Description

We’ve got this mouthwatering dish on repeat here, and we know you will too! It’s rice heaven! This hearty, wholesome, and fragrant Vegan Arroz con Pollo is bursting with delicious flavor! So simple to make with feel-good ingredients like: sweet bell peppers, zesty garlic, briny olives, satisfying rice, and protein-packed soy curls all simmering in a rich, warming red sauce; it’s the perfect weeknight meal that the whole family will enjoy. Grab a bowl and get ready to dig in – YUM!

Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, no highly processed ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale

1 medium yellow onion, fine dice
1 green bell pepper, fine dice
1 red bell pepper, fine dice
2 Tablespoons garlic, finely minced
1 to 2 Tablespoons capers *
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 ½ cups soy curls *
1 cup water (or broth)
1 ½ cups vegetable broth*
1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari *
1 Tablespoon miso *
8 green olives *
1 cup uncooked brown rice

Seasonings/Spices:

1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoon dried minced onion flakes
1 teaspoon cumin
1 3/4 to 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Other Optional Ingredients:

Chopped parsley
Squeeze of lemon

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Rinse the uncooked rice well with hot tap water, then place the rice in a large bowl filled with hot tap water. Allow to sit while you prep your vegetables and spice mix. When ready to add to the recipe (in Step 3), drain and shake off any excess water.
In a large ceramic/enamel-lined Dutch oven, skillet or similar stock pot, add the diced onion and bell peppers; sauté over medium heat until they begin to soften, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add a tablespoon or so of water if they start to stick and/or to prevent burning.
Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, add the tomato paste, dry spices, and rice, sauté to release their fragrance, about 30 seconds to one minute. Make sure the rice is coated with the tomato paste.
Then add the veggie broth, tamari, miso, water, capers, green olives and soy curls, bring to boil, then immediately lower to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes, untouched. Do not remove the lid, do not stir.
After 30 minutes, test the tenderness of the rice, by pulling a few rice kernels off the top. Resist the urge to stir. If the rice is not done, place the lid back on and check every 10 minutes until the rice is tender. Note: If most of the liquid has evaporated and the rice is not done add a couple tablespoons of water at a time until the rice is tender. The key is to have the liquid evaporated and the rice to be tender at the same time. Keep adding very small amounts of water if all the liquid has evaporated until the rice is tender. Do not stir. The rice will become creamy like a risotto and that is not what we are looking for with this recipe. Stirring releases the starches in the rice.
Serve immediately with freshly chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon, if desired.

Notes

*Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients. If using a brand other than Pacific that has a mild/mellow flavor, you may wish to use 2 cups broth and ½ cup water.

*Miso: We use Miso Master Organic Mellow White Premium Lite Miso, Certified Gluten Free. Miso really lends itself to balancing flavors when you don’t use oil. You can also substitute with chickpea miso for a soy free version.

*Olives: We used Mezzetta Italian Castelvetrano Whole Green Olives. These olives do have pits so if you use olives with pits, remind dinner guests of the same.

*Capers: We love capers. They are tiny little balls of brininess. However, some folks might find them a tad bit bitter. If unsure, leave them out or use a smaller amount of capers. Also, select a good quality caper.

*Tamari: We used San J Tamari Soy Sauce, Gluten Free, Reduced Sodium. You can substitute the tamari with reduced sodium soy sauce, Braggs Liquid Aminos, or Braggs Coconut Liquid Aminos.

*Soy Curls: We found it challenging to find soy curls in our local grocery stores. We ended up buying them from Amazon. We purchased Butler Soy Curls 100% natural, no additives or preservatives, non-GMO, grown without chemical pesticides. However, if you want to make this dish without soy curls, you can add 2 cans of your favorite beans.

*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Servings: 4-6

*Storage: Refrigerate, use within 7 days.