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Vegetarian feijoada
Feijoada vegetariana: smoky black bean stew with mushrooms and sweet potato (plus overnight soaking)
Feijoada is Brazil's national dish, the slow black bean stew that Rio de Janeiro and the rest of the country eat for long Saturday lunches. The classic version is loaded with smoked pork; this feijoada vegetariana gets its depth from well-browned mushrooms, smoked paprika and bay instead, with sweet potato melting into the dark, glossy broth. Serve it the proper way: white rice, couve à mineira, farofa and slices of orange to cut the richness. Chef's tip: once the beans are tender, mash a ladleful against the side of the pot and stir it back in. That's how Brazilian cooks get the thick, velvety caldo that coats the rice, rather than a thin soup.
- Total time
- 105 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the beans
For the stew
To serve
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Drain the soaked 1 ⅛ lb dried black beans and rinse them. Soaking overnight (8–12 hours) halves the cooking time and helps the beans cook evenly, so they turn creamy rather than splitting.
Step 2: Put the beans in a large heavy pot with the 3 bay leaves and 8 ¼ cups water. Bring to the boil, skim off the grey foam, then lower the heat and simmer, half covered, for 45–60 minutes until the beans are just tender when squeezed between two fingers. Don't salt yet; salt early can keep the skins tough.
55 minStep 3: While the beans cook, heat half the 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide frying pan over a high heat. Add the 14 oz chestnut or shiitake mushrooms in a single layer and leave them alone for 3–4 minutes, until they're deeply browned underneath, then toss and brown the other side. Crowding the pan makes them steam and go grey; brown them in two batches if you need to. This browning stands in for the smoked meat, so take it far.
8 minStep 4: Turn the pan to medium, add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and the 2 onions and fry for 6–8 minutes, until soft and golden at the edges. Add the 6 garlic cloves, 2 tsp smoked paprika and 1 tsp ground cumin and stir for 1 minute until it smells smoky and sweet, without letting the garlic brown. Stir in the 1 tbsp tomato purée for another minute.
9 minStep 5: Tip the onion and mushroom mixture into the bean pot, along with the 14 oz sweet potato and 2 carrots. Scrape the frying pan out with a splash of the bean liquid so none of the browned bits are wasted.
Step 6: Simmer uncovered over a low-medium heat for 25–30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sweet potato is very tender and starting to break at the edges. Add a little hot water if the stew gets thicker than a loose porridge.
28 minStep 7: Scoop out a ladleful of beans, mash them against the side of the pot with the back of the ladle and stir back in. Season with the 2 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and simmer 5 minutes more. The broth should turn dark, glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon.
5 minStep 8: Fish out the bay leaves and scatter over the 3 spring onions. Serve with cooked white rice, couve à mineira (garlicky shredded greens), farofa (toasted manioc meal) and slices of 2 oranges on the side. Like all feijoada, it tastes even better the next day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 18 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vegetarian feijoada take?
- About 105 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 85 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of dried black beans?
- Kidney or pinto beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
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