Recipe

Habanera-style soy picadillo with potatoes and olives

Name: Habanera-style soy picadillo with potatoes and olives
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 150 g fine-grain dry textured soy (approx. 1½ cups); 400 ml vegetable broth or hot water (1⅔ cups); 60 ml vegetable or olive oil (4 tablespoons); 1 large onion (about 200 g), finely chopped; 1 green pepper (about 150 g), finely chopped; 4 garlic cloves, crushed or chopped; 1 bay leaf; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ½ teaspoon dried oregano; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; 60 ml dry wine (¼ cup); 300 g ripe tomato (2 medium), grated; 400 g potatoes (2 medium), peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes; 250 ml vegetable broth or water (1 cup); 60 g pitted green olives (about 15–20), sliced; 1 teaspoon salt, approximately; 30 g raisins (3 tablespoons), optional; Cooked white rice, to serve (optional)

Fine-textured hydrated soy stewed with sofrito, tomato, potatoes, and olives until loose and juicy. Serves 4.

CiberCubaNovember 7, 2026

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Preparation20 min
Cooking40 min
Total time1 h 5 min
Servings4 servings
DifficultyEasy

Habanera-style picadillo is recognized by its sofrito of onion, garlic, and pepper, its tomato sauce, the olives, and, if desired, a touch of dry wine and raisins. This version takes that style and applies it to fine-grain dry textured soy, with no meat, no ham, and no meat broth.

The key lies in two moments: hydrate the soy well and squeeze it gently, then sauté it before adding the tomato, so it absorbs the flavor of the sofrito and does not end up watery. The potatoes, cut into 1 cm cubes, cook inside the same stew until tender. The result is a loose picadillo with little free sauce, served on the plate with white rice. It is not a compact salad nor a bread-based preparation: it is a spoon-and-fork stew.

Method

Hydrate the soy

Place the dry soy in a large bowl and pour the 400 ml of vegetable broth or hot water over it. Stir to ensure all the grains are wet and let hydrate for 10–15 minutes, or the time indicated on the package, until soft with no hard center. If you see dry grains, add more hot liquid one tablespoon at a time.
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Drain the soy in a fine strainer and press it gently with the back of a spoon, or squeeze it by handfuls without pressing too hard: it should be moist but not dripping, not dry or compact. You will have about 400–450 g of hydrated soy. Discard the remaining liquid.
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Prepare the stew

While the soy hydrates, finely chop the onion and pepper, and crush or chop the garlic. Peel the potatoes, cut them into 1 cm cubes, and leave them in cold water so they do not darken. Grate the tomatoes and discard the skin.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and sauté for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute, without letting it burn.
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Add the drained soy, increase to medium-high heat, and sauté for 4–5 minutes, stirring and breaking up clumps, until it looks loose with some golden spots. This way it takes on the flavor of the sofrito and loses excess moisture.
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Incorporate the cumin, oregano, pepper, and bay leaf and stir for 30 seconds. Pour in the dry wine and let it evaporate for 1–2 minutes.
Add the grated tomato and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until it reduces slightly and takes on a darker red color.
Add the drained potatoes, the 250 ml of vegetable broth or water, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir, bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 15–18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. If it dries out too soon, add water 2 tablespoons at a time.
Uncover, add the olives (and raisins, if using), and cook 3–5 minutes uncovered over medium heat. Stir gently to avoid breaking the potatoes, until the free liquid almost disappears and a thick sauce remains that coats the grains.
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Taste and adjust the salt now, as the olives release salt as they integrate. Remove the bay leaf, turn off the heat, and let rest covered for 5 minutes.
Serve hot, accompanied by white rice if desired.

Tips and variations

How to avoid it becoming watery. Squeeze the hydrated soy until it is moist but not dripping, and sauté it for 4–5 minutes before adding the tomato. Measure the stew liquid (250 ml is enough to cook the potatoes) and always finish the last few minutes uncovered, until only a little loose sauce remains at the bottom of the pot. If there is still liquid, increase the heat and stir gently for another minute or two.

How to avoid it becoming like paste. Do not squeeze the soy until it is dry and compact, do not mash it while stirring, and do not overcook it. If it looks dry or clumped before the potatoes are tender, add water 2 tablespoons at a time.

Salt, at the end. The vegetable broth and olives contribute salt. Add only ½ teaspoon during cooking and adjust after adding the olives and letting them integrate for a few minutes. If you oversalt, add a couple of tablespoons of water and a little grated tomato and let it reduce again.

The soy, always dry and pure. Use fine-grain dry textured soy and follow the times and proportions on the package: each brand absorbs differently. Do not substitute with a prepared frozen picadillo of unknown composition, as it may contain meat, salt, or additives and change the recipe.

Reference weights. 150 g of dry soy is approximately equal to 1½ cups. Once hydrated and drained, it weighs about 400–450 g. Do not use that hydrated weight as if it were dry.

Variations. Without dry wine, substitute it with the same amount of vegetable broth and a splash of lemon juice at the end. Raisins are optional and provide a sweet contrast. For a spicy touch, add a pinch of spicy pepper to the sofrito.

Storage. Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months, although the potatoes lose some firmness. Reheat over low heat with 1 or 2 tablespoons of water.