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
- Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the tomatoes with the bay, sage, parsley and thyme.
- 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.
- Taste to check seasoning, pour into an ovenproof dish and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Garnish with fresh thyme and enjoy!