Brazilian Feijoada (Black Bean Stew)

This hearty stew, Brazil’s national dish, is typically made with a variety of beef and pork products, along with black beans. Our version keeps the beans and features seitan and ‘sausage’, along with sweet potatoes, bell peppers and fire-roasted tomatoes. Seasoned with chives, cumin, thyme, and cilantro, feijoada is traditionally garnished with orange slices. It is served over rice and topped with farofa (toasted yucca flour) and plated with sautéed leafy greens.

Cuisine: Brazilian Prep: 10 min Cook: 40 min Total: 50 min Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for frying)

• 1 large red onion, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 red/yellow/orange bell pepper, seeded and diced

• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)

• 1 teaspoon thyme (1-2 springs)

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained

• 1 cup vegetable broth (made from scratch by reduction)

  • ½ cup carrots, chopped

  • ½ cup celery, chopped

  • 1 cup onion, chopped

  • 2 cups water

• 3 cups cooked or 2 (15.5 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 box seitan (soy protein), broken up into 1” chucks

• 2 Beyond Meat sausage links, sliced about ½” thick

Garnish:

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

• 1 orange, halved and sliced

• ¼ cup farofa (toasted yucca flour)

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened and golden, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the garlic and bell pepper and cook another 2 minutes. Add diced jalapeño if desired at this point.

3. Stir in the thyme, paprika, cumin, black pepper, and sweet potato.

4. Add the tomatoes with the juice and vegetable broth and bring to a boil.

5. With 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, sautéed the seitan and sausage in frying pan for about 2 minutes in high heat, until surfaces are browned and charred. This will add texture to the protein and prevent it from falling apart when cooked in the stew.

6. Lower the heat to a simmer and stir in the beans, seitan, and sausage. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, and the flavors have developed, about 30 minutes.

7. Stir in the cilantro and serve hot over rice, garnished with orange slices, farofa and addition cilantro if desired. Bom Apetite!

Recipe Notes: Feijoada (fay-ZHWA-dah) originated among Brazilian enslaved Africans, who prepared flavorful dishes from the leftover foods they were given after the plantation owners had feasted. Today, feijoada is the festive national dish of Brazil. It is eaten in a leisurely fashion by friends and family as they sit around socializing and chatting. There are a multitude of regional, family, and personal variations of feijoada, which traditionally would include several different smoked meats. The elements that transform black beans into feijoada are Brazilian rice, collard greens, fresh orange sections, and toasted yucca flour, which is called farofa in Brazil.