# Moqueca Vegetariana (Brazilian Vegetarian Stew)

**Chef:** Sneha  
**Cookbook:** Authentic Brazilian Home Cooking  
**Potluck Date:** April 12, 2025  

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## Recipe

MOQUECA VEGETARIANA
(VEGETARIAN MOQUECA)
YIELD: 4-6 SERVINGS

2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red chile pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped
2 large red onions, sliced
9 mini sweet red peppers, sliced (see Notes)
3 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 (14.8-oz [420-g]) can hearts of palm, drained and sliced no less than ¼”
(6-mm) thick (see Notes)
1 (15.5-oz [439-g]) can chickpeas, drained
Kosher salt and freshly ground pink pepper, as desired (see Notes)
2 cups (480 ml) unsweetened coconut milk
¼ cup (60 ml) dendê (red palm) oil, or to taste
⅓ cup (5 g) chopped cilantro, or to taste
Rice, for serving
Farofa, for serving (see Notes)
This is a vegetarian/vegan version of the classic moqueca baiana, which is
traditionally made with fish and/or other seafood. Here we’ll use sliced
hearts of palm and chickpeas instead for a very flavorful and nutritious
veggie main dish that will please even those who don’t follow a vegetarian
or vegan lifestyle!
I highly recommend you try to find dendê (red palm) oil to make this recipe,
as it gives the dish its characteristic flavor and color. If you can’t find it at
your grocery store, it is easy to find online!
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-
low heat. Sauté the garlic and chile pepper for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
Arrange half of the onions in the pot in a layer, followed by a layer of half of
the sliced peppers, a layer of half of the tomatoes, a layer of half of the hearts
of palm and a layer of half of the chickpeas. Season with a pinch of salt and
pepper, and then pour in half of the coconut milk. Repeat the process by

layering the remaining ingredients, finishing with the remaining coconut milk
and the dendê (red palm) oil. Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to a
simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.
Turn the heat off and stir in the cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning as
needed. Serve immediately, with rice and farofa.
NOTES
• You can use 3 red bell peppers instead of the mini peppers.
• Hearts of palm (palmitos) are the core of palm plants from South and
Central America. They are rarely eaten fresh and usually boiled and
processed before they are consumed. You’ll most likely find them canned or
jarred, whole or pre-sliced, in the canned food aisle of your local grocery
store.
• If you can’t find pink pepper, black or white pepper can be used instead.
• Farofa is a popular Brazilian side dish that consists of toasted
manioc/cassava flour (farinha de mandioca) that is cooked with aromatics
and various ingredients.

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