Vegan Arroz con Salchichas

Veganized Puerto Rican: the vegan version of Arroz con Salchichas is just a spin on the classic, loaded with plant-based sausage and tons of flavor! Enjoy this as a yummy side or main dish that everyone in your family will love and that will remind you of your abuelita’s cooking.

Vegan | Nut-free

Here’s another segment of Veganized Puerto Rican: Arroz con Salchichas, completely plant-based. I’ve been wanting to make this recipe for such a long time, I don’t know why I didn’t make it sooner! Probably because I’ve been trying to keep my recipes under 30 minutes, and this one may take a bit longer.

So “What is arroz con salchicha?”. It roughly translates to Rice with Sausages and it’s one of the easiest and most common dishes for Puerto Rican families. It’s made with rice, sausages, and a couple of herbs & spices, and it’s traditionally served as a main dish with beans.

Although there’s no evidence of where arroz con salchichas originated from, there’s no doubt that this is, not only a Puerto Rican staple but also spread throughout the entire Caribbean. The VeggieJeva version is just a spin on the classic, loaded with plant-based sausage and tons of flavor! Enjoy this arroz con salchichas as a yummy side or main dish that everyone in your family will love. Seriously, this recipe is so on point that it will bring you memories of your abuelita’s cooking. My grandmother used to make the non-vegan version all the time when I was a kid, with habichuelas guisadas (beans), fried plantains, and sometimes avocado.

At this point, I can hear you saying “Okay, but how exactly do you make vegan rice with sausages, with eerm… no sausages?”. Yeah, I hear you!  Now, to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of “fake meat”, it’s not exactly my idea of “clean eating”, nor is good for the planet. BUT from time to time Dann and I treat ourselves to some. I decided to use Tofurky Kielbasa Sausage, that is completely plant-based, with no cholesterol and low saturated fat. This plant-based sausage is the only one available in Puerto Rico that resembles the taste and smell of the traditional arroz con salchichas.

How to: This is a one-pot-meal, where you cook everything in the same pot, so it’s pretty simple. You’ll need medium-grain rice, garlic, sofrito, tomato sauce, and recao or culantro. If you’re Puerto Rican or live anywhere in the Caribbean, chances are you already have sofrito in your refrigerator. If you don’t know what it is, don’t worry, I got you. Sofrito is the secret to all of the traditional Puerto Rican recipes; check this recipe out by Sazón Boricua.

Recipe: Vegan Arroz con Salchichas

Serves: 4-6 people

Ingredients:

• 3 cups medium grain rice (regular or brown), washed
• 3 cups water
• 3 Tofurky Kielbasa Sausages
• 2 tbsp sofrito (recipe in post)
• 1 tbsp oil (olive, coconut, avocado, etc.)
• 1 tbsp garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp ground achiote or annatto seeds
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Recao or culantro leaves

Procedure:

1. Chop the sausages in rounds.
2. Take a pot and set it over high and add your oil of choice.
3. When the oil is warm, add the tomato sauce, garlic, sofrito and achiote, and mix.
4. Add in the chopped sausages, and cook lightly for about 3 minutes, or just enough for the flavors to combine well.
5. Stir in the washed uncooked rice, and mix well. Add the three cups of water and the recao leaves.
6. Set the heat to medium, place lid on the pot and let the rice cook for about 25 minutes (or until the water is absorbed), stirring constantly.
7. And there you have it plant-based Arroz con Salchichas. Serve this with habichuelas guisadas and some fried plantains. Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out for you! Tag me in your Instagram creations for a chance to be featured in my insta stories! Use @veggiejeva and the hashtag #veggiejevaskitchen.

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