Vegan Chiles en Nogada (2024)

5 from 8 votes

• ▢ 1 ½ cups lentils dry
• ▢ ½ Onion, large
• ▢ 2 Garlic cloves, peeled, smashed
• ▢ 2 Large tomatoes, (see note)
• ▢ 6 Poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, seeds removed

Lentil picadillo:

• ▢ 1 tbsp Avocado oil
• ▢ ½ Onion, minced (1 cup)
• ▢ 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• ▢ 2 ½ tbsp. Raisins
• ▢ ¾ cup Diced ripe plantain
• ▢ ¼ cup Bosc pear, diced
• ▢ ¼ cup Honeycrisp apple, diced
• ▢ ¼ cup Pinenuts
• ▢ ¼ cup Slivered almonds
• ▢ 8 Manzanilla olives, quartered (optional)
• ▢ 1 tbsp. Chopped capers (optional)
• ▢ ⅛ tsp. Clove, ground
• ▢ ¼ tsp. Cinnamon, ground
• ▢ ⅛ tsp. Ground black pepper
• ▢ ⅛ tsp thyme, dried
• ▢ ⅛ tsp oregano, dried

Sauce:

• ▢ 1 ½ cup Walnuts, soaked in water the night before, drained
• ▢ 1 ½ cup Almond milk, unsweetened
• ▢ 1 ½ cup Baguette or bolillo, cut crust off, cut bread into cubes
• ▢ 1 ½ tsp. Sugar or sweetener of choice
• ▢ 1 ½ tsp. sweet Sherry wine or white wine
• ▢ Salt to taste

Garnish:

• ▢ 1 Pomegranate, cut, peeled, and seeds removed
• ▢ ¼ cup Chopped parsley

• Fill a medium pot with water and add lentils, ½ of an onion, and 2 smashed garlic cloves. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

• While the lentils are cooking, place the two tomatoes and the poblano peppers on a sheet tray. Turn your oven broiler to high and place sheet tray on the top rack of the oven. Let them cook for a couple of minutes on each side until the tomato and the chiles begin to soften and have black spots all over. Remove from heat. Place the tomates and chiles in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest 5 minutes.

• Drain the lentils, reserve 1 cup of the lentil cooking liquid, and using a potato masher, mash them to break them up.

• Peel the poblano peppers, make 1 cut lengthwise with a knife, and remove the seeds. Set aside.

• Remove half of the skin off of the tomatoes, and using a blender process them into a puree. Set aside.

• Set a large pot to medium heat, add oil, and onion. Cook for 4-5 minutes until onion begins to soften and look translucent.

• Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.

• Add cooked lentils, mix well, and pour in tomato puree. Let cook for 3-4 minutes or until the puree begins to bubble and change to a darker red color.

• Add the raisin and plantain and bring to a simmer. Add clove, cinnamon, black pepper, plantain, apple, pear, almonds, olives, and capers. Stir mixture.

• Add 1 cup of the liquid you reserved from the lentils, and simmer for 20 min or until the plantain is cooke through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

• While the picadillo is cooking, soak the cut bread in the cup of almond milk for 5 minutes.

• In a blender, place the soaked bread and milk, previously soaked and drained walnuts, sugar, and white wine, blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt. It should have the consistency of a cream sauce. If it is too thick, add more almond milk. Set aside.

• Stuff the chiles rellenos with the lentil picadillo. Place the chiles seam side down on a plate. Pour walnut sauce over them, and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley.

It is not traditional, but I like to add olives and capers. You can omit them if you like.

To save time you can buy pre-cooked lentils, and substitute the tomatoes with 1 cup of pureed roasted diced tomatoes (canned). Do not heat up the walnut sauce. Instead of lentils you could use TVP, beefless crumbles or jackfruit.