Here I use red kidney beans, (prepare and soak the beans a day ahead) although other legumes like favas can be used. In a pinch, you can even substitute 1 (29-ounce) can kidney beans along with their liquid and canned chopped tomatoes.
Ingredients
- ½ pound dried red or white kidney beans, or can of red kidney beans
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped, about 1 cup
- 1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped, about 1 cup
- 1 tablespoon sweet, hot, or smoked paprika
- 1 fresh garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 medium Yukon Gold or other potatoes, peeled, cut into rough cubes, about 2 cups
- 1½ pounds chouriço or linguiça sausage or substitute chorizo, cut into ¼-inch rounds
- ¼ cup red wine
- ¾ cup water or more as needed
- Crusty artisan bread or sour dough, for serving
Method
- The day before, pick over the beans, discarding any small pebbles or broken beans. Place the beans in a large bowl and add cold water to cover by two inches, discarding any floating beans. Allow to soak overnight.
- The next day, drain and rinse the beans and transfer them to a 3-quart saucepan. Add 3 cups of water, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender but still have a little bite to them, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart Dutch oven or saucepan, over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add the onions and sauté, stirring, until they soften and start to take on some color, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato, paprika, garlic and bay leaf and stir well. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the tomato is nearly broken down and married to the onions, about 10 minutes.
- Add the wine and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and the water just enough to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add the sausage slices, stirring to coat with the sauce. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the beans and enough of their cooking broth to barely cover the stew. (Any extra broth can be saved for another dish.) Simmer gently, uncovered, for about 15 minutes more. Turn off the heat and let stand for about 15 minutes, which will allow the stew to thicken a little before serving. To serve, ladle the stew into warm bowls and serve with crusty bread.
- Variation: Although it’s not traditional, chopped collard greens or spinach can be added in the last 15 minutes, and for carb watchers, you can substitute cubed rutabaga for the potatoes.
The simplest of feijoadas, this stew, which can be made vegetarian, contains just sausage rather than multiple cuts of pork. Adding smoked paprika in the meatless version adds an element of smokiness reminiscent of sausage.