Look at that tasty mound of potatoes, onions, tomatoes, red pepper, and… is that cod fish? Well it’s not… but it sure is tasty and happens to take only 15 minutes to prep instead of 24 hours! This quick, easy, and super tasty vegan Portuguese bacalhau (cod stew) makes enjoying this Portuguese classic — that much easier!
So what’s the secret ingredient that makes this Portuguese “bacalhau” so much faster and… another perk… thriftier?
Hearts of Palm!
Hearts of palm is a relatively new ingredient for us and wowza! It’s a fantastic substitute for dishes that are traditionally made with white fish!
Bacalhau is salted cod fish and is essentially Portugal’s national dish. Salted cod fish is prepared in a number of ways in Portugal and this version is based on the main preparation my parents and grandparents made as I was growing up.
One caveat to cooking with salted cod is that it’s SALTED! And requires you to place it in fresh water at least 24 hours before you want to cook with it in order to leach out some of the salt. You also have to change the water a few times during those 24 hours. This pre-planning and the typical cost of salted cod, meant this dish was mostly reserved for special occasions.
But this little trick of swapping the codfish for hearts of palm:
Doesn’t sacrifice on flavour
The only prep time is chopping your ingredients
And this version keeps extra money in your pocket!
What Are Hearts Of Palm
It’s a vegetable harvested from the core of certain palm tree varieties! And:
They’re easy to find
Canned and ready to eat
Available at most large grocery stores and warehouse chains
And costs about CAD $2.50 for a 398ml can or $5.79 for 796ml
This healthline article on hearts of palm can give you a bit more info about them and describes their texture and taste like this:
A slight crunch similar to white asparagus.
And a taste similar to artichoke hearts.
Other Hearts Of Palm Recipes
We’ve found that hearts of palm work beautifully in any recipe that usually calls for white fish.
- It stays firm if sliced (as in this recipe, to mimic chunks of cod) and our Creamy “Hearty” Chowder!
- But it flakes too! Mash it with a fork or a food processor to mimic shredded white fish like we do for this Vegan “Fish” Taco Bowl.
Recipes like this Portuguese bacalhau, clam chowder, or calamari rings -where you expect larger chunks of fish – the hearts of palm can be sliced cleanly. But for recipes like our shredded fish taco bowl, breaded fish sticks, or crab cakes – pop the hearts of palm in a food processor or shred away by hand and you have flaky goodness.
Other Ingredients For Vegan Portuguese Bacalhau
Traditionally, potatoes and onions are nearly always paired with Portuguese salted cod dishes. This vegan Portuguese Bacalhau adds tomato and red bell pepper and tops it off with olives, parsley, and breadcrumbs.
The only prep work for this recipe is the time it takes to slice up your veggies. If you have a mandolin slicer you’ll be able to cut down the slicing time but even by hand it’s about a 15 minute job.
Using Seaweed
A fantastic way to get that ocean taste when you’re not using fish is to add seaweed! You can use:
- Dulse Flakes (seaweed flakes)
- Large Nori Sheets (large sheets of seaweed used for sushi)
- Or Seaweed Snack Sheets (often salted or flavoured snack size sheets)
I’ve had a hard time finding dulse flakes. They are available for purchase online but instead, I like having seaweed snack sheets on hand for recipes like this one. They are easy to crumble and tend to be thinner than large sheets of nori for sushi.
Can I Make This Vegan “Bacalhau” Without The Seaweed?
Absolutely! We find that hearts of palm actually have a mild “fishy” smell and taste, so even without the added seaweed this will still be a tasty take on Portuguese bacalhau.
Adjusting The Veggies
This recipe as written fills a large 9×13 inch casserole dish and gives us 6 servings. The veggies are layered on top of each other and with this dish I can do two layers of each vegetable.
Feel free to make a smaller, 1 layer version or, cook this in a large stockpot on the stove and stack even more layers! My mom always makes this on the stovetop so I have included directions for that method below as well.
Recipe Cost
Yes! This vegan Portuguese bacalhau costs us approximately: CAD $14.82 (2.47/serving) using our homemade vegetable broth. And CAD $15.01 with store-bought broth. You can also use water instead of broth and save those extra few cents that way.
Whereas a traditional version using 1 ½ pounds of salted cod will cost approximately CAD $23.71.
That’s a savings of CAD $8.89! With these savings and the much shorter prep time, this vegan Portuguese bacalhau has become an easy go-to for us!
So let us know in the comments below if you give this a try and what you think!
You would love a copy of my ebook “Da Terra” with 25 Vegan Portuguese Recipes!
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Vegan Portuguese Bacalhau – A Quick And Easy Take
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: serves 6
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Vegan Portuguese Bacalhau! A quick and easy version of the traditional cod stew without the long preparation. Yes please!
Ingredients
- 796ml hearts of palm (1 large or 2 smaller cans)
- 4 small seaweed snack sheets
- 2 tsp paprika (we use smoked paprika!)
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin*
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced thin*
- 1–2 large tomatoes, sliced thin*
- 3 – 5 yellow flesh potatoes, sliced thin*
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ –½ cup vegetable broth or water
- 375 ml pitted black olives*
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- Salt and pepper to taste
*Fresh ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- You can make this recipe in a pot on the stovetop or bake it in a casserole dish in the oven.
- If baking, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- Drain hearts of palm and roughly cut into large chunks. Place in a bowl and carefully toss with ½ -1 teaspoon paprika and finely chopped or crumbled seaweed paper. Let that sit while you prepare your veggies.
- Peel and slice your onion into rings. Thinly slice your potatoes (there’s no need to peel them if you are using yellow potatoes but if you have russet or a thicker skinned potato, take the time to peel them). The thinner the potato is sliced the quicker it will cook through. Slice your peppers and tomatoes.
- Using either the stovetop or oven method, cover the bottom of your pot or casserole dish with olive oil and put a layer of onion down first to prevent sticking. Then a layer of tomato, then potato, then peppers, then hearts of palm. Sprinkle with garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika. Depending on how much room you have in your pot or dish, repeat the layers as needed.
- When you’re done layering, pour ¼ cup or so of broth over the dish, then drizzle with olive oil. *If you like lots of sauce to soak up with bread, feel free to add more liquid!
- If using a pot; cook, covered, over medium heat (adding more broth as needed if your veggies don’t release enough liquid) for 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. For the oven method; cover with foil or a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees F. Uncover, add olives and breadcrumbs, and raise the oven temp to 425 degrees F for another 10 minutes to get a bit of browning on the top.
- To serve: garnish with parsley (and olives and breadcrumbs for the stovetop method). Gently scoop into plates and enjoy with fresh bread! Leftovers last 3-4 days in the fridge.
Notes
*Cost Comparison: CAD $14.82 ($2.47/serving) with our homemade broth. CAD $15.01 with store-bought broth. Vs. CAD $23.71 ($3.95/serving) using 1½ lb salted cod. The difference = CAD $8.89.
*To make gluten-free, omit the breadcrumbs.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baked or Stovetop
- Cuisine: Portuguese
Megan
Still not done after 2 hours of baking then transferred to a pot. I bought a mandolin slicer for the potatoes in this recipe, so they are nice and thin. I’m giving up, we are starving. The sauce tastes good, though!
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh I’m sorry to hear that you were waiting on the potatoes. Certainly frustrating. If you do decide to give it another try you can increase your oven temperature from the beginning, add more liquid to encourage more steam, and cover the baking dish from the beginning of the cooking time. Ovens and potatoes do vary so I hope if you do give it another try you might have a more pleasant experience.
Scoops of happiness
I baked it covered in the oven at 375 for 40 min instead of 30 and then did the 10 min uncovered at 410 and it seemed to turn out perfectly. We have just returned from Portugal so wanted to recreate the dining experience.
Kathryn Alexandre
I’m so glad to hear that you were able to recreate your Portuguese dining experience with this recipe! Thank you so much for giving it a try and for the lovely star rating!
Tina
It sounds delicious! I have a friend from the Azores I’d like to make this for.
Do you fresh (soft) bread crumbs, or dried from the pantry, like Panko bread crumbs?
Thanks
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh great! I usually use dried Italian breadcrumbs (seasoned or unseasoned would both work). I usually serve it with a soft bread for dipping in the bit of sauce. If you only have panko Japanese style breadcrumbs that would be fine. You can also omit the breadcrumbs and it will still be lovely! Let me know how you like it when you give it a try.
Sylvia
Had this over the holidays as a vegan option for my niece and her boyfriend and it was really easy to make! I did bigger chunks of potatoes and they turned out perfect! Thank you for simple vegan Portuguese option!
Kathryn Alexandre
You’re welcome Sylvia! Thank you so much for trying it and I’m glad it worked out with the bigger chunks of potato too. My parents actually made this one over the holidays too and it was so nice to have it again!
Hannah
Made this for my boyfriends who is Portuguese and it was great! Awesome to have a fish-free version of one of his favourite dishes! Thank you Kathryn:)
Kathryn Alexandre
How lovely! I’m so glad that you found my recipe and were able to make a fish free version of one of his favourites. There is definitely something special about having a dish from your childhood that brings back that specific kind of comfort. Lovely of you to make it and let me know you both enjoyed it.
Cynthia Amoruso
This recipe brings me back to Christmas with my Portuguese Vovo and Mom. The potatoes, the salty olives, the tomatoes, honestly I wasn’t a fan of fish as a child but somehow bacalhau with all the flavors dancing together in the dish was a favorite of mine. Here I am, so many years later, and this vegan recipe thankfully captures the taste and essence of this dish. It’s funny how visual memories may fade or change, but memories of sense like taste and smell seem to remain strong. This is a great recipe and thank you so much Kathryn for doing the hard work and bringing it to us.
Kathryn Alexandre
I’m so glad this recipe brings those memories back for you Cynthia and that it captures the essence of the traditional dish. Thank you so very much for leaving such a lovely star review. These Portuguese recipes are so meaningful for me to create so I am glad you’ve found and enjoyed this one!