# Help me decide on a Cuban-style vegetable. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 11, 2008, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decide-on-a-cuban-style-vegetable/452583 "2008-06-11T16:20:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decide-on-a-cuban-style-vegetable/452583/1 "2008-06-11T16:20:08Z")
My dad, as always, is hosting Father’s Day and will be making Cuban sandwiches. (Yum!) If there’s one thing I can count on about Dad, it’s that there will be nothing (besides pickles) that has ever been anywhere near a vegetable on the menu, so I’d like to make something up. My first thought was a spinach salad with black beans and a sour orange vinaigrette. I’m wondering if there’s something marginally more authentic that I could whip up pretty easily. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decide-on-a-cuban-style-vegetable/452583/2 "2008-06-11T16:32:56Z")
The Cuban place I often go to has an amazing fried yucca dish. It’s like french fries, but a little chewier and sweeter. Served w/ minced garlic for dipping. They’re really really good. They also have fried plantains which are pretty decent if done right. ---
**Author:** ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decide-on-a-cuban-style-vegetable/452583/3 "2008-06-11T16:32:56Z")
I’m not the world’s greatest expert on Cuban cuisine, but how about [yuca](http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/YUCA-WITH-GARLIC-SAUCE-239954) or [plantains](http://www.recipehound.com/Recipes/Recipes2/6835.html) ? My experiences with Cuban salads have been incredibly simple: lettuce, tomato and avocado. Definitely never seen anything involving spinach, though I think cabbage makes an appearance. If that doesn’t sound exciting enough, [this](http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/grilled-vegetable-salad-with-cuban-mojo) recipe looked rather interesting, though I don’t think it’s remotely traditional. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decide-on-a-cuban-style-vegetable/452583/4 "2008-06-11T21:19:46Z")
There are several Cuban soups with veggies in them, including your classic garbanzo bean soup, and _caldo gallego,_ which is made with white beans and collard greens. Both are made with meat as well, however. If you want a vegetarian dish, try black bean soup. Excellent recipes for all of these can be found in [_Clarita’s Cocina._](http://www.amazon.com/Claritas-Cocina-Traditional-Recipes-Spanish/dp/0942084748/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213219139&sr=1-1) ---
**Author:** ![usar\_jag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f0a364/32.png) [@usar\_jag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usar_jag)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decide-on-a-cuban-style-vegetable/452583/5 "2008-06-12T00:44:31Z")
It’s not a vegetable, but have you thought about making tostones? Basically, it’s twice fried plantian pieces. They are a perfect side for a cubano sandwhich–full of salty, sweet, deep-fried goodness… ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decide-on-a-cuban-style-vegetable/452583/6 "2008-06-12T01:00:20Z")
A popular spinach-like vegetable in the caribbean is [Callaloo](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=callaloo+recipe&revid=195680895&sa=X&oi=revisions_inline&resnum=0&ct=revision&cd=1). It’s often cooked in different preperations and spinach is a perfectly acceptable substitute for the traditional Amaranth leaves. I don’t think it’s very popular in Cuba because I normally associate it with Jamaica, but it is a caribbean dish. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decide-on-a-cuban-style-vegetable/452583/7 "2008-06-12T01:03:05Z")
Fourthing fried plantains. Or grill them while basting with a rum/pineapple juice marinade. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decide-on-a-cuban-style-vegetable/452583/8 "2008-06-12T03:59:04Z")
Although it’s not the perfect accompaniement to Cuban Sandwiches, the traditional [Callaloo](http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/caribbean/callaloo.html) preperation of spinach, slightly sweet coconut milk, okra, and lusious crab meat all slow stewed together might get your Dad to eat his veggies \*and \* simultaneously change his mind about okra and spinach. It’s almost a standalone dish, plus it’s easy to make. (With the callaloo you could probably even get away with canned crab (Hey, not everybody has access to, or can afford, fresh crab!)). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decide-on-a-cuban-style-vegetable/452583/9 "2008-06-12T04:57:16Z")
Actually, [Cuban vegetables can be more fun than you’d think.](http://www.freakingnews.com/Fidel-Castro-in-Hospital-Pictures-27777.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decide-on-a-cuban-style-vegetable/452583/10 "2008-06-12T05:00:05Z")
[QUOTE=HelloNinja] The Cuban place I often go to has an amazing fried yucca dish. It’s like french fries, but a little chewier and sweeter. Served w/ minced garlic for dipping. They’re really really good. [/QUOTE] [Yuca](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuca), not [yucca](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucca). One’s a starchy tuber, the other’s a family of agave plants. And yuca is awesome fried like that. I’d recommend the yuca. I also fourth/fifth the tostones, and they’re really easy to make. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-decide-on-a-cuban-style-vegetable/452583/11 "2008-06-12T07:06:09Z")
:smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: Soup and sandwich! [Callaloo soup](http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Callaloo-Soup/Detail.aspx) and your Dad’s Cuban Sandwiches… If I owned a Jamaican or a Cuban Restaurant I would put it on the menu as a lunch special.