Cuban Lentil Picadillo (Printable)

A vibrant plant-based twist on classic Cuban picadillo with lentils, olives, and raisins.

# What You Need:

→ Lentils

01 - 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed
02 - 2.5 cups water or vegetable broth

→ Aromatics & Vegetables

03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 medium carrot, diced
08 - 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained

→ Seasonings

09 - 2 teaspoons ground cumin
10 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
11 - 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 0.25 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
14 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Add-ins

15 - 0.33 cup green olives, sliced
16 - 0.25 cup raisins
17 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
18 - 2 tablespoons capers, optional
19 - 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
20 - Fresh cilantro for garnish

# How To Make:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine lentils and water or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes until just tender. Drain any excess liquid.
02 - Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, carrot, and garlic. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened.
03 - Stir in diced tomatoes, cumin, oregano, paprika, cinnamon, and cayenne. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
04 - Add cooked lentils, tomato paste, olives, raisins, and capers if using. Mix well and cook for another 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld and most of the liquid has evaporated.
05 - Stir in red wine vinegar. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
06 - Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot, ideally with rice or plantains.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes so deeply savory and complex that nobody will suspect there's no meat, just honest lentils doing all the heavy lifting.
  • The sweet-salty-spicy balance hits that perfect Cuban note where everything somehow makes sense on the same plate.
02 -
  • Don't skip draining those canned tomatoes, or you'll end up with a soup instead of a thick, saucy picadillo that clings to rice.
  • The raisins and olives are not optional flavor details, they're the whole point, so if you skimp on either one the dish loses its personality.
03 -
  • If your lentils are cooking and seem like they're taking forever, you might have older lentils that need more time, so be patient and test them with a fork rather than trying to rush them.
  • The best secret is not to skip the resting time after you add the lentils to the vegetables, those 8 to 10 minutes are when all the magic happens and the flavors actually marry together into something whole.
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