Cachupa (Cape Verdean Hominy Bean Stew)
Cape Verdean Cachupa is a hearty hominy and cowpea stew with smoky sausage, cabbage, sweet potato, pumpkin, and a slow-cooked body.
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1 hr 35 mintotal
35 min hands-on1 hr hands-off
Prep 20 min · Cook 15 min
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- Mild
Ingredients
Quantities are for 2 servings.
You'll need: Stovetop.
Includes using cooked hominy and cowpeas, browning sausage, and slowly simmering the vegetables until the pot turns thick and hearty.
Method
Heat olive oil in a heavy pot. Add sliced pork sausage and brown it lightly.
Add onion and garlic. Cook until the onion softens and the sausage releases flavor into the oil.
Add tomato, bay leaf, black pepper, and a little salt. Cook until the tomato breaks down.
Add hominy, black-eyed peas, sweet potato, pumpkin, cabbage, and hot water.
Cover and simmer slowly until the vegetables are tender and the stew becomes thick and hearty.
Stir occasionally and add a splash of hot water only if the stew becomes too dry before the vegetables soften.
Remove the bay leaf, adjust salt, and rest for a few minutes before serving.
How to tell it's done
The stew should be thick and hearty, with tender hominy, soft beans, and vegetables that are cooked but not fully dissolved.
Getting it right
Tip
Cachupa should simmer slowly and become hearty rather than soupy; let the starch from hominy and vegetables thicken the pot naturally.
What to serve it with
Serve as a complete bowl with chili sauce, sautéed greens, or a simple tomato salad.
Substitutions
- Spanish chorizo or linguiça-style sausage can replace pork sausage for a smokier version.
- Cooked kidney beans can replace black-eyed peas, but the texture and flavor will change.
- Use cooked or canned hominy for practical home cooking; dried hominy needs a much longer soak and simmer.
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