A long time ago, I used to love getting cachupa at the street corner from a vendor.
They would always have this sweet and savory dish in their cart, and I just couldn’t resist it.
The crispy potato wedges, the creamy blood sausage, and the juicy meat all combined to form an irresistible dish that I craved every time I went by their stall.
Since then, cachupa has become one of my favorite comfort foods.
You know what? When you cook this at home, it becomes more than just a snack.
cachupa can be considered one of the perfect comfort foods because it is easy to make, cheap, and packed with flavor.
Why I am feeling that you now want to know how to make the cachupa recipe?
Am I right? If yes, then keep on reading, my friend. cachupa is just the dish for you.
What is cachupa?
Let me start by giving you some background information on cachupa. Cachupa is a dish originating from Cape Verde.
It typically consists of potato wedges, sausage, and tuna or meat.
I asked one of my friends about this dish and he was happy to hear the name from my mouth.
When he was in Peru, cachupa was one of the most popular street food dishes that he tried during his travels around the country.
Plus, cachupa is really a versatile dish. It can be savory or sweet, depending on the added ingredients.
Whatever, I am not faking the taste. I really like cachupa for its versatility.
What does cachupa have in it?
You might be now wondering, why this writer is so obsessed with cachupa. Well, the dish is loaded with nutrients and proteins. What’s more? I will tell you about it in the health benefits part.
So in short, cachupa is known for its taste because there are many ingredients that can be used to prepare this recipe. Some are dry hominy, red beans, I’m beans, tuna or meat, chilies, tomato, sweet potatoes, etc many spices, oil, and seasonings.
It’s also very versatile because you can add different types of meats and vegetables to make it your own. What are you waiting for? Let’s start cooking cachupa right now.
One more recipe recommendation: Easy ground beef recipe.
Cachupa recipe
- Prep Time30 min
- Cook Time4 hr
- Total Time4 hr 30 min
- YieldCachupa
- Serving Size5
- Energy549 cal
Ingredients of Cachupa recipe
- 3 cups of uncooked white dry hominy
- 1 cup fresh dry red beans
- 1/2 cup fresh lima beans
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 250 grams of blood sausage sliced
- 500 grams of fresh tuna or meat (Cooked)
- 1 cabbage (Chopped)
- 1 sweet potato (Cut into chunks)
- 1 lb plantain
- 1 cup squash cubed
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 4 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil (divided)
- 1 can dice tomatoes with their juice (undrained)
- 1 lb yam
- 2 lb chorizo sausage (optional)
- Salt and pepper
- 4/6 cups water
- 1 onion, chopped
Instructions for Cachupa recipe
We will first soak the lima beans, red beans, and hominy in water overnight.
The next day, drain the hominy and rinse it off with fresh water.
Place the rinsed hominy into a large pot and add bay leaves to the beans.
Then bring to a boil over high heat.
Once boiling reduces heat to low-medium and let it cook.
Take a pan and add vegetable oil or olive oil.
Saute garlic and onions until they are translucent.
Add the meat and fish.
Fry until the meat is cooked through.
It’s time to add all the vegetables now.
Add cabbage, sweet potato, plantain, bay leaves, and salt and pepper to taste.
Stir everything together until the vegetables are cooked through.
Then add the diced tomatoes with their juice and yam.
At this time, add cooked vegetables and meats to the beans.
Mix everything together and let it simmer for about 2-3 hours.
After the cachupa is cooked through, add chorizo sausage if desired.
Make sure to season to taste before serving.
- Serving Size5
- Amount per serving
- Calories549
- % Daily Value*Standard DV
- Total Fat41 g78 g52.56%
- Saturated Fat15 g20 g75%
- Trans Fat- g
- Polyunsaturated Fat4.8 g
- Monounsaturated Fat19.5 g
- Cholesterol88.9 mg300 mg29.63%
- Sodium1628.2 mg2300 mg70.79%
- Total Carbohydrate19.7 g275 g7.16%
- Dietary Fiber5.8 g28 g20.71%
- Total Sugars1.7 g
- Added Sugars- g50 g0%
- Sugar Alcohal- g
- Protein25.3 g50 g50.6%
- Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol)- IU800 IU0%
- Calcium- mg1300 mg0%
- Iron- mg18 mg0%
- Potassium- mg4700 mg0%
- Vitamin A- mcg900 mcg0%
- Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)- mg90 mg0%
- Vitamin E (Tocopherol)- IU33 IU0%
- Vitamin K- mcg120 mcg0%
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)- mg1.2 mg0%
Pro Tips to make the Cachupa recipe tastier:
1) I think the taste can be enhanced by adding fresh cilantro leaves to the dish before serving.
2) If you would like a thicker cachupa stew, then add more water or vegetable broth.
3) Luckily, chorizo sausage is an excellent flavor addition, so feel free to add it if you like. Just note that it will make the cachupa a bit more expensive to prepare.
4) In case you are vegan or vegetarian, then feel free to omit the meat and fish from the dish entirely. Instead, you can try replacing them with different types of beans like chickpeas or lentils.
Health benefits of the cachupa recipe
I am done showing you all the steps of this fantastic recipe. But before I go, here are some additional health benefits of cachupa:
1) Regulate blood sugar level: Cachupa is an excellent source of dietary fiber which is approximately 5.8 g per bowl.
In addition, the beans and vegetables in cachupa are a good way to regulate blood sugar levels by consuming 0.6 g of sugar per serving.
This is because they are high in water content and low in overall calorie intake.
2) Boost weight loss easily: Who doesn’t loves to eat? Well, cachupa is not just any dish. It is packed with nutrients that help you lose weight easily and quickly.
In particular, cachupa stew has high levels of dietary fiber which plays an important role in weight loss because it prevents the absorption of sugar from the intestine.
Moreover, beans and vegetables are good sources of antioxidants that scavenge free radicals that can damage your cells and tissues over time. So far so good eh?
3) Keep your gut healthy: Last but not least, cachupa is also great for keeping your gut health in check.
A healthy gut is essential for good digestion, elimination, and overall well-being.
Surprisingly, cachupa stew helps keep your intestines moving and functioning properly which in turn reduces the risk of developing chronic digestive diseases.
Our previous article: Delicious crabs legs recipe.
Frequently asked questions:
Q: Can cachupa be made vegan?
A: Yes, cachupa can definitely be made vegan by replacing meat with plant-based alternatives. You could try using tofu for example or tempeh.
However, if you are looking for a dish that is truly gluten-free and dairy-free, then you should make it without any animal products at all.
Trust me, this will be more healthy variation than mine.
Q: How do you thicken cachupa?
A: To thicken cachupa, you can use a variety of methods including beans, enough water, or potato starch.
However, the most traditional way to do it is by using cooking it for a longer period of time until it thickens.
Q: What kind of spices should I add to cachupa?
A: The main spices that you will need for cachupa are chili pepper and bay leaf. Other seasonings that can be used include salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.
You might also want to consider adding some ground coriander or cardamom.
Final Thoughts
That’s it guys, this was our guide on how to make cachupa recipe. We hope you enjoyed it and that you will give it a try soon.
If there are any questions or suggestions, don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments section below.
In the end, thanks for reading. If you found this blog post helpful, please share it on your favorite social media platform to help others who might be interested.
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