When we first tried Cuban picadillo, we were enamored by the complex combination of savory, sweet, and salty flavors and knew we wanted to recreate a plant-based version. After a few tests and tweaks we landed on this inspired, fiber-rich twist and we’re so excited to share it with you!
It’s perfectly balanced, quick and easy (1 pot and 30 minutes), and naturally gluten-free. Plus, it gets better over time and reheats beautifully, making it ideal for meal prep! We can’t wait for you to try it! Let us show you how it’s done!
What is Picadillo?
The word “picadillo” originates from the Spanish word picar, which means to chop or mince. It’s a dish popular in many Latin American countries as well as in the Philippines.
Each region varies in what ingredients are included in its picadillo, but the dish usually consists of ground beef, tomatoes, and herbs and spices. Some versions include olives and raisins, some include potatoes, and a wide range of different ingredients make their way into other picadillos (source).
The following is our plant-based take on picadillo, swapping the ground beef for lentils and using ingredients most similar to the Cuban version of the dish.
How to Make Vegan Picadillo
This vegan picadillo begins with sautéing onion and red bell pepper for a sweet, caramelized base. While green Cubanelle peppers are a more traditional ingredient in Cuban picadillo, we went with red bell peppers for accessibility and because we like the sweetness they add.
Next comes shiitake mushrooms, which are also not traditional, but they add a nice “meaty” texture and flavor to this plant-based version of the dish. We season them with fresh garlic and coconut aminos at this stage so they soak up lots of flavor.
Then comes green or brown lentils for a protein and fiber-packed replacement for the ground beef in traditional picadillo. We went with canned to keep this recipe super quick and easy, but homemade lentils would also work!
For the seasonings, we included the classics: oregano for its herbiness, cumin for smokiness, cayenne for heat, and salt and pepper for overall flavor. Tomato sauce, pimento-stuffed green olives, and optional raisins add classic picadillo flavors, while water makes it all saucy!
After a quick 10-15 minutes, the lentils soak up all that sauciness and a complex explosion of flavors awaits!
We hope you LOVE this vegan picadillo! It’s:
Savory
Sweet
Salty
Fiber-packed
Quick & easy
& Perfect for meal prep!
Serve it up with roasted plantains, rice, and cilantro for a filling meal that transports you to the tropics (okay, maybe a little imagination needed)!
More Flavorful Lentil Recipes
- Easy Vegan Moussaka
- Vegan Lentil Fesenjān (Pomegranate Walnut Stew)
- Vegan Sloppy Joes
- 1-Pot Red Lentil Chili
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy Vegan Picadillo (Cuban-Inspired)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (if oil-free, sub twice as much water)
- 2 cups diced white or yellow onion (1 medium onion yields ~2 cups or 320 g)
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped (1/2 bell pepper yields ~2/3 cup // or sub an equivalent amount of green Cubanelle peppers if available)
- 1 ½ cups roughly chopped shiitake mushrooms (3 ounces yield ~ 1 ½ cups // or sub cremini mushrooms)
- 1 ½ Tbsp minced garlic (~4 cloves)
- 1 Tbsp coconut aminos (for depth of flavor)
- 2 (15-oz.) cans brown lentils, rinsed and drained (2 cans yield ~2 ½ cups cooked lentils)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 pinch ground cayenne (optional // for heat)
- 1/4 tsp each sea salt and black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce (or sub tomato passata)
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped pimento-stuffed green olives (or other green olives in brine)
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped raisins (optional // or sub dried currants or sultanas)
FOR SERVING optional
- Freshly chopped cilantro
- Roasted plantains
- White or brown rice
Instructions
- Heat a large-rimmed skillet, pot, or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onion, and bell pepper and sauté, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms, stir, and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add garlic and coconut aminos and sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden brown. Turn down heat if browning too quickly.
- Then add drained lentils, oregano, cumin, cayenne (optional), salt and pepper, tomato sauce, water, olives, and raisins (optional). Stir to combine and simmer (covered) for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to develop flavors.
- Remove the lid and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, to thicken. Taste and adjust flavors as needed, adding more cumin for smokiness, olives for saltiness/tanginess, raisins for sweetness, or cayenne for heat.
- We love serving this with roasted plantains, rice (white or brown), and cilantro. Enjoy!
- Leftovers keep well stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed throughout.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
Meghan says
Just made this and oh my goodness it’s amazing! Paired it with your baked plantains and it was the perfect dinner. I make a lot of your recipes and this one is for sure a favorite. Thanks for the great meal.
Amazing! Thank you so much for sharing, Meghan! xo
Jennifer says
This is a wonderful recipe. I did not change a thing and enjoyed all of the wonderful flavors.
We’re so glad to hear it, Jennifer! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Kristy says
This dish looks amazing. Would you have a recommendation to substitute the mushrooms? I have tried so many times to eat them, but it’s a texture issue for me. I’d prefer not to just omit because then you are losing some protein and fiber. Thank you!
Hi Kristy, Perhaps more onion and lentils? Hope that helps!
Nicole says
This is one of my mom’s best dishes growing up was so happy to find a vegan spin on it. I followed your recipe pretty closely but added ground cloves (bc I didn’t have nutmeg) and capers. It was delicious one of the best dishes I’ve made in a while. Thanks for sharing!!
Amazing, Nicole! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Mindy C says
5 Star Recipe!
This recipe came together easily and beautifully. I omitted the olives (bought olives with pits by mistake, they were a wonderful side) and the raisins (they’re just a no for us) and subbed soy sauce for coconut aminos, but followed the recipe otherwise, using green lentils that we cooked, as that was all that was available in our small town. It was absolutely delicious, filling and satisfying. We served it with fried plantains and an avocado and pineapple salad and it was a lovely meal.
I only wish we had doubled the recipe!
We’ll definitely be making this one again!
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Mindy!
Laura says
Wonderful recipe and very adaptable! I have had success subbing the lentils with 2 packages crumbled, steamed tempeh to make it more protein rich. I’ve also found a bit of smoked paprika to add a beautiful depth and smokiness, especially in contrast to sweet plantains if serving those as an accompaniment.
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Laura! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Emma says
Yum! The flavor in this dish is incredible. I didn’t use rasins, but next time I think I will. I served it with quinoa, as that’s what I had in my pantry. Lentils don’t agree with me, so I used chickpeas instead. Not as “meaty” looking, but felt they worked nicely and the roasted plantains were a perfect touch. This will be in my rotation!
Woohoo! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Emma. Thanks so much for the great review and for sharing your modifications!
RM says
So glad to have come across this. Picadillo is one of my favorite recipes my abuela used to make, but I haven’t made it much since going veg b/c ground beef crumbles are so sodium heavy. I never thought of lentils! Looking forward to enjoying this childhood fave again. Thank you!
Yay! Can’t wait to hear what you think if you give it a try, RM!
Anonymous says
Because I’m not American, what’s in tomato sauce that isn’t included in tomato passata (crushed tomatoes (pulpy tomatoes) in juice). TIA
Hi there! There is usually some salt and a small about of herbs in tomato “sauce”, but crushed tomatoes will work in a pinch!
Daman says
So yummy! I had to up most of the spices though to get a solid flavour:
1 heaping tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne (I used chili powder)
1 tsp each sea salt
1/2 tap black pepper
Thank you for sharing, Daman!
Sabrina says
Can I use tamari if I don’t have coconut aminos?
Hi Sabrina, that might work, but we’d suggest starting with half the amount since it’s saltier. It may also benefit from maple syrup since coconut aminos is naturally a little sweet. Let us know if you try it!
Felicity says
This was very wholesome and tasty. I forgot the onion and didn’t bother about the raisins, and tasted very yum. Would make again. Super easy, super quick.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Felicity! Thank you for sharing! xo
Katie says
Excellent recipe and held up well for leftovers throughout the week. To make it a bit lighter, I opted to serve it over sturdy salad greens and it was plenty filling without the rice! My meat-eating partner LOVED this and kept remarking on how delicious this was.
Whoop! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Katie! Thank you for sharing! xo
Blaine says
Made this last night for a date night with my love:) It was easy and delicious! I just recently watched an episode of Anthony Bourdain in Cuba so when I came across this recipe, I was inspired to give it a shot. Plus I was intrigued by the flavours(ingredients) involved. Not my usual fare for sure. I made the Roasted Plantains to go with it as suggested and now I wouldn’t make this meal without the plantains! Such a nice compliment. I served with brown rice and fresh cilantro as well. So good and was a hit for at home dinner date! Will make it again for sure.
Aw, love everything about this, Blaine! Thank you for sharing your experience!
Maria Del Mar Ortiz Tait says
Delicious! Very satisfying!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing, Mary! xo
Leia says
Very good and filling. My family dislikes mushrooms (except for me!) so I used TVP instead. I also made it with quinoa instead of rice. Everyone enjoyed it.
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Leia! xo
Stephanie says
This looks excellent – I’m excited to try it!
Just a brief comment, I discovered your blog a few weeks ago and every recipe I’ve made from here has blown my mind. I went vegetarian a couple years ago but I’ve found that finding good resources hasn’t always been easy, especially if I wanted to avoid drowning my food in cheese! I need my recipes to take relatively little time to make. So your blog has suddenly made my life so much easier.
Thank you for having so many easy-to-make high-quality vegetarian/vegan recipes. The flavors are above and beyond anything I’ve made before, and despite not being a huge fan of cooking beyond the obligatory weekly batch cooking you inspire me to study your work to see if I can learn a thing or two. :) Thanks for being such an amazing resource!
Aw, this is so great to hear, Stephanie! Thank you so much for sharing! xo
Melissa says
My partner took one bite of this and he said, “This is probably one of the best things you’ve ever made.”
Wow..!!
It’s delicious and simple to make. It’ll be part if our roster from now on I’m sure :)
Love the Cuban inspiration and would love to see more.
AMAZING! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Melissa! Thank you for sharing! xo
Greg says
“Then comes green lentils for a protein and fiber-packed replacement for the ground beef in traditional picadillo.”
But the ingredients list says brown lentils, and brown are shown in the photos. ???????
Hi Greg, sorry for the confusion! Either one works well!
Janet says
This looks delicious. I wonder if/how I could maybe add tempeh to this to increase the protein? Suggestions?
Hi Janet, we tested this recipe with tempeh and found the bitter taste wasn’t complimentary to the other flavors. If you want to try it, we’d suggest grating the tempeh into small crumbles then adding it in place of some of the mushrooms. Hope that helps!
John says
do you have a recipe for a salad with red cabbage as the base
Yes! We have a citrusy cabbage slaw. Hope that helps!
SharonA says
Hi there
Can I use dry lentils. Cook them in my instant pot and then use them rather than canned? Any idea how much dried lentil makes 2 1/2c cooked?
Hi Sharon, that should be fine. 1 cup uncooked makes ~2 1/2 cups cooked. Let us know how it goes!
Julie says
I love picadillo and am excited to try this! But I’m wondering if there is anything you could sub for the mushrooms. I love them, but my husband does not. 😕
Yay! We’re excited for you to try it too! Perhaps more onion and lentils? Let us know how you like it!
Cella says
Is Coconut Secret your favorite brand of coconut aminos? I’ve tried one brand that I don’t like.
Hi Cella, we do like Coconut Secret, but more recently we’ve been preferring Big Tree because it’s more flavorful. Hope that helps!
Halle says
same question!
Susan says
Going to make tonight but quick question on the lentils…I have never seen canned lentils..do you use a specific brand ?
Hi Susan, we like Westbrae Natural for canned lentils. Hope you love it!
Susan says
Thank you