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

  1. In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat.
  2. Add onion and bell pepper and saute for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic, ginger, and jalapeño and saute for another few minutes.
  4. Stir in the diced tomatoes, beer, and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
  5. Cover pot, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Add the ground peanuts, coconut milk, and turkey.
  7. Stir and simmer, uncovered, for another 5-10 minutes.
  8. 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