A Flavorful Plant-Based Beef Hash Recipe
Eating vegan doesn't mean we have to give up on our cultural dishes. This is a dish I grew up eating and it's wonderful to be able to recreate it's flavors using a vegan alternative for beef. If you've never had picadillo, think of it as a "beef hash", a combination of ground beef, and spices, with the sweetness from onions and the tangy flavor from the olives. It's super delicious and the leftovers can be used as a filling to many other dishes such as empanadas, pastelitos and papas rellenas (aka bombas)!
Cuban Picadillo Ingredients
- gardein ground be'f (or other vegan option)
- olive oil
- onion
- garlic
- tomato paste
- dry white wine
- green olives
- capers
- ground cumin
- dried oregano
- paprika
- salt + pepper
- bay leaf
- fresh cilantro (optional, for garnish)
What Vegan Meat Substitute to Use?
You can use any ground be'f, we enjoy using the gardein brand for this but are sure it will taste good with most options. Just keep in mind that not all options are a blank canvas like the gardein brand. If you like the pre-seasoned options then give it a try and please leave us a comment if you like it and mention the brand and seasoning!
How to Serve
Serve this Cuban picadillo recipe with some white rice and fried sweet plantains (platanitos maduros).
How to Use Leftover Picadillo
- Cuban Beef Pastries Pastelitos de Carne
- Empanadas
- Fried Stuffed Potatoes Papas Rellenas
Vegan Cuban Picadillo
Ingredients
- 1 lb gardein ground be'f or other vegan options
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup green olives sliced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 tsp capers
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup raisins optional
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat some oil in a pan and sauté the onion, garlic, and spices until onions are translucent.
- Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, and white wine. Simmer for a few minutes to cook off some of the wine.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the cilantro, and simmer until the vegan ground be'f is cooked.
- Serve and garnish with cilantro.
