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    Crumb-Snatched » Cape Verdean Recipes

    Published: Mar 12, 2021 · Modified: Nov 4, 2022 by Crystal DaCruz This post may contain affiliate links.

    Linguica with Peppers and Onions (Cape Verdean Recipe)

    813 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Linguica with onions and peppers is often part of a larger Cape Verdean style breakfast, but can be served any time of day. The linguica is cut into slices, sauteed with onions, garlic and peppers, and simmered in a savory sauce made of tomato and spices. This versatile linguica recipe can be served over rice with fried eggs on the side, or in a warm Portuguese roll.

    Eating this dish growing up always marked the start of a great weekend. I remember walking to Fox Point with my grandmother (neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island) to buy linguica (or chourico) and Portuguese rolls the day before. I always got chosen for these walks because I was one of the grandkids who complained the least. I have zero issues with getting some steps in exchange for food.

    My grandmother’s recipe yields much more than this one because our family is quite large, but my recipe is scaled down to 4 modest portions. This recipe can easily be doubled if you’re looking to feed more people.

    What should I serve with this linguica recipe?

    Linguica with onions and peppers is often served for breakfast in Cape Verdean households, although it really can be eaten at any time of day. For breakfast it’s often served over white rice, with eggs with a Portuguese roll or freshly steamed Cape Verdean Cuscuz on the side.

    Another popular way of serving linguica with peppers is in a warm Portuguese roll.

    What is linguica, and can I use chourico for this recipe?

    Linguica is a spicy Portuguese smoked sausage. It’s often used interchangeably with chourico because the two are so similar. The only discernible difference that I can see is that linguica is slightly thinner (it’s made with a pork casing) and chourico is fatter (it’s made with a cow’s casing). I don’t notice any difference in taste between the two.

    For this recipe you can use linguica or chourico as both of these cured meats are eaten in Cape Verde and prepared the same way. Linguica/chourico is also added to cachupa (the national dish of Cape Verde) and other dishes like caldo verde and feijoada.

    What ingredients do I need to make linguica with onions and peppers?

    • 1 pound of linguica or chourico – this should yield about 4 servings
    • 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 large tomato cut into quarters (or you can use 2 small ones like shown in the photos)
    • 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste – use 1 tablespoon for a lighter sauce (like in the photos) or 2 for a heavier sauce
    • 1 medium-sized onion
    • 6 or 7 cloves of garlic, sliced
    • 1 bell pepper, julienned – you can use red or green, I use half of a red pepper and half of a green pepper
    • 1 teaspoon of paprika
    • 1-2 teaspoons of kosher salt- I like to start with 1 teaspoon and add more as needed
    • ½ teaspoon of pepper
    • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon of onion powder
    • optional: 1 packet of sazon – my preference is the yellow box that’s labeled ‘con azafran’ (saffron)
    • 1 cup of water
    • a few tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro

    Linguica with onions and peppers – recipe steps

    Step 1: Start the base

    Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic, quartered tomato, tomato paste and dry seasonings. Let everything cook until a sauce forms. You can break the tomato up with a wooden spoon to help it cook down faster.

    Step 2: Saute the onions peppers and linguica

    Add the onions and a splash of water to the sauce and cook for about 1 minute. Then add the peppers and linguica. Keep the heat at medium and toss the linguica, onions and peppers in the tomato sauce. Now add the fresh cilantro.

    Step 3: Add liquid and simmer

    Once the linguica starts sizzling, add the rest of the water to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes. You can lift the lid to stir occasionally, then re-cover and continue to let simmer. You’ll only need to lift the lid and stir it once or twice.

    I like to turn the flame off after about 10 minutes of simmering, but you can cook slightly longer if you would like. Because I don’t like overcooked linguica, I don’t recommend letting it simmer beyond 15 minutes.

    Once the linguica, peppers and onions finish simmering, lift the lid and taste the sauce. Add more salt and pepper if needed and give one last stir before turning the heat off. You should have a decent amount of sauce in the pan and you’ll notice that the onions and peppers will cook down slightly.

    Step 4: Serve over rice

    I love to serve linguica with peppers and onions over white rice because of the way that the rice absorbs the sauce. Speaking of rice, you don’t need to get fancy either, reheated white rice will work just fine! This is the way it was done when I was growing up because we always had leftover rice! My grandmother would fry up some onions in olive oil and then reheat leftover rice in the same frying pan.

    If you don’t have leftover rice and need to make a fresh pot, the extra effort is well worth it for this recipe. As I mentioned earlier, this Cape Verdean breakfast is not complete without some warm Portuguese rolls or fresh-steamed cuscuz!

    Alternately, you can skip the extra step of making rice and serve the linguica and peppers in a warm Portuguese roll! This recipe can be eaten any time of day!

    Did you grow up eating linguica with peppers? Share your story in the comments below and don’t forget to share this recipe on Facebook!

    Cape Verdean Style Linguiça with Peppers and Onions

    Crystal DaCruz
    Linguiça with onions and peppers is commonly eaten as part of a larger Cape Verdean style breakfast, but can be served any time of day. The linguica is cut into slices, sauteed with onions, garlic and peppers, and simmered in a savory sauce made of tomato and spices. White rice and fried eggs are often served alongside the dish. 
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Cape Verdean Dishes
    Cuisine Cape Verdean
    Servings 4 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound linguiça or chouriço
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 large tomato cut into quarters
    • 1-2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 1 medium-sized onion
    • 6-7 cloves garlic sliced
    • 1 bell pepper julienned (red or green is fine, I use ½ of each)
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 packet sazon yellow box with azafran, saffron-optional
    • 1 cup water
    • a few tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro

    Instructions
     

    • Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic, quartered tomato, tomato paste and dry seasonings. Let everything cook until a sauce forms. You can break the tomato up with a wooden spoon to help it cook down faster.
    • Add the onions and a splash of water to the sauce and cook for about 1 minute. Then add the peppers and linguiça. Keep the heat at medium and toss the linguiça, onions and peppers in the tomato sauce. Add the fresh cilantro.
    • Once you start to smell the linguiça, add the rest of the water to the pan, cover it and let simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Lift the lid to stir occasionally and then re-cover and continue to let simmer (you'll only need to do this once or twice).
    • Once the linguiça, peppers and onions are done simmering, lift the lid and taste the sauce. Add more salt and pepper if needed and give one last stir before turning the heat off.
    • Serve over white rice or in a warm Portuguese roll. 
    Tried this Recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Recipe Rating
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    813 shares

    About Crystal DaCruz

    Crystal DaCruz is the recipe developer, writer and food photographer behind Crumb-Snatched. Since 2019 she's been sharing recipes from Cape Verde and other cultures with a shared Portuguese language or similar cuisines.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marta says

      March 25, 2021 at 9:31 pm

      5 stars
      I had a hard time finding linguica, but a near by meat market had a small selection. It was the first time we’ve had it. The sauce is rich and the tender & spicy sausage had great flavor. A great breakfast dish for sure.
      Thank you for sharing!

       
      Reply
      • Crystal says

        March 29, 2021 at 10:27 am

        Marta! So happy you liked it! Yes, linguiça can be tricky to find in certain parts of the country but I’m so glad you were able to get some!

         
        Reply
    2. Robin says

      March 28, 2021 at 4:44 pm

      5 stars
      I served this on a roll with a fried egg on top and it was so ridiculously good, I would eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

       
      Reply
      • Crystal says

        March 29, 2021 at 10:25 am

        Hi Robin! Thank you for giving it a try! So happy you enjoyed it! I agree it’s one of those meals that can be eaten any time of day!

         
        Reply
    3. Jessica Lawson says

      March 28, 2021 at 6:48 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for weekend brunch with some fried eggs and bread and it was SO BOMB. I want to eat this every weekend. I love all of your recipes!

       
      Reply
      • Crystal says

        March 29, 2021 at 10:25 am

        Thanks Jessica! So happy you enjoyed it!

         
        Reply
    4. Mila says

      March 29, 2021 at 12:18 pm

      5 stars
      You always take me on a food adventure. I loved this savory, comforting linguica. It was super easy to make, and the broth was flavorful and tasty!

       
      Reply
      • Crystal says

        March 29, 2021 at 12:39 pm

        Hey Mila, thanks for trying it! So glad you liked it!

         
        Reply
    5. Lilly says

      March 30, 2021 at 11:47 pm

      5 stars
      This was my first time having liniguica and wow! I’ve been missing out this entire time! I made a large batch and have been enjoying it over the last two days. Thank you for the incredible recipe!

       
      Reply
    6. Kaluhi says

      March 31, 2021 at 9:26 am

      5 stars
      This was so rich and so so perfect! I made my soup abit thicker and it was really rich! I’ll for sure be making this again!

       
      Reply
    7. Chenée says

      March 31, 2021 at 1:00 pm

      5 stars
      This was my first time making linguica and I’m hooked! This dish was so delicious with white rice!

       
      Reply
    8. Jazz says

      March 31, 2021 at 3:03 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for breakfast with your cuscuz recipe and it was such a satisfying meal. Thanks!

       
      Reply
    9. CDR says

      February 03, 2022 at 4:21 pm

      5 stars
      I made this last night for dinner over CalRose rice. We raise our own pigs and have some wonderful Linguica made by our Portuguese butcher. It’s a delicious dish and I had everything to make it with, including the achiote paste. I’ll definitely make this again. Thank you!

       
      Reply
      • Crystal DaCruz says

        February 09, 2022 at 9:54 am

        Hello! So happy you liked it! So awesome that you raise your own livestock!

         
        Reply
    10. Sandy says

      August 04, 2022 at 10:18 pm

      Absolutely delish! My friend gave me some linguica as she purchased too much. I scoured Pinterest and found this recipe. I doubled the it to share with a neighbor who doesn’t have much time to cook. So rich and satisfying!

       
      Reply
      • Crystal DaCruz says

        August 05, 2022 at 9:29 am

        I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for your feedback on the recipe! Isn’t linguiça delicious?!

         
        Reply

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    Hello, I'm Crystal!

    I’m bringing Cape Verdean comfort food to the table! This is where I share easy-to-follow recipes from Cape Verde and cultures with similar cuisines!

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