Mention Brazil and you might think about Brazilian steakhouses called churrascarias and caipirinhas cocktails. A visit to this colorful and welcoming country should also include trying feijoada, a rich, smoky bean and meat stew served with rice, collard greens and orange slices, considered the beloved national dish of Brazil.
Brazil has many versions of feijoada, a meat and bean hearty stew, which many consider the national dish of the country. Black beans (feijão means bean) are usually used for this dish but in other parts of the world similar stews are prepared with white or pink beans. The stew is a combination of beans and pork such as ribs, pork belly or knuckle and sausages. Some versions also contain beef and dried meats. While most of us can’t travel to Brazil right now, you may be lucky and have a Brazilian restaurant in your area that serves the bean stew like the one you see in the photo above from Chima Steakhouse in Ft. Lauderdale.. If you do, by all means give feijoada it a try.
If you don’t have a Brazilian restaurant in your neighborhood, unfortunately I don’t, you might want to try cooking a simplified version at home. My black bean and sausage recipe is a quick and satisfying dish that you can easily serve your family on a weeknight. You can do like I did and prepare this Brazilian inspired bean dish using canned black beans, smoked sausages and bacon when you are short on time. If time is not an issue, cook a package of dried beans to use in this recipe. Soak them overnight then cook the beans, using lots of garlic and onions, according to the package directions, then proceed with this recipe or prepare a more complex stew using additional types of meat. The stew is typically served with white rice, sautéed collards greens and sliced oranges. In addition you could also include yucca, finely chopped onion, cilantro, and sliced chili peppers.

Black Beans and Sausage, Brazilian style
Serves 2 generously when served with white rice, adjust the recipe according
- 2 strips thick cut bacon or pancetta, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper*, diced (not typically used but I like it for added color and flavor)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- l/2 lb. fully cooked smoked sausage such as Chourico, Linguica, Spanish Chorizo, sliced (Kielbasa may be substituted)
- 1 15 oz. can of black beans, about 2 cups (you can substitute other beans such as pinto)
- 1/2 c., more if needed, chicken stock, vegetable broth or water
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- cilantro for garnish (optional)
Cook bacon in a pot over medium heat and until lightly browned and the fat has rendered. Add the chopped onions and peppers. Sauté until the onions are golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Add in the sausages and cook until nicely seared. Add the beans, stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the liquid thickens and the flavors meld, adding a little extra liquid if necessary. Add the olive oil, stir then taste for any additional seasoning, if needed. To serve, remove the bay leaf then garnish with the cilantro, if desired. White rice, sliced oranges or lime wedges and finely chopped onion, as an accompaniment to the bean and sausage stew, can be served along side at the table.
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My Brazilian inspired black beans and sausage recipe was inspired by the national Brazilian bean stew known as feijoada. While mine is nowhere near as meaty and doesn’t take hours of preparation like what is traditionally prepared in Brazil, it certainly is a quick, flavorful and satisfying dish to serve your family on a busy weeknight.
That’s my kind of stew. There are many black bean dishes like this in Portugal and Spain, but the black beans came from the New World, originally.
Beans and meat are always great together. Would love to make this with just chorizo since I really love this sausage. This looks so satisfying and delicious, Karen.
angiesrecipes
http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com
Looks delicious!
A delicious way to serve these beans. I would love this recipe.
I love the bean/sausage combo — two already quite flavorful things become much more so when paired together. Terrific recipe — and it’s just above zero degrees here, so we need something warming and comforting like this!
This looks so delicious. A combination that compliments each other perfectly.
Looks good, and I’m sure it tastes even better. 🙂
So simple and it looks delicious.
Wow, thanks, Karen. This is a keeper. I’ve started eating more legumes and as a lover of pork, this has given me an idea for when winter bites.
Sounds like such a yummy combination, I bet the oranges really give it a pop of bright flavor!
Prior to this time we had multiple Brazilian eateries in our area, Karen, but I don’t think of them as takeout, so we’ll have to find out later if they’ve survived our restrictions, and are even still in business. I do a lot with black beans, but this is a new take on an old favorite, and I can already think of several of my family members, the sausage enthusiasts, who would love this. It’s very appealing. Comfort food, I think!
Karen, thank you for sharing your recipe. I make a similar version using pintos or navy beans and sausage. We love it during the winter months!
A beautiful hearty dish! My mouth was watering as I was scrolling down :-). Thanks you sharing Karen.
That sounds delicious. I have never seen black beans but yes, of course, i can substitute. Keep well and stay safe, Diane
The combination of black beans with sausage and bacon sounds wonderful! Simple yet delicious!
This looks wonderful, traditional or not. I never had it when we were in Brazil – it was too hot out! But we did go to a churrascurria. (Sp?) Wow, that was an experience. Lots of meat. Good meat. Fortunately there were also beautiful salads available!
We were looking for something new (and easy) for our menu this week and this fits the bill! I can’t wait to try!
Something went wrong…I left a comment and is not showing it….your feijoada looks delicious….I love black beans with rice….It is so nutritious and tasty……..Abrazotes, Marcela
That plate of beans looks gorgeous, I like the fact that you made the sausages chunky. Mmmmmmm
I love feijoada! There was a Brazilian restaurant down the street where I stayed in Paris, but it didn’t open until 8:00 pm- way too lat for me, so I missed out! Better to make it myself so I don’t need to rely on others!
Black beans and smoked sausage…YUM!!!!
That first photo is just stunning. Can’t stop drooling over that shot. This simple and easy recipe sure does hot the spot on these cooler days.
Karen, there’s nothing in this I don’t like! Wish I had all the ingredients on had, I’d be stirring up a batch right this minute!
I love this dish, and I’m inspired after reading this. I had it once in Portugal many years ago and it was amazing! 🙂 ~Valentina
My former partner (and still good friend) lived in Brazil for several years during and after college. He was always craving feijoada with farofa – and (this was pre-Internet) I could never find anything about them. So glad you were able to share this – a wonderful combination.
I have actually dined at a few churascurias in the States. Talk about a meat extravaganza! Since the pandemic makes visiting one near-impossible now, I am definitely craving a bowl of your black bean-sausage version to get my fix.
Wow! This dish, Brazilian stew looks and sounds amazing! We have dear friends of ours who were born in Brazil and cook their cuisine but have never about this dish. Great recipe Karen! Looking forward to making this – hopefully soon. 🙂
Immediately adding this to my “must try” list, Karen! Wow, it looks so good. My Dad is a very picky eater but loves Brazilian-inspired dishes so I already know in advance he’s going to be bananas for this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing! Hugs and happy week, CoCo
Beans and sausage are such a delicious combination and this sounds like a simple and delicious recipe! Our daughter went to Brazil for her MBA class trip a few years ago. I’ll have to ask if she had tasted freijoada!
Looks like comfort food with a kick–yum!
This soup looks and sounds so good! I usually have a rotisserie chicken in my refrigerator. I’ll have to make my own stock to truly appreciate the flavor of this soup, but it sounds so worth it!