This vegan picadillo is made with spiced lentils simmered up with juicy tomatoes, bell peppers, sweet raisins and pimento-stuffed green olives. Serve over rice for a cozy, delicious and healthy meal!

Sometimes, okay usually, when I learn about some new to me food item, my reaction is to get really excited and want to veganize it. This can happen even if I know nothing about the food. I just really like playing with new dishes and ingredients, and if somebody likes it, there’s usually something I can work with.

That was pretty much my reaction when I first learned about picadillo, and once I investigated, I wanted to make a vegan version even more. It’s basically a big old Latin American stew of ground beef with spices, olives and raisins. I’m fascinated by the olives + raisins combo, or just olives and sweet flavors in general. My brain says “weird,” but it’s always delicious.

It took me a while to getting around to actually making some vegan picadillo, because I was a little confused as to what to do with it. What do you do with a dish that’s 90% ground meat? Shouldn’t it be picadillo tacos or picadillo bowls or picadillo chili? I think blogging has me a little hung up on turning everything into a meal.

Really, you can do whatever you want with this one, and if you’re about tacos or bowls or chili, be my guest. I served mine up very simply, over some rice cooked up with a pinch of saffron. I’m not sure how authentic that is, but to be honest, I’m not sure what traditional picadillo even tastes like, so who cares? Bottom line: this was tasty business. Cozy, delicious, super easy and healthy.

4.5 from 2 votes Print Vegan Picadillo This vegan picadillo is made with spiced lentils simmered up with juicy tomatoes, bell peppers, sweet raisins and pimento-stuffed green olives. Serve over rice for a cozy, delicious and healthy meal! Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 40 minutes Total Time 50 minutes Servings 4 Calories 379 kcal Author Alissa Ingredients 1 cup dried brown lentils

3 cups water

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onion, diced

1 bell pepper, any color, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch cloves

2/3 cup pimento-stuffed green olives

1/2 cup raisins

salt and pepper to taste Instructions Combine lentils and water in a medium saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Allow to simmer until lentils are almost done, but still a bit firm at their centers, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and drain any excess water. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil and place over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Sauté about 5 minutes, until softened and onions are translucent. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more, until very fragrant. Add lentils, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, cumin, paprika, oregano, cinnamon and cloves to skillet and flip a few times to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook just until lentils are tender and the sauce thickens up a bit, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in olives and raisins. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve. Nutrition Facts Vegan Picadillo Amount Per Serving Calories 379 Calories from Fat 98 % Daily Value* Fat 10.9g 17% Saturated Fat 1.2g 6% Sodium 959mg 40% Potassium 989mg 28% Carbohydrates 58g 19% Fiber 18.9g 76% Sugar 17g 19% Protein 15.2g 30% Calcium 70mg 7% Iron 5.9mg 33% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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