Vegan Cuban Picadillo

Vegan Cuban picadillo, a plant-based version of this traditional dish, made with lentils, potatoes, olives, capers, raisins and other delicious ingredients.

I discovered this dish looking for some inspiration on Pinterest, then after taking a look at some recipes, I made my own plant-based version. Cuban picadillo is traditionally made with ground beef, but we’ve used lentils instead, which are healthier and also taste amazing.

It’s a super flavorful recipe and also a super complete and nutritious meal because is made with a healthy carb (potatoes) and lentils (which are so high in protein). I would eat this dish with some more veggies (a salad, a veggie soup, steamed, boiled or sauteed veggies, you choose!). Besides, you can make big batches of this amazing dish and keep it in the fridge for several days.

One of the things I love the most about being a food blogger is that I’m trying new recipes all the time and as I love eating and cooking, it’s my dream job. If I also can share delicious, vegan and healthy recipes with you guys, I’m the happiest woman in the world!

LOOKING FOR MORE LENTIL RECIPES?

• Vegan lentil curry
• Lentil Bolognese
• Lentil salad
• Fat-free Spanish lentil stew
• 5-Minute lentil dip

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment below, share it, rate it or tag a picture @simpleveganblog on Instagram and hashtag it #simpleveganblog. We’d love to see what you cook!

Vegan Cuban Picadillo

• Author: Simple Vegan Blog
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4-6

Vegan Cuban picadillo, a plant-based version of this traditional dish, made with lentils, potatoes, olives, capers, raisins and other delicious ingredients.

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Ingredients

• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup tomato paste (4 tbsp)
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne powder
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup raisins (4 tbsp)
• 2 cup water or vegetable stock (500 ml)
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 15 oz canned or cooked lentils (400 g)
• 1/2 cup pitted green olives (80 g)
• 2 tbsp capers

Instructions

1. Heat some water or oil in a deep skillet, wok stir fry pan or a large pot, add the veggies (garlic, onion and red bell pepper) and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown.
2. Add tomato paste and spices (oregano, cumin, salt, cayenne powder and black pepper), stir and cook for at least a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the raisins, water or broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil and then cook over medium-high heat for 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.
4. Finally, add the rest of the ingredients (lentils, olives and capers), stir and cook for 5 minutes more over medium-high heat. Serve immediately (we served it with brown rice and chopped parsley).
5. Keep leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for about 5 days.

Notes

• Feel free to add your favorite veggies and spices.
• Tomato paste can be replaced by tomato sauce, tomato puree or even chopped tomatoes.
• If you use vegetable stock instead of water, the vegan Cuban picadillo will be even tastier.
• You don’t need to peel the potatoes, it’s up to you.
• If you don’t like raisins, olives or raisins, omit them.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/6 of the recipe (without the rice and parsley)
• Calories: 358
• Sugar: 8.6 g
• Sodium: 355 mg
• Fat: 2.4 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 64.4 g
• Fiber: 25 g
• Protein: 20.8 g