my vegan sancocho

a different twist on the winter staple in my grandmother's house.

1/4 lb of field roast (found in the refrigerated section of the health food store)
4 quarts of vegetable stock
1/2 cup of sofrito
1 cup tomato sauce
1 lb each pumpkin, yautia, yam and cassava peeled and diced in 1 inch cubes (during the off season you can find all of this in the freezer section. My local Cuban grocery store was the best find
2 green platanos peeled and cut in 2 inch pieces
corn on the cob in small pieces (can be found in the freezer section)
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 quart of water

In a big soup pot, combine the first 5 ingredients, including all the root vegetables.
Cover and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients and bring to another boil.
Lower the heat and simmer, covered for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked. Adjust the seasonings to your taste.

Sofrito
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
10 sweet chili peppers, tops removed and seeded
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 onions, cut into large chunks
3 medium heads garlic, peeled
75 cilantro leaves with stems or how many you can get your hands on
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper


In a food processor, combine green peppers, red peppers, sweet chili peppers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Add cilantro, salt, and pepper. Process to the consistency of semi-chunky salsa (not watery). Place in a ziplock freezer bag, and use as needed, or freeze in portions.

I finally perfected the sofrito of old without the lard and ham. and tweaked a bit because in California I am not lucky to find the recao.