Cachupa

Name: Cachupa
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 400 g milho cachupa (white hominy corn, the cracked dried Cape Verdean variety) — soaked overnight in plenty of cold water (mandatory); 200 g dried red kidney beans — soaked overnight; 200 g dried butter beans (lima beans) or chickpeas — soaked overnight (the mixture of legumes is the Cape Verdean signature); 500 g pork shoulder (cabidela), cut into 3 cm cubes; 300 g salted pork ribs or pork belly (toucinho), cut into chunks — soak 1 hour in cold water to remove excess salt; 200 g linguiça or chouriço portuguesa (Portuguese smoked sausage), cut into 1.5 cm slices; 200 g morcela (Portuguese blood sausage) — optional, traditional; 2 large yellow onions (~350 g), one finely diced for the refogado and one cut into wedges; 6 garlic cloves, minced; 2 medium ripe tomatoes (~250 g), peeled and grated, or 1 × 200 g can crushed tomatoes; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 2 bay leaves + 1 tsp ground cumin + 1 tsp sweet paprika + 0.5 tsp dried oregano + 1 tsp salt + 0.5 tsp black pepper; 3 tbsp red palm oil OR olive oil (palm oil is more traditional in some islands); 500 g pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 4 cm cubes; 300 g sweet potato or yam, peeled and cut into 4 cm cubes; 200 g savoy cabbage, cut into 4 cm wedges (added in the final stage); 2 L water (or pork stock) + 1 piri-piri or scotch bonnet chili (optional, for the islands' light heat); To serve: chunks of fresh white bread, a few extra slices of grilled linguiça, hot piri-piri sauce, and the next-day pan-fried 'cachupa guisada' with eggs option mentioned

Cachupa is the soul of Cape Verdean cuisine — a dense and generous stew of hominy corn, beans, vegetables, and pork or sausages, slow-cooked for hours. There is cachupa rica (with meat and sausages) and cachupa pobre (the simpler version, with little or no meat) — a distinction that reflected the social classes of the colonial era. Cachupa is cooked in large quantities and eaten over several days. The next-day version (cachupa guisada) is considered even more flavorful — the corn and beans absorb more of the aromas. It is the national dish of Cape Verde by cultural consensus.

Total time2h 30m

Active time30m

Servings6

DifficultyMedium

Cost$

Add to my meal plan

❤️

Rich in protein

Filling and nutritious

❄️

Can be frozen

Great for meal prep

🕐

Slow simmered

Low and slow cooking

⭐

Traditional recipe

Authentic taste

Ingredients 6 servings

400 g milho cachupa (white hominy corn, the cracked dried Cape Verdean variety) — soaked overnight in plenty of cold water (mandatory)
200 g dried red kidney beans — soaked overnight
200 g dried butter beans (lima beans) or chickpeas — soaked overnight (the mixture of legumes is the Cape Verdean signature)
500 g pork shoulder (cabidela), cut into 3 cm cubes
300 g salted pork ribs or pork belly (toucinho), cut into chunks — soak 1 hour in cold water to remove excess salt
200 g linguiça or chouriço portuguesa (Portuguese smoked sausage), cut into 1.5 cm slices
200 g morcela (Portuguese blood sausage) — optional, traditional
2 large yellow onions (~350 g), one finely diced for the refogado and one cut into wedges
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium ripe tomatoes (~250 g), peeled and grated, or 1 × 200 g can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 bay leaves + 1 tsp ground cumin + 1 tsp sweet paprika + 0.5 tsp dried oregano + 1 tsp salt + 0.5 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp red palm oil OR olive oil (palm oil is more traditional in some islands)
500 g pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 4 cm cubes
300 g sweet potato or yam, peeled and cut into 4 cm cubes
200 g savoy cabbage, cut into 4 cm wedges (added in the final stage)
2 L water (or pork stock) + 1 piri-piri or scotch bonnet chili (optional, for the islands' light heat)
To serve: chunks of fresh white bread, a few extra slices of grilled linguiça, hot piri-piri sauce, and the next-day pan-fried 'cachupa guisada' with eggs option mentioned

How to make it

1SOAK OVERNIGHT: this is non-negotiable; the night before cooking, place 400 g hominy corn + 200 g kidney beans + 200 g butter beans/chickpeas each in separate bowls covered by 5 cm of cold water; soak 12 hours minimum; the next morning, drain and rinse; skipping the soak gives a corn that stays gritty after hours of cooking.
2PRE-COOK THE HOMINY: place the drained hominy in a large pot with 1.5 L fresh cold water + 1 bay leaf + 1 tsp salt; bring to a boil, then simmer covered 1 hour; the corn should be partially tender but still firm at the centre — it will continue cooking in the stew; drain, reserving 500 ml of the cooking liquid.
3PRE-COOK THE BEANS: in a second pot, place the drained kidney beans and butter beans together with fresh cold water to cover by 3 cm; bring to a boil, skim foam for 5 min, then simmer 45 min until al dente — they will finish in the stew; drain.
4THE REFOGADO: in a large heavy 8 L pot, heat 3 tbsp palm or olive oil over medium heat; add 200 g finely diced onion + 6 minced garlic and cook 8–10 minutes until soft and golden; stir in 1 tbsp tomato paste and cook 1 min until darkened; add 250 g grated tomato + 1 tsp paprika + 1 tsp cumin + 0.5 tsp oregano and cook 4–5 min until the mixture reduces and the oil separates on the surface.
5SEAR THE PORK: push the refogado to the side; raise the heat to medium-high and add the 500 g pork shoulder cubes in a single layer; sear 3 minutes per side until golden brown, then stir into the refogado; add the drained salted pork ribs/belly + 1 tsp salt + 0.5 tsp pepper + 1 remaining bay leaf + the optional piri-piri chili.
6BUILD THE STEW: add the partially-cooked hominy + the drained beans + 2 L water (or pork stock) + the 500 ml reserved corn-cooking liquid; bring to a gentle simmer.
7SLOW SIMMER: simmer uncovered, stirring every 20–30 minutes, for 2 hours; after 1 hour, add the 500 g pumpkin cubes + 300 g sweet potato cubes + the linguiça slices; after 1.5 hours, add the 200 g cabbage wedges + the onion wedges + the morcela slices (if using); the stew should reduce to a thick, porridge-like consistency where the corn, beans, vegetables, and meats are all tender; taste and adjust salt — the saltpork and sausages add a lot.
8REST AND SERVE: turn off the heat and let the cachupa rest 10 minutes — this is when it thickens to the perfect consistency; ladle generously into deep bowls with all the colors visible: yellow corn, red beans, orange pumpkin, green cabbage, golden sausage, and rich pork; serve with chunks of fresh white bread, hot piri-piri sauce on the table, and a glass of Cape Verdean grogue or beer; the leftovers next day are pan-fried with a fried egg on top as 'cachupa guisada' — considered even better than the first day.