Vegan Cassoulet

Cassoulet is a French classic and (traditionally) absolutely not vegan. But you can easily capture the essence of this comfort-food dish in my meat-free version. Even better on the second day, cassoulet can be made the night before and gently reheated, perhaps served alongside a hearty kale salad for a delightful weeknight supper. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry white beans, soaked 8 hours and cooked until tender (drain excess liquid). Alternatively, use 3 cups canned white beans, drained and washed (consider cannellini or navy beans)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed into a paste
• 15 mushrooms sliced (consider baby bella or crimini) 
• 2 tomatoes diced and seeded
• 1 tbsp chopped sage or several fried sage leaves
• 1 tbsp chopped thyme (save some small sprigs for serving) 
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 
• 1 vegetarian bouillon cube
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan.
2. Add the onions, garlic and carrots. Add a pinch of salt and ground black pepper. Saute the vegetables for about five minutes, until the onions are translucent. Remove and set aside. 
3. Add coconut oil to the saucepan, and when heated, add the mushrooms. Brown mushrooms in small batches to avoid overcrowding, which leads to steaming rather than searing them. 
4. Add the tomatoes with the bay, sage, parsley and thyme.
5. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Add more water if the stew is too thick. Turn the heat to a level where it boils gently.
6. Taste to check seasoning, pour into an ovenproof dish and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Garnish with fresh thyme and enjoy!