Vegetarian Wild Mushroom Cassoulet With White Beans

This vegetarian wild mushroom cassoulet is my hearty and comforting, meat-free take on the French classic, with caramelized chanterelles, leeks, white beans and a crispy garlic herb crumb topping. (Vegetarian, with an easy vegan swap and gf if you skip the crumb topping.)

White beans are tasty. But cooked low and slow with wild mushrooms, caramelized tomato paste and fresh herbs, you'll see why they're so beloved in the south of France. The beans get creamier, the broth thickens and meaty mushrooms take the place of the duck or sausage in a traditional cassoulet.

I usually make it with chanterelles because I pick a lot of them every fall, but a mix of your favourite store-bought mushrooms works too. It takes time to develop the depth of flavour but most of the cooking time is hands-off, so you can do other things while it fills your house with mouth-watering smells.

Why I Love This Recipe

• It's hearty comfort food without the meat - Caramelized mushrooms, beans and a Parmesan rind give it all the richness without the saturated fat of a traditional cassoulet.
• It's mostly hands-off - After 30 to 45 minutes at the stove, the oven does the work.
• It's even better the next day - It's perfect for make-ahead dinners and entertaining. And don't even get me started on the leftovers! Enjoy leftovers in your lunch box through the week or freeze it for up to 3 months and enjoy a night off cooking. You'll thank yourself later 🙂
• It's a great way to use foraged mushrooms - Besides the beans, mushrooms are the star in this dish so it's a great way to enjoy your favourite fungi. (If you're lucky enough to have a basket of chanterelles, I bet you'd also love my chanterelle mushroom risotto and wild mushroom and lentil stew.)

Fun Fact

Cassoulet comes from the Languedoc region in the south of France, and it's named after the cassole, the wide earthenware pot it was traditionally baked in. Towns like Castelnaudary, Carcassonne and Toulouse all claim their version is the real one. At its heart though, it's peasant food that was always about using what you had on hand, which is why I think wild mushrooms feel right at home in it.

Recipe Ingredients

• White beans - Dried Tarbais beans are the traditional choice for cassoulet, but navy beans, great northern beans or cannellini beans all work and are much easier to find. Dried beans soak up more flavour, but canned beans are fine when you're short on time. (Tarbais beans grow well anywhere you can grow pole beans. I grow mine from Salt Spring Seeds.)
• Mushrooms - I use chanterelles because I pick them every fall and usually have plenty, but any mix of your favourite mushrooms works. Porcini have deep earthy flavour, lobster mushrooms have a pleasant hint of seaside sweetness (it's the bright red-orange one in the photo above), and oyster mushrooms bring great texture. Although less flavourful, white or cremini mushrooms are easy to find in grocery stores and will still make a lovely cassoulet.
• Fresh herbs - Thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Tie the fresh sprigs together with kitchen string as a bouquet garni so they're easy to pull out later. Alternatively, you can strip the leaves off the stems and mince them before adding. Dried thyme and rosemary work well if you don't have fresh.
• Parmesan rind (optional but recommended) - It slowly melts into the cooking liquid and adds savoury, umami-rich flavour. Save your hard cheese rinds in the fridge or freezer for recipes like this one.
• Truffle oil (optional but recommended) - A light drizzle at the end makes the mushroom flavour really pop.
• Crumb topping - Panko, butter, garlic, fresh parsley and salt get pulsed together for a golden brown, crispy top. As traditional cassoulet bakes, the top forms a crust. During the baking, the crust is repeatedly broken into the stew, thickening it and adding more rich, caramelized flavour.

See recipe card for quantities.

Substitutions + Variations

• Canned beans - Use 2 cans (798 ml each), drained and rinsed. Stir them in about 30 minutes before you add the crumb topping so they don't fall apart too much.
• Add sun-dried tomatoes - Drain and slice ½ cup of sun-dried tomatoes into long thin strips and add them along with the broth for sweetness, chew and a deeper tomato flavour. Oil-packed have the best flavour and texture, but dry ones will soften while it cooks.
• Vegan cassoulet recipe - Skip the Parmesan rind, use olive oil or vegan butter in the crumb topping, and double-check the ingredients in your vegetable broth.
• Vegetarian note - Traditional Parmesan is made with animal rennet, so look for a vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese if you're cooking for strict vegetarians.
• Gluten-free - Simply skip the panko bread crumb topping for a totally gf mushroom cassoulet. (Or if you have gf bread crumbs, swap those in.)

Step-by-Step Instructions

The key when making this recipe is to be patient and really let the onions, mushrooms and tomato paste caramelize for the richest and best flavour.

Step 1. Heat olive oil in a large enamelled cast iron Dutch oven or pot. Add the onions and cook over medium, stirring frequently until they turn translucent. Lower the heat to medium low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are dark and well caramelized.

Step 2. Add the leeks, carrot and celery, aka the mirepoix or base of the stew. Cook until translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Then add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until it darkens and starts to stick to the bottom of the pot, about 4-5 minutes.

Step 3. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, while the onions are caramelizing, fry the mushrooms until any liquid evaporates and the edges get nice and golden brown.

Step 4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Once the tomato paste has caramelized with the vegetables, pour in the vegetable stock and water, add the drained beans and bring it to a simmer. Once the mushrooms are browned on the edges, add them as well, scraping up and adding any bits from the bottom of the pan.

Step 5. Add your bundle of herbs and bay leaves.

Step 6. Add the Parmesan cheese rind if using, then pop it in the oven. Bake it uncovered for 2 to 3 hours, stirring every 45 to 60 minutes, until the cooking liquid has reduced. The broth should look thicker and reduced enough that the ingredients are just starting to peek out the top.

Step 7. Pulse the garlic, salt and parsley in a food processor until damp and crumbly. Then add the butter and bread crumbs and pulse until evenly mixed.

Step 8. Scatter the crumb mixture over the cassoulet and put it back in the oven until the top is golden and crispy, about 30 more minutes. (If there is lots of broth left, the crumbs won't get as crispy but they are still delicious!)

Step 9. Remove from the oven and let it rest 20 minutes, then serve hot.

Full instructions in the recipe card below.

Cook's Tips

• Be patient with wild mushrooms. Foraged mushrooms can release a lot of liquid. Just keep cooking and stirring until it evaporates and the flavour is reabsorbed. I find store-bought mushrooms give off much less liquid than my own foraged ones.
• Let the tomato paste stick a little. Cook it until it darkens and starts sticking to the bottom of the pot, then scrape up those browned bits for the deepest and best flavour.
• Fish out the herbs. Before adding the crumb topping, remove the bay leaves and woody herb stems. They're tough and not very pleasant to bite into.
• Let it rest before serving. Cassoulet tastes even better after 20 minutes off the heat, as the beans keep soaking up the broth.
• Make it ahead. This is a dish that improves overnight. To reheat, add ½ cup of broth or water if it's looking dry, then bake at 350°F (175°C) until hot, about 40 minutes.

How to Serve Mushroom Cassoulet

Cassoulet is rustic and doesn't need a fancy presentation. Ladle it into wide, shallow bowls, then drizzle with your best olive oil or a little truffle oil, crack some black pepper and perhaps a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley.

Serve it with crusty bread for soaking up the broth. A good baguette or sourdough is perfect, or try my rosemary no-knead bread. Toast thick slices and rub them with a clove of garlic for a little extra flavour. It's rich and filling enough to stand on its own, so keep the sides simple. A bitter green salad with a sharp vinaigrette is all it needs, like my arugula spinach salad with quick pickled onions. If you want to serve it with even more, roasted Brussels sprouts or creamy polenta are other good sides.

Storage

Let it cool, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.

Leftover Ideas

• Grain bowl - Spoon it over farro or brown rice and top with a fried egg and a handful of arugula.
• Cassoulet toast - Pile it on garlic-rubbed sourdough toast with grated Parmesan and cracked black pepper.
• Soup - Add more vegetable broth, blend half of it until smooth, then stir it back in for a creamy mushroom and white bean soup.

Recipe FAQs

Wine Pairing

A Côtes du Rhône or a red from the Languedoc, where cassoulet comes from, is a natural match for the earthy mushrooms. A West Coast (Washington, Oregon or BC) pinot noir is another top choice. If you prefer white, a lightly oaked, buttery chardonnay is lovely with it too.