Puerto Rican Vegan Sancocho

This Puerto Rican Vegan Sancocho is a hearty one-pot meal that’s easy to make and packed with authentic Caribbean flavor. Inspired by the traditional Puerto Rican sancocho recipe, this plant-based version features a delicious combination of root vegetables, squash, and fresh herbs for a comforting vegan Latin American stew that’s perfect for any time of year.

What Is Sancocho?

Sancocho is a traditional Latin American stew enjoyed throughout Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Cuba, and other Caribbean and Latin American countries. The name comes from the Spanish verb sancochar, which means “to parboil.” Historians believe the dish originated in Spain’s Canary Islands as a fish stew before making its way to the Caribbean with Spanish settlers.

In Puerto Rico, traditional sancocho is typically made with beef, beef broth, and a variety of root vegetables and tropical tubers, many of which are native to the island or were introduced through African culinary traditions. It’s a beloved comfort food often served during family gatherings, holiday celebrations, rainy days, or after a lively parranda during the Christmas season.

This vegan Puerto Rican sancocho keeps all the rich flavors and comforting textures of the classic recipe while replacing the meat with wholesome vegetables and plant-based ingredients. The result is a nourishing, satisfying stew that’s naturally gluten-free and full of authentic Caribbean flavor.

Like the traditional version, this Puerto Rican vegan stew is best served with fluffy white rice, crusty bread, and slices of creamy avocado for a complete and comforting meal.

Ingredients for Puerto Rican Vegan Sancocho

Making this Puerto Rican Vegan Sancocho Recipe requires a few simple adjustments from the traditional version. Since I live in Washington State, finding authentic Puerto Rican ingredients like green plantains, yautía, and other tropical root vegetables can sometimes be challenging. Thankfully, I found a local Asian market that carries many of the ingredients needed to recreate the flavors of this classic Puerto Rican stew.

For this vegan sancocho recipe, I use a combination of traditional Caribbean root vegetables, fresh herbs, and Puerto Rican seasonings to create a flavorful, hearty, and comforting plant-based stew.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

• Green plantains – a staple ingredient in Puerto Rican cuisine that adds texture and body to the stew
• Cassava (yuca)
• Taro root (yautía/batata)
• Yams
• Kabocha squash
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Corn on the cob
• Mushrooms – used as a meat substitute, but you can also use your favorite plant-based meat alternative
• Culantro (recao) and cilantro – essential herbs that give sancocho its authentic Caribbean flavor
• Dry oregano, bay leaves, cumin, and your favorite herbs and spices
• Sofrito – the flavorful base of many Puerto Rican recipes made with peppers, onions, garlic, herbs, and spices. Sofrito is what gives Puerto Rican dishes their signature flavor, and a good sancocho always starts with sofrito. You can find my homemade recipe here: Puerto Rican Sofrito.
• Sazón and adobo
• Vegetable broth
• Tomato sauce
• Achiote oil or olive oil – for added color and flavor. You can find my achiote oil recipe here: Puerto Rican Rice Pasteles – Vegan.

Tips for Making the Best Vegan Sancocho

• Feel free to customize your Puerto Rican vegan stew by adding or replacing vegetables and root vegetables based on what you can find or your personal preference.
• Adjust the amount of broth and water depending on the consistency you like. Add more liquid for a soupier sancocho or reduce the broth for a thicker, heartier stew.
• Peel the roots, potatoes, and green plantains carefully, then place them in a bowl or pot with vegetable broth to prevent them from turning brown while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
• For this recipe, I used purple yam, which adds a beautiful color and natural sweetness. Since purple yam is sweeter than other roots, it can slightly change the flavor of the sancocho. For a more traditional taste, use white batata (white sweet potato) or substitute with additional potatoes.
• Take your time making the sofrito. The sofrito is the heart of Puerto Rican cooking, and a sancocho without sofrito simply doesn’t have the same authentic flavor.
• Cook the mushrooms separately for about 8 minutes, then add them near the end of cooking. This helps keep their texture and prevents them from becoming too soft.
• If you cannot find culantro (recao), increase the amount of cilantro or substitute it with Italian parsley. While the flavor will be slightly different, your sancocho will still be delicious.

This vegan Puerto Rican sancocho proves that you can enjoy the traditional flavors of Puerto Rican comfort food while creating a plant-based version that’s nourishing, flavorful, and full of Caribbean sazón.

In conclusion, if you give this recipe a try, let me know what you think! Leave a comment below. Also, don’t forget to take a picture and share it on my Facebook page or tag it #thehungrydragonfly on Instagram! I love seeing your creations!

Other Puerto Rican recipes you will love:

Vegan Quesitos – Puerto Rican Cream Cheese Pastries

Puerto Rican Vegan Bacalaitos; Bacalaitos Veganos

Coquito de Almendra – Receta de Puerto Rico / Puerto Rican Coquito

Puerto Rican Tostones – Fried Plantains

Sorullitos de Maiz Veganos-Puerto Rican Corn Fritters Vegan

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Puerto Rican Vegan Sancocho

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Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 35 minutes mins

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Servings 8 people

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Ingredients

• 4 tbsp achiote oil or olive oil
• 1/2 cup sofrito
• 1 pound bottom mushrooms
• 5-6 cups veggie broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 green plantain, peeled and chopped into 1-inch circles
• 1 large cassava (yuca), peeled and chopped
• 1 yam (batata), peeled and cubed
• 1 large taro root (yautia), *see notes
• 2 large yellow potatoes, cubed
• 1-2 carrots, sliced
• 1 corn cobb, sliced into 2-inch circles
• 1 cup kabocha squash or butternut squash
• 1 tbsp or eaach adobo and sazon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 of each handful of cilantro and culantro (recao)
• 1/4 tomato sauce

Instructions

• Carefully peel the roots and veggies and add it to a large bowl filled with the veggie broth.
• Preheat a large caldero or Dutch oven to medium heat. Add oil, sofrito, and sauté for a few minutes. 
• Add mushrooms and sauté for 8 minutes, remove mushrooms and set aside.
• Add roots and plantains with broth, herbs, seasonings, and water to the caldero or Dutch oven.
• Cook for 8 minutes, then add corn, bay leaf, tomato sauce, and kabocha squash. Cook for 25 minutes or until veggies and roots are tender. Add mushrooms and stir to incorporate.
• Serve with white rice, avocado, and bread. Enjoy!

Notes

*I recommend you to use white batata because purple yam or ube is very sweet and will make your sancocho very sweet. If you can't find white batata replace it with more potato.