Vegetarian Feijoada Recipe (3 Ways)
Try this Brazilian Vegetarian Feijoada, a meatless black bean stew with sweet potatoes and tomatoes that cooks in the slow cooker, pressure cooker, or on the stovetop.
Servings 6
Calories430.4 kcal
Cost $0.50 per person
Equipment
- pressure cooker
- slow cooker
- pot
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry black beans
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion – chopped
- 1 pound Portobello mushrooms – stems discarded and caps sliced ½-inch thick, optional
- 6 garlic cloves – minced
- 5 cups water
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 2 sweet potatoes – peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon salt or more if desired
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
Prepare the Black Beans
- Sort and rinse the beans: Check the dry black beans for debris or damaged beans. Discard any you find, then rinse the beans well under cold water.
- Soak the beans, if desired: Place the beans in a large container and cover them with enough water to reach 2 to 3 inches above the beans. Soak overnight for about 8 hours. Add more water if needed as the beans absorb it.
- Continue with your cooking option: Drain the soaked beans before cooking. If you skip the overnight soak, add the baking soda as directed.
Slow Cooker Feijoada
- Sauté the onion and mushrooms: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and cook the onion and mushrooms for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add the garlic: Cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer half to the slow cooker: Add half of the cooked onion, garlic, and mushroom mixture to the slow cooker. Stir in the beans, water, baking soda, cumin, sweet potatoes, and bay leaves.
- Cook the beans: Cook on HIGH for 2 to 4 hours or LOW for 8 to 10 hours.
- Add the remaining ingredients: About 30 minutes before the cooking time ends, stir in the reserved onion, garlic, and mushroom mixture, salt, pepper, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Continue cooking until the beans are tender.
- Finish the stew: Remove the bay leaves, adjust the salt if needed, and stir in the vinegar.
- Thicken the broth: Transfer about ½ cup of beans with some of their broth to a blender and blend until smooth. Stir the mixture back into the slow cooker feijoada. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Pressure Cooker Feijoada
- Sauté the onion and mushrooms: Select the sauté function. Once heated, add the olive oil and cook the onion and mushrooms for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add the garlic: Cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Cancel the sauté function.
- Add the remaining ingredients: Stir in the beans and all the other ingredients except the vinegar and cilantro.
- Pressure cook: Lock the lid and cook on HIGH pressure for 30 minutes.
- Release the pressure: Allow the pressure to release naturally for about 20 minutes, then unlock the lid.
- Finish the stew: Remove the bay leaves, adjust the salt if needed, and stir in the vinegar.
- Thicken the broth: Transfer about ½ cup of beans with some of their broth to a blender and blend until smooth. Stir the mixture back into the pressure cooker feijoada. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Stovetop Feijoada
- Sauté the onion and mushrooms: Heat a medium nonstick pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and cook the onion and mushrooms for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add the garlic: Cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant, stirring occasionally.
- Reserve half of the mixture: Remove half of the cooked onion, garlic, and mushroom mixture with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Cook the beans: Stir in the beans, water, baking soda, cumin, sweet potatoes, and bay leaves. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir, cover, and cook for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the beans are almost tender.
- Add the remaining ingredients: Stir in the reserved onion, garlic, and mushroom mixture, salt, pepper, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the beans are tender.
- Finish the stew: Remove the bay leaves, adjust the salt if needed, and stir in the vinegar.
- Thicken the broth: Transfer about ½ cup of beans with some of their broth to a blender and blend until smooth. Stir the mixture back into the stovetop feijoada. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Recipe Notes
Storage and Reheating
Store: Let the vegetarian feijoada cool, then transfer it to shallow airtight containers and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. Smaller containers also make it easier to portion for later meals. Freeze: Divide the cooled feijoada into meal-size portions and place in freezer-safe airtight containers. Freeze for 2–3 months for best quality leaving a little room in each container for expansion. Thaw: Thaw frozen feijoada overnight in the refrigerator. If needed, it can also be reheated directly from frozen in a saucepan or microwave. Reheat: Warm the feijoada in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. The broth may thicken after chilling, so add a splash of water as needed until it reaches the desired consistency.Nutrition
Calories: 430.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 71.9g | Protein: 20.3g | Fat: 8.6g | Saturated Fat: 1.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.3g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 1448.1mg | Potassium: 1880.5mg | Fiber: 16.3g | Sugar: 9.7g | Vitamin A: 10911.5IU | Vitamin C: 11.9mg | Calcium: 153.8mg | Iron: 5.6mg
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