by Maria Campos
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This is a staple plate in Portugal. This is the type of food that “avós” — grandmas — of all Portugal cook for a regular weeknight meal. A Portuguese feijoada is the most comforting meal that you can ever make with cheap and easy to find ingredients.
Feijoada is a “simple” plate that was created by the poor Portuguese families that only had grains, vegetables and pork meat as the main source of food. This is an all you have in the fridge + some beans (black, red or white beans) + some sort of meat (sausages in this case).
“Feijoada” comes from the word “feijão”, which mean beans. This plate is basically a thick beans soup.
Usually, it is served with a big plate of plain white rice or with some bread. The goal is that the rice absorbs the juices of the feijoada and the flavor.
This plate has a homey feel bite after bite. You can taste the heritage and the Portuguese culture through this plate.
A traditional Portuguese feijoada has three major ingredients that are the secret for a real traditional result:
- The pork: You can choose ears, ribs, shoulder or a simple sausage.
- The beans: The traditional like to use red pinto beans. But you can mix with other beans as long as the red beans are the bigger portion of the mix.
- The bay leaf: This is where the flavor is. You can add other ingredients, even make swaps with the pork and make a vegetarian feijoada. But if you don’t use a bay leaf while simmering you will never get that rich broth.
Usually, this plate includes some type of “green”. It can be cabbage (the most traditional), turnip greens or spinach (the option that I use for this recipe).
If you like this traditional Portuguese recipe maybe you will like these too:
Portuguese Francesinha sandwich
Pasteis de nata (custard tart)
Bolo do caco (sweet potato bread)
Portuguese tuna tart
I see you in the next recipe 🙂
4.65 from 14 votes
Portuguese Feijoada Recipe
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
This is a staple plate in Portugal. This is the type of food that “avós” --- grandmas --- of all Portugal cook for a regular weeknight meal. A Portuguese feijoada is the most comforting meal that you can ever make with cheap and easy to find ingredients.
Course:Main Course
Cuisine:Portuguese
Keyword:feijoada, portuguese food,
Servings: 3 people
Ingredients
- 1onion cut into dices
- 1carrot cut into dices
- 1medium potato cut into dices
- 1stalk of celery cut into small pieces
- 1Portuguese chorizo(note 1)
- 1medium can420 gr red pinto beans (with the liquid of the can)
- ½can210 gr white beans drained.
- 2cupsfresh spinach
- 1garlic clove minced
- 1tbsptomato paste
- 1cupof meat broth(note 2)
- 1cupwater
- 1bay leaf
- 1tspthyme
- Sprinkle of pepper
- 1tspolive oil
Instructions
In a big sauté pan over medium heat pour the olive oil and cook the chorizo cut into slices. Remove the chorizo from the pan when it is semi-crispy and has released its natural oil. That’s the key for the flavor.
Toss the onion and after a couple minutes add the garlic and cook until the onion is almost transparent.
Toss the carrot, the potato, the celery and the tomato paste. Stir well.
Add the red pinto beans (with the liquid), the white beans, the chorizo and the spinach. Pour the meat broth and the water. Season with the bay leaf, thyme, and pepper (note 3). Simmer for about 15 minutes over medium heat.
Remove the bay leaf and serve with some fluffy white rice.
Recipe Notes
- If there is no way you can get Portuguese or Spanish chorizo you can use a good quality pork sausage.
- You can also use a meat bouillon cube and add a cup of water, instead of meat broth.
- I don’t add extra salt to this recipe because the chorizo and the meat broth have enough salt for me. But you can add a little bit of salt if you feel it’s needed.
Maria Campos
I’m Maria and I love cooking—and mostly EATING—food from all around the world. I’ve been sharing my abuela’s secret Latin-American recipes for the last 7 years with the world on this blog. I’ve been a full-time food blogger for many years and I’m always trying new delicious meals that don’t require a culinary degree or a Michelin-star chef. I also love traveling, cats, and knitting.
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