Feijoada (Bean and Meat Stew)
Feijoada is a hearty Brazilian-style bean and meat stew with smoked bacon, tender pointed cabbage, carrots and tinned tomatoes, all simmered in red wine. The Thermomix TM7 chops the aromatics, browns the bacon and stews everything hands-free, delivering deep, smoky flavours without watching the pot.
About this recipe
Feijoada Thermomix TM7 is the ultimate all-in-one kitchen machine version of the beloved Brazilian bean and meat stew, perfect as a slow-cooked weekend dinner or a hearty weeknight meal. This recipe brings together smoked bacon, tender pointed cabbage, sweet carrots and tinned chopped tomatoes, all gently stewed with red wine and bay leaf until the kitchen smells like a rustic Portuguese tasca. Searching for feijoada recipes Thermomix usually leads to stovetop methods that demand constant stirring, but the TM7 handles everything in one bowl: the garlic and onions are chopped in seconds, the bacon is browned evenly, and the stew simmers hands-free with precise temperature control so the beans stay whole and the cabbage turns silky. The grinding function even lets you freshly grind pepper and spices for maximum aroma. Serve this smoky, wine-scented stew with crusty bread or rice for a warming dinner that tastes like it simmered all day.
Preparation tips
- Soak the dried beans the night before and rinse them well before adding to the mixing bowl; this ensures the feijoada turns creamy rather than cloudy and reduces the overall stewing time considerably.
- Use a full-bodied red wine you would happily drink, as the wine flavour concentrates in the stew; the smoked bacon and bay leaf will absorb it and give the sauce its characteristic depth.
- For a milder family version, replace part of the bacon with unsmoked ham and serve the feijoada with a dollop of yoghurt; children love the sweetness of the stewed carrots and pointed cabbage this way.
Recipe variations
- Vegetarian feijoada: omit the smoked bacon and add cubed smoked tofu or extra carrots and chorizo-style smoked paprika; the pointed cabbage and tomatoes still give plenty of body and smoky depth to the stew.
- Festive winter variant: add slices of chorizo and a peeled orange segment towards the end for a Portuguese-style celebration feijoada, served with rice and orange zest for a bright seasonal twist.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Weighing accuracy - The integrated scale of the Thermomix weighs the rice or beans directly into the bowl to the gram. [Built-in scale]
- Fine chopping - The TM7 chops the garlic and onions in seconds, releasing aromas without tears. [Chopping]
- Slow stewing - The Thermomix heats the red wine stew gently so the smoked bacon never burns or sticks. [Heating]
- Even sautéing - The TM7 browns the bacon and carrots uniformly while you prep the pointed cabbage. [Browning]
- Fresh grinding - The Thermomix grinds the bay leaf and peppercorns freshly for maximum aroma in the stew. [Grinding]
Ingredients
- water
- pointed cabbage
- garlic cloves
- onions
- carrots
- tinned chopped tomatoes
- olive oil
- smoked bacon
- white wine
- dried bay leaf