Vegetarian feijoada recipe: Brazilian sweet potato black bean stew
Ever heard of feijoada? It’s a hearty Brazilian stew typically made with black beans, pork and tomatoes, and many even consider it the national dish. This spicy, vegetarian take on the traditional meal – fun fact: the exotic name comes from feijão, the Portuguese name for beans –is right up our street.
The mouth-watering recipe is packed with sweet potatoes, paprika and a few spoons of cheddar cheese to make it super creamy. As well as being veggie, it’s also conveniently gluten free, so it can be enjoyed by everyone.
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It also packs in some serious nutritional credentials: consuming black beans, which form the base of this feijoada dish, is proved to be beneficial for the digestive tract and has been linked to lowered risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
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How to: Vegetarian feijoada black bean stew
Serves 2
1 sweet potato, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 bunch coriander, chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp green chilli, chopped
400g organic black beans
1 1⁄2 tsp ground cumin
1⁄2 tsp smoked paprika
400ml vegetable stock
4 tbsp cheddar cheese
2 vine tomatoes, chopped
1 echalion shallot, chopped
1 baby gem lettuce, sliced
1 lime
Salt and black pepper
Pinch of sugar
1 Preheat your oven to 220C. Peel and chop the sweet potato into small 2cm chunks. Place on a baking tray with a glug of oil and a pinch of salt, then roast in the oven for 20-25 mins until cooked and slightly crispy.
2 Next, prepare the vegetables. Chop the onion in half through the root, peel and chop into 1cm pieces. Remove the core from the yellow pepper and dice into 2cm pieces. Finely slice the coriander stalks and roughly chop the leaves (keep them separate), and peel and grate the garlic. Cut the chilli in half lengthways, remove the seeds and finely chop. Empty the black beans into a sieve or colander and rinse under cold water.
3 Put the onion in a large frying pan on medium heat with a drizzle of oil and cook for 5 mins (if it gets a bit brown, don’t worry, it will just add to the flavour). Then, add your chopped pepper to the pan and cook for another 5 mins. Once your peppers and onions are slightly browned, add your coriander stalks, grated garlic and chopped chilli. Throw in the cumin and paprika, stir everything together and cook for 1 min before adding your black beans and vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer and gently bubble away for 10-15 mins until the mix has reduced by half.
4 While your feijoada is cooking, grate the cheddar cheese and keep to the side. Chop the tomatoes into 1cm pieces. Cut the shallot in half through the root, peel and then finely chop into 1⁄2cm pieces. Slice the lettuce in half lengthways, remove the root, then slice into 1cm wide slices.
5 Grate the lime zest into a bowl, squeeze in the lime juice and add in your shallot, a drizzle of oil, a pinch of salt, a good grind of black pepper and a pinch of sugar. Mix together with a fork then throw in your tomatoes and baby gem lettuce. Set aside.
6 Spoon your cooked feijoada mixture into an ovenproof dish, then remove the potato from the oven. Preheat your grill to high, then arrange your sweet potato on top of the feijoada mixture and sprinkle over your grated cheese. Pop under your grill for 3-5 mins until the cheese has melted.
7 Serve your feijoada bake in bowls with your salad on the side and your coriander leaves sprinkled over the top. Enjoy!
