(for 4 people)

INGREDIENTS

  • 280 g of dried black beans
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 ripe tomatoes (or 2 beefsteak tomatoes)
  • 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 4 friggitelli peppers (Italian sweet green peppers)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 hot chili pepper
  • 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
  • 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 160 g of basmati rice
  • Fresh parsley
  • 1 plain yogurt

PROCEDURE

  1. The night before preparing the dish, soak the black beans in cold water for 12 hours. Then rinse them under running water and place them in a pot with about half a liter of water for every 100 g of beans. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for 50–55 minutes. Add salt only at the end of cooking—about one teaspoon of coarse salt—to make them softer.
  2. Roughly chop the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, and friggitelli, and place them in a saucepan with three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, the slightly crushed garlic cloves, and the bay leaves. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. In the meantime, rinse the basmati rice and cook it in twice its volume of water. Place the water and rice in a pot, add salt to taste, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat to a minimum and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for another 10 minutes. Finally, remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
  4. Dilute the tomato paste in a glass of water and add it to the vegetables, along with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Thinly slice the hot chili pepper and add it as well. Cook everything for 10 minutes.
  5. After 10 minutes, add the black beans and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, adding water if needed.
  6. In the meantime, season the yogurt with a tablespoon of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper, then transfer it to a small bowl.
  7. Serve the feijoada with basmati rice, slices of toasted bread, a few dollops of yogurt, and some fresh parsley.

A vegetarian version of the famous Brazilian Feijoada—light and flavorful thanks to the addition of delicious fresh, seasonal vegetables.

Black beans, so creamy and full-bodied, are a perfect match for this recipe that tastes like sunshine and summer. Whether served hot or just warm, it will surprise you with its delightful simplicity.

How true it is that with just a few ingredients—if they’re high-quality and carefully chosen—you can create truly delicious dishes…