Mains
Cachupa Rica (Rich Festive Cachupa)
Ingredients
- - Dried hominy corn, soaked overnight — 400 g (2 cups)
- - Dried lima beans, soaked overnight — 200 g (1 cup)
- - Pork shoulder, cubed — 300 g (10.5 oz)
- - Chorizo or linguiça sausage, sliced — 200 g (7 oz)
- - Bacon, chopped — 100 g (3.5 oz)
- - Cassava, peeled and cubed — 200 g (1.3 cups)
- - Sweet potato, peeled and cubed — 200 g (1 medium)
- - Cabbage, roughly chopped — 150 g (2 cups)
- - Onion, chopped — 1 large (1 large)
- - Garlic, minced — 3 cloves (3 cloves)
- - Tomato, chopped — 2 medium (2 medium)
- - Bay leaf — 1 (1)
- - Vegetable oil — 2 tbsp (2 tbsp)
- - Salt and black pepper — to taste (to taste)
Method
- Drain the soaked corn and beans and place in a large pot with fresh water to cover generously; bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, topping up water as needed.
- In a separate large pan, heat the oil and brown the pork, sausage and bacon in batches; set aside.
- In the same pan, sauté the onion and garlic until soft, then add the tomato and cook for 5 minutes.
- Combine the browned meats, sautéed vegetables and bay leaf into the pot with the corn and beans.
- Add the cassava and sweet potato, and simmer for 40 minutes until everything is tender.
- Stir in the cabbage in the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Season to taste and serve hot in deep bowls, ideally with any leftovers set aside for the traditional next-morning dish, cachupa refogada.
Introduction: Cachupa is Cape Verde's national dish and a powerful symbol of Crioulo identity, born from the blending of African, Portuguese and Atlantic influences over centuries.
Cultural Background: Cachupa is Cape Verde's national dish and a powerful symbol of Crioulo identity, born from the blending of African, Portuguese and Atlantic influences over centuries. Cachupa rica, the 'rich' version, is loaded with several cuts of meat and sausage and reserved for Sundays, celebrations and homecomings.
Tips: This dish rewards patience — rushing the simmer leaves the corn tough and the flavours underdeveloped. Make a large batch; leftover cachupa is fried the next morning with an egg on top, a beloved dish in its own right.
Variations: Add a piece of morcela (blood sausage) for extra depth. Some island variations include a piece of salted fish alongside the meats. Omit all meats and use vegetable stock and extra root vegetables for a hearty vegetarian version, though this departs from the traditional 'rica' style.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days; freezes well for up to 2 months.
Reheating: Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of water; leftovers are traditionally pan-fried the next day rather than simply reheated.
Nutrition: Approx. 520 kcal, 30 g protein, 55 g carbohydrate, 20 g fat per serving.
FAQs:
Q: Why is cachupa considered Cape Verde’s national dish?
A: It embodies the islands’ history of blending African staples like corn and beans with Portuguese-introduced meats, adapted through generations of scarcity and resourcefulness.
Q: What is cachupa refogada?
A: It’s leftover cachupa pan-fried the next day, often topped with a fried egg — considered by many Cape Verdeans to be even better than the original dish. SEO Keywords cachupa rica recipe, cape verde national dish, crioulo corn and bean stew Image Prompt A large rustic bowl of rich cachupa stew loaded with corn, beans, sausage and vegetables, steam rising, festive family table setting.