This vegan sancocho is super satisfying and full of flavor! Made with fresh corn, plantains, and sweet potatoes, it's the perfect stew for warming you up on chilly days.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 (8 ounce or 226 gram) package seitan, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 2 medium yellow potatoes (about 12 ounces total), scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium sweet potato (about 12 ounces total), scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium plantain (ripe or green is fine*), peeled and cut into ½ inch slices
- 3 medium ears of corn on the cob, cut into 2 to 3 inch pieces
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- Salt & pepper, to taste
-
Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat.
-
When the oil is hot, add the onion and pepper. Sweat the veggies for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften up.
-
Add the seitan to the pot and cook it with the onion and pepper for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown.
-
Stir in the garlic, cilantro, and cumin. Cook everything for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes very fragrant.
-
Stir in the broth, sweet potatoes, and yellow potatoes. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat and let everything simmer for about 5 minutes.
-
Stir in the plantain and continue simmering the stew for 10 minutes.
-
Stir in the corn and tomato paste. Continue simmering the stew for about 7 to 10 minutes, until the broth has thickened slightly and the veggies and plantains are tender.
-
Take the pot off of the burner and stir in the lime juice. Season the stew with salt and pepper to taste.
-
Ladle into bowls and serve.
* Feel free to use a ripe (yellow and brown) or unripe (green) plantain, depending on how sweet you'd like your stew to be. I prefer to use half of each!