Recipe

Brazilian Black Bean Stew

By: 

Co+op

Recipe Information

Total Time: 

30 minutes

Servings: 

4

This quick-to-make version of the traditional, special-occasion Brazilian stew (feijoada) is irresistible!

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1 cup yellow onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño peppers, minced
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
  • 2 15-ounce cans cooked black beans, including liquid
  • 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (fire roasted if available)
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • 4 links (12 ounces) vegetarian sausage, chipotle flavored

Garnish

  • 1 orange, cut in wedges
  • 1 cup yellow onion, thinly julienned
  • 1 lime
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce

Preparation

  1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add diced onions and saute until limp. Add garlic, jalapeño peppers and chipotle powder and saute a few minutes. Add tomatoes, liquid smoke, bay leaf and both cans of black beans; bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often. Use the back of the spoon to gently mash some of the beans to thicken the mixture.
  2. While the beans are cooking, toss the julienned onions with the lime juice and hot sauce; set aside. Just before serving, place on a plate with wedges of orange and use to garnish the stew.
  3. Slice the sausage links into bite-sized chunks and lightly brown in a skillet with one teaspoon of vegetable oil. Add the cooked sausage to the bean mixture just before serving (faux meats tend to disintegrate when simmered in soups or stews, so add them at the end of the cooking time).
  4. Variation: The Brazilian dish, Feijoada, is traditionally made with bacon and salted or smoked meats, like corned beef, kielbasa, chorizo, Italian sausage, and smoked ham. Brown or braise up to a pound and a half of any combination of bacon, sausages and meat in the vegetable oil with the onions and spices prior to adding the beans and tomatoes, then let the stew simmer for 40 minutes or until thick.

Serving Suggestion

This hearty stew is delicious over cooked brown rice and garnished with citrus-marinated onions and wedges of brightly-flavored oranges. Add a side of collard greens for color and nutrition.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 316, Fat: 15 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 788 mg, Carbohydrate: 65 g, Dietary Fiber: 18 g, Protein: 36 g