Wolfgang Grobauer’s vegetarian ropa vieja with a twist

Ropa vieja — a moreish dish of tender shredded beef, slowly cooked in a fragrant tomato sauce — is a famous Spanish cuisine recipe, with numerous regional variations across the world. It’s popular in Latin America and known as the national dish of Cuba, and some food historians believe that the recipe was brought to the Caribbean by migrants from the Canary Islands. The Canarian version of ropa vieja is different from the Cuban one, typically made with shredded flank steak and served with black beans, rice and fried plantains.

In the Canary Islands the dish is traditionally prepared with both chickpeas and potatoes, as well as any leftover meat, usually beef or chicken, the name ropa vieja (“old clothes”) potentially referring to the use of kitchen scraps.  

Grand Hotel Residencia’s Head Chef, Wolfgang Grobauer, proposes a vegetarian fine dining version of the beloved classic. His gourmet take on ropa vieja blends Spanish tradition with bold Asian-inspired flavours, in Chef Wolfgang’s emblematic cooking style.

Before taking the helm at Grand Hotel Residencia almost 15 years ago, Wolfgang Grobauer had been awarded Michelin star accolades several times, for his work at Landhaus Dill and Cöllns Austerstuben in Hamburg and U Santa Maria in Corsica.

His cooking is inimitable: fresh, light and inventive, drawing from extensive travels and vast flavourful experiences from around the world. The focus on the seasonality of Canarian ingredients has placed sustainability and zero-miles products at the heart of Chef Wolfgang’s kitchen. Frequent menu changes allow his team to serve local products at their very best, adapting to their availability and skilfully fusing traditional Canarian ingredients with international techniques and spices. Wolfgang’s gourmet vegetarian recipe for ropa vieja features two kinds of seasonal squash and is ideal for trying at home. 

Wolfgang Grobauer’s vegetarian ropa vieja recipe is bursting with bold, warming flavours: spicy chilli, sautéd shallots, freshly grated roots of turmeric and ginger, tangy coriander, zesty lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. The seasonal butternut squash is used both in the form of silky purée as well as scooped balls, while slices of Hokkaido pumpkin are sautéd in fragrant sesame oil, creating an exciting fusion of textures and flavours. Simmered in coconut milk and finished with shapely balls of sweet, juicy papaya and shiny pomegranate seeds, this is a perfect seasonal vegetarian dish. Cooked with traditional chickpeas for added protein, pumpkin ropa vieja is a well-balanced, delicious meal without the need for adding meat. This is one of Wolfgang Grobauer’s favourite vegetarian fine dining recipes.  

“Ropa Vieja with Hokkaido and Butternut Squash” 

Recipe for 2 people 

Ingredients 

• 40 g cooked chickpeas 

• 60 g papaya (scooped into balls or diced) 

• 2 shallots, diced 

• 250 g butternut squash purée 

• 100 g Hokkaido pumpkin, sliced 

• 80 g butternut squash (balls or cubes) 

• 1 tbsp sesame oil 

• 125 g vegetable stock 

• 80 g butter 

• 50 g coconut milk 

• 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds 

• 1 small chilli 

• Fresh ginger and turmeric to taste 

• A little fresh coriander, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves 

• Salt and pepper 

• A few garden herbs and edible flowers to garnish 

Preparation 

1. Lightly sauté the Hokkaido slices in sesame oil, then finish cooking them in the oven with a splash of vegetable stock. Set aside. 
2. Cook the butternut squash in a little butter and vegetable stock until just glazed, then set aside. 
3. Sauté the diced shallots in butter, add the squash purée and vegetable stock, bring to the boil once, then add the spices. 
4. Stir in the coconut milk and chickpeas, allow to simmer briefly, and bind with the remaining butter. Season again with salt and pepper. 
5. Add the papaya, pumpkin balls and slices to the “Ropa Vieja”. 

6. Arrange as desired and garnish with pomegranate seeds, fresh herbs and edible flowers. 

Enjoy recreating this dish! 

If you enjoy this recipe, you could also try recreating Chef Grobauer’s Arroz Meloso with sobrasada and sea bass. Its silky, creamy rice base is flavoured with saffron treads, fish stock and spicy sobrasada, and topped with a confit sea bass fillet, marinated in thyme and lemon. Chef Wolfgang is always happy to share his fine-dining secrets, as he’s constantly creating seasonal delicacies for the guests of Grand Hotel Residencia’s restaurant. Winter holidays are a great time for gourmet travels, offering sun-soaked afternoons and fresh culinary delights.