Vegan Mushroom Ropa Vieja

By andreajayros

Try this Vegan Mushroom Ropa Vieja recipe for dinner tonight and watch as the whole family is impressed by the vibrant flavors of portabella mushrooms, zesty cilantro sofrito, and fresh vegetables--no one will ever know it's healthy. Sneak the vegetables into your family's mouths with this vibrant recipe filled with thrilling Cuban flavors. Serve with rice and bean recipes of your choice, a lightly dressed side salad, or even just serve this recipe with steamed, fresh veggies.

Ingredients

• SOFRITO:
• 6 large Portobello mushroom caps
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoon safflower oil
• 1/2 cup sofrito, see recipe below
• 8 to 10 stuffed pimento olives, alcaparrado or other green olives
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon vegan, gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 medium stalks celery, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 bell peppers, diced, mix colors if possible
• 1 medium onion, diced
• Kosher salt to taste
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas
• fresh parsley for garnish
• 1 medium Spanish onion, cut into large chunks
• 1 medium green pepper, cubanelle, or frying pepper
• 8 garlic cloves
• 3 ajices dulce, optional
• 1 cup cilantro
• 2 plum tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks
• 1 red bell peppers, chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Slice the mushroom caps thinly. Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Add the mushrooms, season with pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Cook about 10 minutes until they are browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add sofrito, olives, and cumin to the pan. Add more oil if the pan is too dry. Stir in tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and water. Add the bay leaves. Let cook for about 4 minutes until the sauce begins to bubble.

Return the mushrooms to the pan, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat about 20 minutes until the mushrooms are soft and have taken on the flavors of the sofrito, olives, cumin, and tomatoes.

Remove the mushrooms again and shred with 2 forks or slice them as thinly as possible; thinner than I did in the pictures. Return them to the pan.

Add the onion, celery, carrots, and peppers to the pan. Season with salt, to taste. Bring it to a simmer, about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the frozen peas and heat through. Remove the bay leaves.

Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve over rice or quinoa, with potatoes or plantains. Enjoy!

SOFRITO:
Put the onion and peppers in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. With motor running, add remaining ingredients one at a time and process until smooth.