Have you ever eaten cow’s stomach? Yeah, I know. Not the most appetizing-sounding ingredient. But It’s a common staple in many cultures around the world. In our family’s Italian heritage, I used to hear about my grandpa who loved a dish called Tripe (“Trippa”) that contained it. And our Ecuadorian family grew up with a dish called “Guatita” that used it.

Guatita is a beef stew served in a creamy peanut sauce with big chunks of potato. The only ingredient you have to replace to make it vegan is the beef. To get that chewy, meaty texture, our favorite substitute is Seitan, made of wheat gluten. However, if you want a Gluten-Free option, you could also use little pieces of mushrooms, firm tofu, tempeh, or a combination of any of those.

This is a HUGE hit with our Ecuadorian relatives, who can’t believe we made a traditional dish so tasty with no meat. But in reality, you are only replacing one ingredient, so all the other flavors are still there!

It also goes over extremely well with kiddos, since they love peanut butter, potatoes, and chewy seitan. Be sure to cut all the ingredients as tiny as possible for kids, especially since Seitan could be a choking hazard for them.

Enjoy the peanut buttery potato-y goodness of our Guatita Vegana!

INGREDIENTS

3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Red Onion, diced small
1 Green Bell Pepper, diced small
¼ tsp. Ground Cumin
½ tsp. Paprika (or Ground Annatto if you can find it), for color
¼ tsp. Salt
3 Potatoes (large), peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 Cup Seitan, diced into small ¼ inch pieces (See Notes)
½ Cup Peanut Butter (creamy, natural type with no sugar or oil)
2 Tbsp. Cilantro, minced
Water
Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Pour 2 Cups of Water into a large stockpot. Add Onion, Garlic, Green Pepper, Cumin, Paprika (or Annatto), and Salt and bring to a boil on high heat. Boil for about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens, and most of the water is gone.
2. Add Diced Potatoes and Seitan into a pot, along with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to Medium Heat. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally, and reduce heat if sticking.
3. While Potatoes & Seitan are cooking, get a medium saucepan and pour in 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Add Peanut Butter into the water and reduce heat to Medium-Low. Use a whisk to combine water and Peanut Butter into a uniform sauce, until all chunks are gone. Keep a lid on it while the Potatoes and Seitan are cooking, so that it doesn’t dry out. (See Notes)
4. After the Potatoes & Seitan have cooked for the 20 minutes, add the Peanut Butter sauce into the stockpot. Cook on Medium-Low uncovered for about 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally so that it doesn’t stick. Reduce heat if it’s sticking too much. The sauce should turn from watery to thicker and creamy.
5. Remove from heat. Add freshly cracked Black Pepper (about 10 turns), or to taste. Add more salt to taste, if desired. Cilantro can be stirred into the Guatita in the stockpot, or sprinkled onto each serving in small quantities, according to taste preference.
6. Serve with a side of Brown Rice, extra Cilantro or Green Onion as a garnish, and sliced Avocado or Tomato. Also, if Plantain Chips are available in your area, they add a perfect crunchy texture to the dish.

Serves 4-6

NOTES

Most store-bought Seitan has oil in it, so homemade is the better choice for an Oil-Free option. We buy Vital Wheat Gluten flour from Bob’s Red Mill and then follow the recipe on the back of the bag for Basic Seitan. If we purchase store-bought Seitan, we use a full 8 oz. package of Sweet Earth Traditional Seitan Strips for this recipe. As noted earlier, if serving to small children, dice very small and watch them carefully as they eat, since Seitan could pose a choking hazard.

Alternatively, you can blend 2 Cups of warm water with the Peanut Butter to make a smoother sauce. However, I would recommend using a heavy-duty blender like a Vitamix for this job, as the Peanut Butter tends to jam and overheat a normal Oster blender.