Waleska Rodríguez, businesswoman and founder of the restaurant Bori Vegan on Esmeralda Avenue in Puerto Rico, says a Puerto Rican Christmas can be celebrated without lechón (roast pork), with plant-based versions of the island’s traditional holiday dishes. Rodríguez, who has spent almost 11 years showing that plant-based cooking has a place in Puerto Rican cuisine, said many ingredients in local cooking are already plant-based.
"You can enjoy the holidays without eating lechón, of course you can," she said
"You can enjoy the holidays without eating lechón, of course you can," she said, recommending pasteles filled with lentils or chickpeas, potato salad made with plant ingredients, and the traditional arroz con gandules. To replace the animal protein, she proposes tofu seasoned pavochón-style with pepper, oregano, salt and a little achiote oil, then cooked in the oven or an air fryer, or chickpeas sautéed with the same seasonings, which she called economical and rich in fiber and vitamins.
She recommends one cup of vegetables for every cup of potato or pasta, and more gandules than rice. For desserts, she said arroz con dulce can be made with coconut milk and cream and tembleque already uses coconut milk as its main ingredient, provided other ingredients contain no animal products. Rodríguez, who offers vegan cooking classes at Bori Vegan and prepares pasteles, arroz con gandules and takeout dinners for Thanksgiving and Christmas, said plant-based meals need not be expensive and can start from pantry staples like rice, beans, gandules, chickpeas and vegetables. "The holidays are for enjoying, not for being on a diet," she concluded.