Vegetarian Wild Mushroom Cassoulet With White Beans

A bowl of the finished cassoulet with bread crumb topping and a spoon in it.

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Vegetarian Wild Mushroom Cassoulet With White Beans

A cozy, meat-free take on the French classic with caramelized chanterelles, leeks, white beans and a crispy garlic herb crumb topping. Most of the cooking time is hands-off in the oven. Serves 4 generously or 6 with side dishes and bread.

Prep Time20

Cook Time3

Bean Soaking6

Total Time9 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: canadian, French

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: mushroom cassoulet, vegetarian cassoulet

Servings: servings

Calories: 554kcal

Author: Sabrina Currie

Ingredients

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup onion diced
3 cups leeks about 2-3 large leeks, sliced and well rinsed
2 cups carrot cut in ½-inch dice
1 cup celery diced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoon tomato paste
3-4 cups chanterelle mushrooms or a mix of your favourite mushrooms, chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water approximately
1½ cups dried Tarbais, navy or other small white beans soaked 6 to 24 hours (or 2 cans, 798 ml each, drained and rinsed)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 large sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 large sprig fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
2 inch piece Parmesan rind optional but recommended
2 teaspoon truffle oil optional but recommended

Crumb Topping

1 clove garlic minced
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups fresh parsley divided (1 cup for the topping, ½ cup chopped for garnish)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine or olive oil
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Instructions

(Soak your beans for at least 6 hours before starting if using dried beans.) Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large enamelled cast iron Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until it turns translucent. Lower the heat to medium low and keep cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onion is dark and well caramelized.
Add the leeks, carrot and celery and cook until translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Then add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste darkens and starts to stick to the bottom of the pot, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, while the onion is caramelizing, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a separate frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and fry until any liquid evaporates and the edges are nice and golden brown.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Pour the vegetable stock and water into the pot, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, and add the drained beans. Taste and season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring it to a simmer. Add the browned mushrooms, scraping in any bits from the pan as well. (If you're using canned beans, wait until step 6.)
Tie the thyme and rosemary sprigs into a bundle with kitchen string and add them to the pot along with the bay leaves and the Parmesan rind, if using.
Place the pot in the oven uncovered. Bake for 2 to 3 hours, stirring every 45 to 60 minutes, until the cooking liquid has thickened and reduced enough that the ingredients are just starting to peek out the top. (If your liquid reduces too fast, add a little broth or water as needed.) If you're using canned beans, stir them in for the last 30 minutes before adding the crumb topping.
While the cassoulet bakes, make the crumb topping. In a food processor, pulse the garlic, salt and 1 cup of the parsley until damp and crumbly. Add the butter and panko and pulse until evenly mixed.
Take the cassoulet out of the oven and remove the bay leaves, herb stems and what's left of the Parmesan rind. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed. Then scatter the crumb mixture evenly over top and return it to the oven until the top is golden and crispy, about 30 minutes. (If there's still lots of broth, the crumbs won't get as crispy, but they're still delicious!)
Let it rest for 20 minutes, then serve hot with a drizzle of truffle oil and the remaining chopped parsley.

Notes

Cassoulet tastes even better the next day. To reheat, add ½ cup of broth or water and bake at 350°F (175°C) until hot, about 40 minutes.

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