Vegan Bobó de Mandioca
Bobó de Mandioca is a rich, comforting classic from Bahia, Brazil — traditionally made with soft cooked cassava, creamy coconut milk, and warm spices. This fully vegan version keeps every bit of that signature velvety texture, mild sweetness, and vibrant flavour, swapping seafood or meat for hearty mushrooms, hearts of palm, or seasonal vegetables. It is smooth, aromatic, deeply satisfying, and served with toasted farofa for that perfect contrast of soft and crunchy.
Shared by lily
Time
55 min
Serves
5
Difficulty
easy
🛒 Ingredients
- #Base & Stew;
- 800g fresh cassava (yuca), peeled, cut into chunks, tough central fibre removed
- 2 cups vegetable stock,, 1 can (400ml) full‑fat coconut milk
- 1 onion, finely diced,, 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced,, 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tbsp dendê oil (palm oil) or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp ground coriander,, ½ tsp cumin
- Salt and black pepper to taste... Fresh coriander/cilantro, chopped
- #Vegan Add‑Ins (choose or mix);
- 200g oyster mushrooms or shiitake, torn
- 1 cup sliced hearts of palm,, 1 cup diced pumpkin or sweet potato
- #To Serve;
- Farofa (toasted cassava flour)
- Chilli pepper and fresh coriander for garnish
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook the cassava: Boil cassava in salted water until very soft. Drain, discard any tough fibres, then mash or blend half of it with a little stock until smooth; leave the rest in soft chunks for texture.
- 2
Sauté aromatics: Heat dendê or olive oil in a large pot. Fry onion until soft, add garlic and bell pepper, cook for 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper until tomatoes break down.
- 3
Simmer: Add the mashed and chunky cassava, remaining stock, and coconut milk. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes until thick and creamy.
- 4
Add extras: Stir in mushrooms, hearts of palm, or pumpkin; cook for another 8–10 minutes until tender. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- 5
Finish: Stir in most of the fresh coriander. Serve hot, topped generously with farofa, extra coriander, and a fresh chilli.