Bean stew

‘Feijoada’ is very typical in Portuguese speaking countries: Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Timor-Leste and Macau, with many different versions. As a rule of thumb, it has to include beans off course, some kind of meat and meat sausages and usually cabbage. So, not difficult to come up with a vegan version! The recipe below is a perfect winter warmer, super tasty and all you need is one pan to make this wonderful stew!

Time: 50 minutes

Type: main dish

Difficulty: 1 pan

Makes: 4 portions

What you need:

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 ripened tomato, chopped

2 tbsp white wine (optional)

1.5 cans of beans (kidney, white beans), drained and rinsed

1/2 medium white cabbage, chopped (discard the hard middle part)

1 celery stall, chopped

1 large carrot, finely sliced

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

water/ vegetable stock

100g tempeh cubed and marinated in soya sauce, garlic powder and paprika for 30 minutes

vegan chorizo slices (optional)

rice to serve

Utensils:

knife and chopping board

1 large pan

Instructions:

Prepare tempeh and leave it to marinate;

In a large pan, cook onion, garlic and bay leaf over low heat in a little water until softened;

Add chopped tomato, tomato paste and white wine (if using) and let it cook for about 5 minutes over low heat;

Add the rest of vegetables, beans, cumin, paprika and mix well;

Add enough water/ vegetable stock to cover all the vegetables;

Let it simmer for about 20 minutes until vegetables are soft;

Meanwhile, cook tempeh in a non-stick frying pan for a few minutes until golden;

Add tempeh and vegan chorizo if using to the pan, mix and let it cook for a further 3 minutes – adjust spices to your liking;

Remove from heat and serve while hot.

Note: I don’t add any further salt because the stock and tempeh have enough for my personal taste.