Is Feijoada Vegetarian? (Pork & Beef Stew)

Feijoada is Brazil’s national dish, a black-bean stew that is loaded with pork. The beans are the base, but the meat is the point. Here is how to find the plant-based version.

Key Takeaways

• Feijoada is not vegetarian: it is a black-bean stew simmered with several cuts of pork and beef.
• The beans, garlic and onion are plant-based; the sausage, bacon and dried beef are not.
• “Feijoada vegetariana” replaces the meat with smoked tofu or mushrooms.
• Watch the rice and farofa (toasted cassava), which may be cooked in animal fat.

TL;DR: Feijoada is not vegetarian. It’s a Brazilian black-bean stew cooked with various cuts of pork (and sometimes beef). A vegetarian “feijoada”: beans cooked without meat: is a common plant-based version.

What’s in feijoada

• Black beans: the base (vegetarian).
• Pork: typically several cuts: sausage, bacon, ribs, ear/tail (carne seca/dried beef too).
• Seasonings: garlic, onion, bay leaf (vegetarian).

Traditionally served with rice, orange slices and farofa (toasted cassava flour: check for bacon fat or butter).

The vegetarian version

“Feijoada vegetariana” replaces the meat with smoked tofu, mushrooms, or extra vegetables, cooked with the same garlic-onion seasoning. It’s widely available in Brazilian restaurants.

Watch the farofa and rice: they may be cooked with bacon fat, lard or butter.

The bottom line

• Vegetarian? No for the classic: order feijoada vegetariana.
• Vegan? Same, and confirm the rice/farofa aren’t cooked in animal fat.

See our Feijoada dish guide for the full breakdown.

Check before you eat. The Verify Veg app scans a barcode or reads an ingredient list from a photo and flags ingredients against your diet (vegan, vegetarian, halal, kosher, Jain and more). Download on the App Store - Android is coming soon.

Written by Samir Narain, founder of Verify Veg. Verify Veg helps people check packaged food against their diet by scanning barcodes and reading ingredient lists from photos.

Note: Verify Veg provides ingredient-based compatibility checks, not certification. Recipes and preparations vary by restaurant, region and cook, so always confirm with the restaurant, brand or vendor.