Luiza Prado de O. Martin’s recipe for Vegan Feijoada
Serves 3-4
250 g dried black beans or 2 cans cooked black beans
150 g smoked vegan sausage, cut into 2 cm slices
150 g smoked tofu, cut into 2-3 cm cubes
150 g butternut squash, cut into 2-3 cm cubes
1 whole orange, cut in half
2 tbsp olive oil or ghee
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp whole cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
3 bay leaves
1 hot red chili, sliced
1,25 L vegetable stock or water
a few dashes of liquid smoke (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Method
If using dried beans:
Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water, covering them by at least 4 extra centimeters. The next day, drain the beans and set aside.
Heat the olive oil or ghee in a large pot (or pressure cooker) over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion until it starts to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and cumin and stir until fragrant and golden, about 2 minutes. Add the beans and cover with vegetable stock or water. Add the vegan sausage, smoked tofu, squash, orange, spices, and liquid smoke (if using). Season with salt and pepper.
If you are using a regular pot, let the beans simmer on medium-low heat for at least two hours, occasionally topping up the pot with water if necessary to make sure the beans stay covered. If you are using a pressure cooker, cook on high for half an hour.
When done, individual beans should be creamy, with no remaining grittiness. The liquid should be dark and rich. The tofu, squash and sausages will start to break down. Remove the oranges and bay leaves before serving.
Serve with white rice, farofa, greens, and orange slices.
The stew freezes well, and can be reheated easily in the microwave or in a regular pot.
If using cooked beans:
Drain the beans. Heat the olive oil or ghee in a large pot (or pressure cooker) over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion until it starts to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and cumin and stir until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the beans and cover with vegetable stock or water. Add the vegan sausage, smoked tofu, squash, orange, spices, and liquid smoke (if using). Season with salt and pepper. Let it simmer for at least half an hour, until tofu and squash are starting to break down.
This method makes a slightly less flavorful stew with a lighter colored liquid, but is excellent in a pinch. When done, the tofu, squash and sausages should have started to break down. Remove the oranges and bay leaves before serving.
Serve with white rice, farofa, greens, and orange slices.
The stew freezes well, and can be reheated easily in the microwave or in a regular pot.
Sides
Farofa
Serves 4
300 gr cassava flour (gari)
75 gr cashew nuts
100 gr ghee or 80 mL olive oil
1 large onion, sliced into half moons
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil or ghee over medium-high heat in a non-stick sauté pan with high sides. Add the onion and cook, stirring constantly, until starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the cashew nuts and garlic and continue stirring until they start to to brown, two more minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the cassava flour and stir constantly, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly; the flour tends to burn easily on the bottom. Cook until the cassava flour starts to get slightly golden and crunchy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Note: cassava flour, also known as gari, can be found in African and Asian grocery stores.
Greens with garlic
Serves 3-4
400 gr collard greens or curly kale
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
salt to taste
If using collard greens, stack the leaves 4 at a time, roll them into a tight cigar shape, and cut into thin strips. If using curly kale, tear the leaves around the stem. Discard the stem.
Warm the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, stirring constantly until it just starts to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add the collards or kale, and sauté until bright green and tender, about 6-7 minutes. Season to taste.