Vegan Feijoada is a hearty, comforting and stick to your ribs dish. This Brazilian black bean stew made with mushrooms and meatless crumbles is meaty and delicious. Instant pot makes it the perfect dish to make for weeknight dinner.
I love exploring new cuisines and in that quest I have tried some amazing dishes from the Southern Hemisphere. This Uruguayan bean salad and Mauritian dholl puri are some of my favorite recipes from this region.
So today I have a hearty and comforting dish from Brazil, which is mostly in the Southern Hemisphere. Feijoada is a very rich black bean stew and is a beloved dish in Brazil.
The name 'feijoada' comes from Portuguese word feijao, which means beans. Many countries like Portugal, Angola, Macau, India etc. have a their own variation of this dish based on the local culture and cuisine.
Basically it is a meat and beans stew made with origins in Portugal. I have a spicy and creamy Indian Goan feijoada recipe on the blog.
So this Brazilian Feijoada is considered to be the national dish of Brazil. Black beans and tons of salted meats are the main ingredients in this dish.
I adapted this vegan feijoada recipe from ‘Viva Vegan’ cookbook. Mushrooms and meatless crumbles make this stew meaty and hearty without the meat. You can make it on the stove top or in the Instant pot (instructions included).
Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients needed to make this Brazilian black bean stew:
- Mushrooms - you can use any variety. Portobello, baby bella, white are my favorites.
- Meatless crumbles - use dry (large chunk or granulated TVP) or frozen meatless crumbles. There are a ton of vegetarian beef and veggie crumbles available these days. Read my meatless meatballs post for the different varieties and what you can use.
- Black beans - I used canned beans. But you can definitely soak and cook them before adding to the stew.
Other ingredients you need:
- Veggies - onion, red or green pepper, garlic
- Spices - bay leaf, ground cumin, dried thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper
- Vegetable broth or water
- Oil
Instructions
This Vegan feijoada is easy to make in an instant pot or on the stove top.
Set the Instant Pot on 'Saute' and heat oil. Add onion, garlic, red pepper and cook till the onions and are translucent and peppers are tender, about 4~5 minutes.
Then add the vegan beef crumbles and cook till they are thawed, about 2~3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and cook till they are tender, about 3~5 minutes.
Add ground cumin, dried thyme, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Mix well.
Then add the veggie broth/ water and deglaze the pan by scraping up the brown bits. Bring to a simmer.
In the meantime, puree ½ cup of black beans and set aside.
Add the puree and the remaining black beans, to the stew. Cover with the lid and switch the Instant Pot to 'Manual' or 'Pressure Cook' and set it for 5 minutes. It will take about 10~12 minutes to come to pressure. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then do a quick release. Serve warm.
Taste Test
Serve these Brazilian black beans with rice and orange slices. Stir fried or steamed kale is also usually served with this meal.
Apparently orange slices aid in digestion. The juicy, sweet oranges add a nice refreshing contrast to the meaty stew. So when you make this dish, make sure you try the whole combo - rice, stew, greens and the orange. I am sure you will love it.
Tips
- Any variety of mushrooms will work in the recipe - portobello, baby bella, white are my favorites.
- Make sure to prepare the meatless veggie crumbles before starting the recipe.
- dried TVP – soak in hot water for at least 10 minutes and then remove excess by squeezing.
- frozen crumbles – thaw according to the package instructions.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge or for up to 2 months in the freezer.
- Meatless crumbles can be subbed with 2 cups of seitan.
More international vegetarian recipes to try
- Malaysian curry sauce
- Asparagus & spinach pasta with checca sauce
- Sri Lankan coconut rice
- Smörgåstårta – Swedish sandwich cake
- Zimbabwe - Dobi
- Philippines - Guinisang mongo (mung beans & tomato)
- Faluche du nord (North French Flatbread)
- Vegan Banana Rabanada (Brazilian French Toast)
I love hearing from you!! If you’ve tried this and liked it, then don't forget to let me know. Give a star rating and let me know in the comments below. Also tag me in your creations on Instagram @cooks_hideout. I love sharing photos when people make my recipes. You can use the hashtag #cookshideout too.
Vegan Feijoada
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 Large Onion, finely chopped
- 2~3 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 Medium Red Pepper, deseeded & chopped
- 1 cup Vegan beef crumbles*
- 2 cups Baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
- 2 15 oz. cans Black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- 2 cups Vegetable broth or Water
- To taste Salt
To Serve:
- As needed White Rice
- As needed Steamed Kale or Chard
- As needed Orange Segments
Instructions
Stove Top Recipe:
- Heat oil in a large saucepan, add onion, garlic, red pepper and cook till the onions and are translucent and peppers are tender, about 4~5 minutes.
- Add the vegan beef crumbles and cook they are thawed, about 2~3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and cook till they are tender, about 3~5 minutes.
- Add ground cumin, dried thyme, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Mix well.
- Add the veggie broth/ water and deglaze the pan by scraping up the brown bits. Bring to a simmer.
- In the meantime, puree ½ cup of black beans and set aside.
- Add the puree, remaining black beans, to the stew. Partially cover and bring the soup to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook feijoada until it reaches a chunky consistency but still has plenty of thick sauce, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Remove from heat and let the feijoada sit for 10 minutes to cool slightly and for the flavors to meld.
Instant Pot Method:
- Set the Instant Pot on 'Saute' and heat oil. Add onion, garlic, red pepper and cook till the onions and are translucent and peppers are tender, about 4~5 minutes.
- Add the vegan beef crumbles and cook they are thawed, about 2~3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and cook till they are tender, about 3~5 minutes.
- Add ground cumin, dried thyme, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Mix well.
- Add the veggie broth/ water and deglaze the pan by scraping up the brown bits. Bring to a simmer.
- In the meantime, puree ½ cup of black beans and set aside.
- Add the puree, remaining black beans, to the stew. Cover with the lid and switch the Instant Pot to 'Manual' or 'Pressure Cook' and set it for 5 minutes. It will take about 10~12 minutes to come to pressure. Once it is done, let the pressure release naturally.
Notes
- To serve feijoada, place some white or brown rice and ladle the stew around the rice. Add some chopped, steamed kale (or other greens) and garnish with orange slices.
- Any variety of mushrooms will work in the recipe - portobello, baby bella, white are my favorites.
- Make sure to prepare the meatless veggie crumbles before starting the recipe.
- dried TVP – soak in hot water for at least 10 minutes and then remove excess by squeezing.
- frozen crumbles – thaw according to the package instructions.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge or for up to 2 months in the freezer.
- Meatless crumbles can be subbed with 2 cups of seitan.
Varada
A balanced meal in a bowl. The flavors sounds very appetizing. The orange with the meal as opposed to after it - is very different.
Vaishali Sabnani
Very unique concept ! Would love to give it a try , looks to be a perfect meal with greens , beans and rice , along with fruit . I also love the colour contrast that you see in the pics - amazing !
Priya Suresh
Such a nutritious stew, totally in love with your bowl Pavani.. Interesting way to add beans in our diet. Vegan feijoada looks absolutely stunning.
harini
Wow! Such a healthy meal in a bowl. I am sure my kids would love this.
Gayathri Kumar
That is such a colourful stew. Adding orange segments is quite interesting but I understand that it adds a nice freshness to the dish.
Prasad
Pavani.Hope you guys are doing fine.I made this yesterday and it came out really well.Dharini and Arjun also enjoyed it very much.
Thank you and keep posting.
Prasad.
cookshideout
Prasadannayya, hope you guys are doing well. Thank you so much for letting me 🙂 So glad that the kids liked it too.
Srividhya Gopalakrishnan
This is so warm and hearty. I need to give a try too. Yum.
Srivalli Jetti
That's one excellent bowl, you got there Pavani. I am amazed how well you recreate a dish in your kitchen!
Swati
A complete meal !! I love anything with mushroom.. the orange in the side gives a good contrast in color and taste to the dish!! Beatiful capture!!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
I love black beans and this is something we all will love. I will definitely be giving this a try. Looks so delicious and such a great option for lunch!
Suma Gandlur
That is one healthy and wholesome meal in a bowl.
Chef Mireille
I just went to a Brazilian restaurant this past weekend after not going to one for several years. Although I had the meat version, your vegan version looks just as delicious and much healthier