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Chef Linda
Linda Soper-Kolton, Chef, came to the Sanctuary as a guest chef to share her love of compassionate cooking in our then-fledgling culinary program. Lured by the magic of the Sanctuary, her love of animals and the urgency of our mission, Linda stayed on to lead and grow the culinary program, inspiring and educating with love, patience, and delicious food.
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Trooper’s Beans

By Chef Linda

Beans play an important role in so many cultures, we never run out of opportunities to create uniquely flavored dishes from around the world. Trooper's Beans, or Feijão Tropeiro, hails from Brazil. According to historians, men who lead donkeys and horses on long journeys carrying various goods were called "tropeiros" or troopers and this dish was a staple in their diet, likely providing a filling meal for the hard day ahead. Traditionally, the beans were mixed with cassava flour, pork rind, sausage, eggs, garlic, onion and spices.

A compassionate version doesn't mean we skimp on the taste or heartiness of the dish. We use vegan sausage in place of animal sausage for a healthier and kinder approach. Smoked tofu stands in for the texture of the hard boiled eggs (hint: I used a nice pinch of black salt which smells and tastes of sulfur to provide the egg flavor.) And surprise, no bacon here! Shiitake crisps are sprinkled on top and add a smokey, flavorful punch without harming the pigs.

Farofa, which is added at the end, is an essential condiment to many Brazilian dishes. It's made with manioc meal, or the ground root of the cassava or manioc plant. I ordered the flour online, though you may find it in some ethnic markets. Manioc meal looks like breadcrumbs, and it gets toasted up in a pan with garlic, oil and salt. It adds a unique nutty flavor and crunchy texture to many dishes.

Ingredients

 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced into thin strips
 1 teaspoon coarse salt
 1 pound vegan sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
 8 ounces smoked tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
 1 large onion, chopped, about 1 cup
 2 bell peppers (red, orange, or yellow), seeded stemmed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
 2 large garlic cloves, minced
 1 pound dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained
 2 bay leaves
 8 cups vegetable broth
 1 teaspoon salt
 ¼ teaspoon black salt (available in healthy grocery stores or order online)
 ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
 6 scallions, thinly sliced
 Farofa, recipe follows
 4 cups cooked rice, for serving
Farofa
 23 tablespoons olive oil
 1 cup manioc flour
 1 large garlic cloves, minced
 ½ teaspoon salt

Directions

1

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Toss the shiitake mushroom strips with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and salt. Place on a baking tray in a single layer. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes or until the mushrooms are very dark and almost burnt. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Set a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat and add the remaining olive oil. Once hot, add sausage and brown on both sides. Add the tofu, onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the beans, bay leaves, vegetable broth and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook the beans, stirring occasionally, until most of the water has been absorbed and the beans are tender. Depending on the beans, this can take from 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Taste at the 1-hour mark to see if the beans are getting tender.

When beans are tender, adjust seasoning by adding more salt and pepper. Add farofa and stir to combine. Sprinkle with shiitake mushrooms and scallions. Serve over rice.

To make farofa, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, manioc flour and salt. Cook, while stirring, for about 3 to 4 minutes until the flour is a light golden brown. Be careful not to burn as it goes from golden to dark brown quickly. Can be stored for several weeks or frozen.

Trooper’s Beans
IngredientsDirections

Trooper’s Beans

DifficultyModerateCook Time2 hrs
YIELDS
8 servings

INGREDIENTS

 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced into thin strips
 1 teaspoon coarse salt
 1 pound vegan sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
 8 ounces smoked tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
 1 large onion, chopped, about 1 cup
 2 bell peppers (red, orange, or yellow), seeded stemmed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
 2 large garlic cloves, minced
 1 pound dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained
 2 bay leaves
 8 cups vegetable broth
 1 teaspoon salt
 ¼ teaspoon black salt (available in healthy grocery stores or order online)
 ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
 6 scallions, thinly sliced
 Farofa, recipe follows
 4 cups cooked rice, for serving
Farofa
 23 tablespoons olive oil
 1 cup manioc flour
 1 large garlic cloves, minced
 ½ teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Toss the shiitake mushroom strips with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and salt. Place on a baking tray in a single layer. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes or until the mushrooms are very dark and almost burnt. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Set a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat and add the remaining olive oil. Once hot, add sausage and brown on both sides. Add the tofu, onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the beans, bay leaves, vegetable broth and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook the beans, stirring occasionally, until most of the water has been absorbed and the beans are tender. Depending on the beans, this can take from 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Taste at the 1-hour mark to see if the beans are getting tender.

When beans are tender, adjust seasoning by adding more salt and pepper. Add farofa and stir to combine. Sprinkle with shiitake mushrooms and scallions. Serve over rice.

To make farofa, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, manioc flour and salt. Cook, while stirring, for about 3 to 4 minutes until the flour is a light golden brown. Be careful not to burn as it goes from golden to dark brown quickly. Can be stored for several weeks or frozen.

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4 Comments

  1. Reply

    1. So glad you enjoyed it! We made this for a vegan wedding hosted here at The Homestead and everyone loved them!

      Reply
  2. Reply

    1. Thanks for reading – and glad you liked the recipe! Sharing delicious, vegan food is the best way to spread love!

      Reply

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