Broad Beans with Chouriço from Alcáçovas

The broad beans simmer in the pan with a bundle of coriander, mint and garlic leaves, while black chouriço gives them a deep, smoky flavour. In this recipe from Alcáçovas, the sausage is first fried in olive oil and added back only at the end, once the broad beans are tender. Serve with Alentejo bread to mop up the sauce.

A recipe from Alcáçovas

The Alentejo Gastronomic Charter collected this recipe from Cidalina Morita, in Alcáçovas, in the municipality of Viana do Alentejo. The interviewee recalls her mother's small vegetable garden and the meals made during broad bean season. Although the recipe is classified as a winter dish, that memory is linked to the harvest season.

Serves: approximately 4 people.
Preparation: about 15 minutes, with the broad beans already shelled.
Cooking time: about 30–40 minutes.
Estimated total time: 45–55 minutes.

Ingredients for 4 people

• 1 kg fresh broad beans, weighed after shelling
• 200 g of black pork chouriço, cut into slices about 1 cm thick
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, approximately 45 ml
• 6 sprigs of coriander
• 2 sprigs of mint
• 3 green garlic leaves
• 400 ml hot water, plus a little more if needed
• Salt, if needed
• Alentejo bread, to serve as desired

Preparation

1. Prepare the broad beans and herb bundle.
   Rinse the shelled broad beans and drain. Gather the coriander, mint and garlic leaves into a small bundle and tie with kitchen twine. Set aside a few coriander leaves for finishing.
2. Fry the chouriço.
   Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat. Add the herb bundle and chouriço slices in a single layer. Fry gently for about 3–4 minutes, turning carefully. Transfer the chouriço to a plate and leave the olive oil and herbs in the pan.
3. Simmer the broad beans.
   Add the broad beans and stir to coat in the olive oil for 2–3 minutes. Add the 400 ml of hot water, cover and simmer gently for about 20–30 minutes. Check after 15 minutes: the beans should be tender but still hold their shape. If the bottom of the pan starts to dry out before they are cooked, add hot water in small amounts, about 50 ml at a time. Shake the pan instead of stirring repeatedly with a spoon.
4. Bring together and serve.
   Remove the herb bundle and kitchen twine. If there is too much liquid, simmer uncovered for a few minutes before adding the sausage. Return the chouriço to the pan and heat gently for 2–3 minutes, until piping hot. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt only if needed. Finish with the reserved coriander leaves and serve as is, with bread on the side, or on thin slices of Alentejo bread.

Tips for perfectly cooked broad beans

Choose broad beans of a similar size so they cook evenly. Smaller, tender ones may be ready before the stated time; larger ones will need longer. Try one before extending the cooking time for the whole pot.

Black chouriço is delicate: cut it into thick slices and turn them only as needed. Removing it while the broad beans cook helps keep them whole. The sauce should coat the broad beans without leaving them swimming in it.

Wine pairing

Our suggestion for this dish is EA Trincadeira Tinto 2024. Its red fruit, vegetal notes and soft tannins complement the herbs in the broad beans and the flavour of the black chouriço. Serve at 16 to 18 °C.

Preparing ahead and storing

You can shell the broad beans the day before and store them in a sealed container in the fridge. After the meal, transfer leftovers to shallow containers and refrigerate promptly. To reheat, add a little water and warm over low heat until the whole dish is piping hot, stirring as little as possible to keep the broad beans and chouriço from falling apart.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to remove the skin from each broad bean?

In this version, the broad beans are cooked with their skins on: only the pods are removed. Choose tender broad beans, as a very tough skin may still be unpleasant even when the inside is cooked.

Why did the chouriço fall apart?

Very thin slices, a vigorous boil or stirring several times can make it fall apart. Cut it into slices about 1 cm thick, remove it after frying and add it back only at the end, over low heat.

The sauce is too thin. How can I reduce it?

Uncover the pot and let the liquid evaporate over medium heat before adding the chouriço back. If the broad beans are already very tender, remove them too with a slotted spoon, reduce the sauce and combine everything at the end.

Another dish from Alentejo

For another one-pot meal, discover Portel Chickpea Stew with Sausages, with meat, vegetables and the broth served over bread.

Source and adaptations

Carta Gastronómica do Alentejo (2013), p. 611, recipe card 0513, “Favas com Chouriço”, Alcáçovas, Viana do Alentejo. Recipe collected from Cidalina Morita by Mariana Santos, Terras Dentro, in 2012.

Recipe collected in Alentejo, adapted by Herdade do Estacal for the blog “À Mesa com o Alentejo”. The original recipe does not specify quantities or cooking times: the measurements for four people, amount of water and timings are estimates. The sequence of frying and removing the chouriço, cooking the broad beans with the herb bundle and adding the sausage back at the end has been retained. Adjusting the salt and adding a few coriander leaves to serve are additions.

Illustrative photograph