Vatapa is a rustic Brazilian stew, a fiery blend with beer, coconut milk, and ground peanuts as its base. This recipe, courtesy of Welcome to the Table Food Coop, is often made with leftover turkey, it’s a snap to prepare. You can make Vatapa up to 2 days in advance. It will thicken as it sits. So when you are ready, just add a little water and heat it up.
Total Time: 45 minutes; 30 minutes active
Servings: 4-6
Vatapa Ingredient List
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh jalapeño pepper
- 3 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (1 28-ounce can)
- 12 ounces lager beer
- 3/4 cup peanuts, ground fine in a food processor
- 1 cup light coconut milk
- 2 1/2 cups cooked turkey, skin removed, chopped
- 3 tablespoons minced parsley
- 3 tablespoons minced cilantro
- 1 lime, zest, and juice
- Salt & Pepper
Preparation
- In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Add onion and bell pepper and saute for 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger, and jalapeño and saute for another few minutes.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, beer, and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
- Cover pot, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the ground peanuts, coconut milk, and turkey.
- Stir and simmer, uncovered, for another 5-10 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and stir in the parsley, cilantro and lime zest, and juice.
Vatapa Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this Brazilian-inspired dish as soup or stew, served with rice; shrimp and chicken are used in the classic versions. For a milder. version, seed the jalepeno pepper.
Nutritional Information
542 calories
46 g. fat
41 mg. cholesterol
985 mg. sodium
28 g. carbohydrate
8 g. fiber
34 g. protein
