Cuban ‘ropa vieja’ shredded seitan

So, to review: you’ve seen a multipurpose onion-pepper sofrito employed in a batch of sweet Venezuelan black beans, with garlic-cilantro rice alongside. You could very easily stop there, and have a classic (and absolutely delicious) meal of beans and rice. But if you want to up the ante even further, bump up the protein content even higher, and add even more color and flavor to the dish, then add this Latin shredded seitan to the equation. It’s a Cuban-style preparation (though the origin of the name ropa vieja, which means “old clothing,” is not known for certain), contributing to the already-diverse cultural influences of this meal. It’s a pan-Latin extraVEGANza, ¡y es completamente sabrosa!

2 8-oz. pkgs seitan, cut into thin strips
3/4 cup onion-pepper sofrito
1 cup crushed tomatoes
2 tsp vegan bouillon
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp sea salt
Hot sauce to taste (optional)

Coat a large pot or skillet with cooking spray. Over medium-high heat, add the seitan strips. Let cook undisturbed for 1-2 minutes, then stir, and again let cook for 1-2 minutes. Repeat the stirring and cooking until the edges of the strips are lightly browned.

Lower the heat to medium, add the sofrito, and cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Add all remaining ingredients.

Stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and reduced slightly. (Remove the bay leaf before serving.)

Yield: 6 servings.
Per serving (about 1/2 cup): 185 calories, 6.4g fat (1g sat), 13.1g carbs, 2g fiber, 21.1g protein.

Y ahora, ¡está terminado! Now that all components are finished, it’s time to assemble the meal. First, plate the rice.

Next, add a scoop of beans.

Top it all off with a helping of seitan, garnish with chopped fresh cilantro if you have it, and you’re done!

To even attempt to describe how much I enjoyed this meal would be silly. Suffice it to say, I LOVED IT!! All parts of this dish will keep well, stored separately, for several days in the fridge, providing scrumptious lunches all week long. Viva Vegan indeed!

Per meal (1/2 cup each rice, beans, and seitan):
481 calories, 14.1g fat (2g sat), 60.2g carbs, 10g fiber, 31.8g protein.

If you like this, you might also like…
Rainbow Mexi-quinoa medley
Black bean-avocado enchiladas
Chilaquiles casserole