September 29, 2022
Vegan Giniling (Filipino Picadillo)
This vegan Giniling (also known as Filipino Picadillo), is a delicious one-skillet meal that’s easy to prepare and requires simple ingredients. Vegan ground sausage is simmered in a rich tomato sauce with hearty potatoes and vegetables until tender – make sure to serve over white rice for the ultimate comfort meal!
vegan giniling (aka filipino picadillo)
This vegan Giniling, also known as Filipino Picadillo, is the ultimate comfort food! It’s rich and savory, with the perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and tangy.
Picadillo comes from the Spanish word picar, meaning to mince or chop. It is a traditional dish in many Latin American countries and the Philippines. In the Philippines, picadillo is commonly made with ground beef or pork, potatoes, onions, and garlic, and cooked in a rich tomato sauce. Depending on the region, different ingredients such as raisins, carrots, and olives are added. It can be either soupy or more dry. Usually, the drier version is called giniling.
Growing up, we always had the ingredients for giniling on hand – and there was always a pot of rice in the rice cooker – so this dish was prepared often as it was easy, minimal, and fairly quick to make.
I have so many fond memories of this dish and I’m so happy I’m still able to enjoy it vegan! Grab a drink and let’s get to cooking the best vegan giniling!
what goes in vegan giniling
This dish is so simple and wholesome, requiring mostly fridge and pantry staples that we always have on hand! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Vegan ground sausage or ground beef: I like to use Impossible ground sausage or ground beef as they’re the most “realistic” in flavor. That said, I’ve also used Beyond Meat, Gardein, Target’s brand Good & Gather, and so much more (pretty much whatever I find at my local grocery store), so feel free to use your favorite brand or whatever is accessible to you!
- Aromatics: tomatoes, onions, green chilies, red pepper flakes, garlic, tomato paste, soy sauce and white vinegar are married together to create a delicious and rich sauce.
- Vegan beef broth: I like to use Better Than Bouillon No Beef bouillon base or Edwards and Sons Not Beef bouillon cubes (simply mix with water to create a broth), but if you can’t find either, a good vegetable broth or mushroom broth will work, too!
- Starchy vegetables: potatoes and carrots
- Green peas: I always, always, always have frozen veggies stocked in my freezer. I say this often, but I feel like frozen veggies get a bad rap, but I love them because they’re often times more cost-effective, last longer, and have just as much nutritional value as their fresh counterparts. You can throw these in frozen or take them out and let them defrost and room temperature while you’re preparing the rest of the dish.
- Green olives: I know this one sounds weird … my family actually never added olives in their giniling, but it is a common ingredient. I think the green olives add the perfect briny quality to this dish and really take it from good to great!
- Cooked rice: for serving, duh! Filipinos never have a meal without rice and giniling is its perfect accompaniment!
how to make vegan giniling
This dish is so easy to prepare. All you really have to do is chop, stir, and simmer! Here’s how to make it:
1. saute:
Heat some oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the sausage, season with the red pepper flakes and cook, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon, until heated through. Add the tomatoes, onion, peppers and garlic, and season with the salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, and the garlic is fragrant.
2. simmer:
Mix in the tomato paste, broth, soy sauce, and vinegar. Add the potatoes and carrots, tossing to combine, and increase the heat to high. Once at a light boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are just barely tender, 20 to 25 minutes
3. mix:
Add the peas and olives, mixing to combine. Cover and simmer another 5 to 10 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.
4. serve and enjoy!
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve immediately with white rice and enjoy!
if you like this vegan giniling, you might enjoy these vegan filipino recipes as well
tools you need
vegan giniling: the ultimate filipino comfort food
I hope you love vegan Giniling as much as I do! If you try this dish and enjoy it, I wanna know! Snap a photo, take a video, or make a story and post it to Instagram or TikTok, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing your recreations of my recipes!
Til next time, friends!
XO!
- • 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- • 1 pound vegan ground sausage or ground beef
- • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- • 1-pound tomatoes, seeds removed and roughly chopped
- • 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
- • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- • 2 long green chilies or Anaheim peppers, deseeded and chopped
- • 8 cloves garlic, minced
- • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- • ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
- • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- • 2 cups vegan beef broth
- • ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- • ¼ cup white vinegar
- • 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾"-inch pieces
- • 2 cups finely chopped carrots
- • 1 cup green peas
- • ½ cup green olives, cut in half
- • Cooked rice, for serving
- Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the sausage, season with the red pepper flakes and cook, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon, until heated through, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, onion, peppers and garlic, and season with the salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, and the garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Next, mix in the tomato paste, broth, soy sauce, and vinegar. Add the potatoes and carrots, tossing to combine, and increase the heat to high. Once at a light boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are just barely tender, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every so often.
- Add the peas and olives, mixing to combine. Simmer another 8 to 10 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
- Serve immediately with white rice and enjoy!
