in the tinned tomatoes and beef stock. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover the dish and cook for 4 hours, or until the beef easily falls apart.
  4. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the pack instructions. Take the beef off the heat and shred it in the dish using 2 forks. Add the olives and stir through, then season to taste. Divide the stew between 4 bowls, garnish with the coriander and serve with the rice and lime wedges on the side.

Notes

Did you know? Paprika is loaded with immune-system-boosting beta-carotene, and is a source of vitamin B6, which may help regulate mood

You might like

You might like