3 Vegan Versions of Classic Puerto Rican Dishes

mofongo

Image via Jmoon Productions LLC/Shutterstock.com

By Cynthia De Saint

November 29, 2022

Yes, you can be vegan or invite vegans over for dinner and still enjoy traditional Puerto Rican food.

Puerto Rican food—a delicious combination of Spanish, African, and Taíno ingredients—offers many opportunities to enjoy vegan dishes that are flavorful, nutritious, and muy sabrosos. Here are three recipes to try!

Vegan Sorullitos

Ingredients

  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons cane sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon vegan butter
  • Coconut oil spray
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise 

Preparation

  1. In a small pot, combine the cornmeal, salt, sugar, and flour. Stir all of the ingredients with a whisk until there are no lumps.
  2. Slowly add the water to the pot and whisk it until everything is combined.
  3. Place the pot on the stove over medium heat.
  4. Stir the mixture continuously for approximately 10 minutes or until it forms into a dough.
  5. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the stove. Let the mixture cool until you can handle it with your hands.
  6. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  8. So the corn dough doesn’t stick to your hands, wet your hands with water.
  9. Take a spoonful of the corn dough and roll it into a cigar shape with your hands.
  10. Place it on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
  11. Spray the sorullitos lightly with coconut oil before baking.
  12. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
  13. Turn the sorullitos halfway, and lightly spray the other side with the coconut spray.
  14. Bake for another 15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
  15. Remove from the oven and serve hot with dipping sauce.

For the dipping sauce

In a small bowl add the ketchup and mayonnaise and mix until well combined.
(Credit: Kitchengidget.com)

Vegan Sancocho

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or water
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1/2 cup recao
  • 1 packet seitan drained
  • 2 quarts low sodium vegetable stock or water
  • 1/2  green pepper chopped
  • 1/2 pumpkin peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 taro root peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 white yam peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 cassava (yuca) peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 green plantain peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 ears corn cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

  1. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. If you prefer not to cook with the oil, use two tablespoons of water to sauté the ingredients.
  2. Add the seitan and cook until it is browned.
  3. Add the recao, onions, garlic and green peppers and sauté until softened.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients and cover with the water or vegetable stock. If the water or vegetable stock does not cover all of the ingredients add more until it does.
  5. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 35-45 minutes or until all of the vegetables are soft.

(Credit: onegreenplanet.com)

Vegan Mofongo

Ingredients

  • 4 large whole green plantains
  • 4 cups cold water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon adobo spice blend
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 8 ounces seitan, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable broth

Preparation

  1. Peel the plantains and cut them into 1/2-inch slices. In a large bowl, combine the plantain slices, water, and salt. Allow the plantains to soak for 15 minutes. Remove the plantains and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess water. While the plantains are soaking, combine 2 tablespoons of the oil, adobo spice mix, paprika, and smoked paprika in a bowl. Add the seitan and toss to coat. Set aside.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat another 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the plantains to the skillet and fry until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the plantains and transfer to a plate covered with a paper towel to absorb the oil.
  3. In the same skillet, add the seitan and cook until it is crispy on all sides, about 5 minutes.
  4. Combine the seitan, plantains, garlic, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and vegetable broth in a food processor. Pulse until combined into a mashed texture. Don’t over-process; it should be chunky.
  5. Fill a 1-cup bowl with one-quarter of the mofongo and press it down to pack it tightly. Loosen the mofongo with a knife around the sides of the bowl, turn it upside down, and drop it on a plate in a mound.

(Credit: onegrenplanet.com)

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