Lighter Brazilian black bean feijoada
Feijoada is the national dish of Brazil: a black bean stew cooked with an assortment of salted and smoked meats over gentle heat for hours, and served traditionally with rice, orange slices, and fried collard greens.
It is usually cooked on the weekend and gathers the family around one table. And this lighter version of ours replaces the fatty cuts with lean meat and reduces the smoked meats, while preserving the beans' rich texture.
Drain the soaking water from the black beans, and put them in a pot with water covering them by a few fingers and the two bay leaves, and leave them to boil then over gentle heat for forty-five minutes until they soften without falling apart.
In a wide pot, heat the olive oil and brown the salted beef cubes until their color turns brown on all sides, then lift them aside.
In the same pot, stir the chopped onion for five minutes until it softens and turns golden, then add the garlic and cumin for one minute until their aroma rises.
Return the beef and add the smoked meat, then add the beans with their water and the two bay leaves. Adjust the salt and pepper and leave the pot over gentle heat for thirty minutes until the meat is cooked and the broth thickens.
Mash a ladleful of the beans with the back of the spoon and return it to the pot to increase the broth's thickness, and this is a well-known Brazilian method for making feijoada thick without flour.
Lift out the bay leaves, and serve the feijoada hot over the white rice with fresh orange slices on the side in the Brazilian style.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Lighter Brazilian Black Bean Feijoada, and how to fix them:
They were not soaked enough or were old. They are soaked overnight and boiled on their own until they soften before adding the rest of the ingredients, as early salt slows their softening.
Leave the pot uncovered at the end of cooking, and mash a ladleful of the beans and return it to thicken the broth naturally.
Smoked meat is the source of depth in feijoada. If you reduce it, increase the onion and garlic and an extra bay leaf, and let the pot cook longer over gentle heat.
Cook it over gentle heat, not strong, as a violent boil dries out lean meat. Long, gentle heat keeps it tender.
Served hot over the rice with orange slices.
Keeps three days in an airtight container, and its flavor improves the next day.
Freezes well up to three months, and is reheated over gentle heat with a little water.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoked beef | Smoked beef or smoked turkey | 1:1 | A halal substitute that gives the same smoky flavor |
| The beef | Turkey breast cubes | 1:1 | Less fat and lighter in calories |
| Dried beans | Drained canned black beans | 300 g dried equals ~700 g canned | Shortens the boiling time; added in the last quarter of cooking |
| White rice | Brown rice | 1:1 | Raises the fiber and lowers the glycemic index of the meal |
| Ingredient | 4 servings | 2 servings | 8 servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black beans | 300 g | 150 g | 600 g |
| Beef | 250 g | 125 g | 500 g |
| Smoked beef | 150 g | 75 g | 300 g |
Black beans are a good source of fiber and plant protein, and eating legumes regularly is linked to benefits for heart health per the nutrition sources. And when cooking meats, you must ensure the beef reaches a safe internal temperature (71 degrees Celsius) per food-safety guidelines.
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