Cape Verdean Cachupa: Authentic Cape Verdean Corn Stew Recipe Guide for Home Cooks

Cachupa is a slow-cooked Cape Verdean corn stew that is popular across West Africa. This rich one-pot meal uses corned beef, pork, hominy, beans, greens, cassava, and sausage. The stew cooks for several hours, which gives a deep flavour and soft texture. This Cachupa recipe is ideal for family meals, get-togethers, or a weekend dish that cooks gently on the stove.

This Cachupa recipe is based on corned beef brisket and salt pork, which add a strong, meaty taste. Hominy and mixed beans give body and fibre. Greens, cassava, and chourico sausage add colour and extra flavour. The dish needs advance planning, as both the meat and beans are prepared the night before, but the method is simple and clear.

Use these amounts to serve about 8–10 people. You can scale the recipe up or down if needed. Keep the same ratios of meat, beans, and vegetables so the stew keeps its thick, hearty texture. Rinse the beans and greens well before cooking for the best flavour and a clean broth.

• 900 g corned beef brisket, cut into cubes

• 675 g salt pork, cut into big chunks

• 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar (about 15 ml)

• 2 fresh bay leaves

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika powder

• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

• ½ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

• 3 tablespoons crushed garlic (about 30–35 g)

• 1 cup feijao Pedro beans / rock beans (about 180 g), soaked

• 3 tablespoons olive oil (about 45 ml)

• 2 medium onions, neatly chopped (about 300 g)

• 2 large beef bouillon cubes (about 16–20 g total)

• 3 teaspoons tomato paste (about 15 g)

• About 18 cups water (about 4.2 litres), plus extra hot water if needed

• 2 cups dry yellow hominy, well rinsed (about 350–380 g)

• 1 cup cranberry beans (about 180 g), soaked

• 1¼ cup large white fava beans (about 225–230 g), soaked

• 1 medium cassava / yuca (about 400–500 g), peeled and cut

• 4 cups collard greens or kale, rinsed and chopped (about 200–250 g)

• 900 g chourico or linguica sausage, rinsed and sliced into rounds

  Equipment needed

  You need basic kitchen tools to follow this Cachupa recipe. A large, heavy saucepan is important, as the stew cooks for several hours and must hold all the meat, beans, and vegetables. A kettle with hot water helps keep the stew level steady without cooling the pot during cooking.

  • Large heavy saucepan or deep pot with lid

  • Kettle for boiling water

  • Refrigerator for overnight marinating

  • Fork for shredding the cooked meat

  • Measuring cups and spoons

  • Stirring spoon or ladle

    Overnight preparation

    Plan ahead, as Cachupa starts the day before cooking. Season the corned beef and salt pork with vinegar, bay leaves, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the crushed garlic. Mix well so every piece is coated, then cover and keep in the refrigerator overnight to marinate and develop flavour.

    Soak all the dry beans overnight in plenty of water. This includes the feijao Pedro beans, cranberry beans, and fava beans. Soaking reduces cooking time and helps the beans cook evenly. Drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the stew the next day, so the broth stays clear and clean-tasting.

    Cooking the base of the stew

    The next day, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and the remaining tablespoon of garlic. Move the bay leaves from the marinated meat into the pan. Sauté the onions until soft and fragrant, stirring often so they do not brown too fast or stick to the bottom.

    Add the marinated corned beef and salt pork to the saucepan. Spread the meat out so it browns instead of steams. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning once so both sides take on colour. Remove the browned meat from the saucepan and set it aside on a plate, keeping all the flavoured oil and onion in the pan.

    Building flavour and cooking the hominy

    Add the tomato paste to the saucepan along with some of the crushed bouillon cubes. Whisk or stir until the paste breaks up and blends with the oil and onions, making a smooth base. Return the browned meat and any juices to the pan, then pour in enough water to cover the meat comfortably.

    Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, stir in the rinsed yellow hominy. Let the mixture return to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour. Check every 20 minutes, stir the bottom, and add more hot water from the kettle if the level drops.

    Adding beans, cassava, and greens

    Carefully remove the meat from the saucepan. Use a fork to shred the larger pieces by pulling the tines along the grain. This step is optional but helps break the meat into smaller bites and makes space in the pot. Place the shredded meat back into the saucepan and stir to mix it with the hominy.

    Add the soaked cranberry beans, soaked fava beans, cut cassava, and chopped greens. If the pot seems too full, add only half the greens first and cook for about 5 minutes, then add the rest. Keep the heat low and let everything simmer for about 50 minutes, adding more hot water as needed to keep a thick stew.

    Finishing with sausage and seasoning

    Once the beans, cassava, and hominy are almost tender, add the sliced chourico or linguica sausage to the saucepan. Stir to spread the sausage rounds through the Cachupa. Let the stew cook for another 20 minutes, so the sausage heats through and shares its smoky flavour with the broth and vegetables.

    Taste the Cachupa and adjust the seasoning with more salt, black pepper, or bouillon if needed. Allow the stew to simmer gently for another 10–15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let it rest, still covered, for 20 minutes. This resting time lets the flavours blend and the stew thicken slightly before serving.

    Notes, tips, and variations

    Keep a kettle of boiling water ready during the full cooking time. If the stew thickens too much or the liquid drops, add hot water, not cold, so the cooking temperature stays even. You can use white hominy instead of yellow hominy if you prefer; many cooks still choose yellow for a richer colour in the final dish.

    Approximate nutritional values per serving

    The values below are approximate for one of ten servings of Cachupa, based on typical data for beef, pork, sausage, hominy, beans, greens, and cassava. Actual values will change with portion size, specific brands, and trimming of fat from the meats before or after cooking.

    Nutrient	Amount
    Energy	620 kcal
    Protein	38 g
    Total fat	32 g
    Saturated fat	11 g
    Carbohydrates	44 g
    Dietary fibre	10 g
    Sugars	4 g
    Sodium	1450 mg

    Serve Cachupa hot as a full meal in deep bowls. It pairs well with simple sides that soak up the broth, such as plain bread or rice. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator and often taste even better the next day, as the corn, beans, meat, and greens sit together and the flavours deepen further.