This Vegetarian Cassoulet Recipe is one of the best vegetarian comfort food recipes ever! It's a vegetarian twist on a classic duck dish, packed with hearty and delicious flavors. And it's dairy free, making it vegan as well.
This hearty Vegetarian Cassoulet recipe overflows with warm, rich flavors. It's absolutely dreamy.
It's incredibly satisfying, not only to eat, but to cook as well. Your home will be filled with the delicious scent of fresh herbs, caramelized onions and roasted garlic, blended together with its star ingredient, cannellini beans. Their creamy texture is one of the keys to the comfort in this dish.
Vegetarian Cassoulet takes a good amount of time to make, and every minute is worth the results.
It's the cooking time that allows for the flavors and textures to marry together so perfectly. Please note though, that the majority of the time is inactive.
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What is Cassoulet?
- Cassoulet is a rich, slow-cooked bean stew or casserole originating in the south of France.
- Traditionally it includes white kidney beans, pork sausages, pork, goose, duck confit and sometimes mutton. (Duck confit is duck cooked in its own fat.)
Not exactly what you're going for if you're a vegetarian. Clearly.
Other than the beans and slow-cooking method, there's nothing traditional about this Cassoulet recipe. It's vegetarian, after all.
In fact, the title, "Vegetarian Cassoulet" is pretty much an oxymoron. And it's truly amazing! You won't be able to get enough!
The Key Vegetarian Cassoulet Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil - I like this one.
- onion - Try to choose onions that are firm, heavy for their size and without bruises.
- roasted garlic - Roasted garlic is creamy, subtly sweet and much less pungent than raw garlic. Here's How to Roast Garlic.
- carrots - Look for firm, plump carrots, preferably without little roots on the bottom.
- kale - I use Lacinato kale. The leaves are slightly thinner and more tender than those of curly kale.
- marinated artichoke hearts - These will be drained and offer an excellent rich and flavorful texture contrast to the other ingredients.
- Cannellini beans - If possible, start with dry beans.
- canned tomatoes - Crushed or diced. Try to use the best possible quality canned tomatoes. This is one of my favorites.
- cream sherry - Medium or dry sherry is okay too, just slightly less sweet.
- vegetable stock - Preferably low sodium.
- breadcrumbs - I use Panko (breadcrumbs without the crust).
(See recipe card below for quantities.)
Substitutions and Variations
- Roasted garlic. If you want to use raw garlic it will be much sharper, so use about half of the amount listed in the recipe card. It should also be added with the onions, rather than after the onions become soft.
- Kale. Spinach is the best substitute for the kale. Use about 1 ½ times the amount you would kale -- it's tends to shrink a lot more when cooked. You can also use swiss chard or collard greens.
- Cream sherry. Vermouth is a great substitute. Or you can skip it all together if you'd like. If you do, make up the difference with more vegetable stock.
- Dried thyme. Fresh thyme can also be used. Use 3 times the amount listed in the recipe card.
- Fresh oregano. You can use dried oregano if you don't have fresh. Use about ⅓ of the amount listed in the recipe card.
- You can also mix up the fresh herbs and use rosemary, marjarom, or any combination of all of them.
- Gluten-free version. This is an easy fix. Just use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Recipe Tips
My best advice for this recipe is to follow the cooking times as closely as you can. It's worth every minute.
How to Make it
- Before you begin, the garlic should be roasted (here's how), and the beans should be cooked (here's how.) Both of these things can be done up to a few days in advance. (You can also use canned, well-drained Cannellini beans.)
- Use about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to coat the bottom of a large (about 4 quart), heavy-bottomed pot (A Dutch Oven is perfect). Place the pot over medium-high heat and add the onions. Stirring every few minutes or so, cook until they're very tender and are beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Add the roasted garlic and stir to blend.
- Add the carrots and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring a few times.
- Then add the kale and cook until it’s completely wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the artichokes, oregano and thyme, and cook for a couple of minutes, until it’s very aromatic.
- Deglaze the pot with the tomatoes, sherry and stock. Use a flat-bottomed wooden spatula to scrape any stuck bits of food from the bottom of the pot, back into the mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Then uncover the pot, turn the heat to medium and cook to reduce the liquid by about half. This should take about 20 minutes.
- Fold in the beans and season generously to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 x 2½ inch baking dish, or two 9 inch pie dishes.
- Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly on top and then drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
- Bake uncovered in the preheated 300°F oven for 1½ hours. Then cover loosely with foil, and bake for another 30 minutes. (If the top isn't as golden as you'd like, you can place it under the broiler for about 30 seconds.)
- Let it rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Making it Ahead and Storage
- You can make vegetarian cassoulet a day ahead of time. In fact, if anything, it's even better. Let it cool completely, cover it tightly with foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Let it come to room temperature before reheating it in a 300°F oven until it's hot, covered lightly with foil.
- Leftovers (if there are any!) should be refrigerated, are great for at least 4 days.
- Freezing. You can freeze leftovers for up to a couple of months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then bring to room temperature before reheating it in a 300°F oven until it's hot, covered lightly with foil.
Frequently Asked Questions About this Vegetarian Cassoulet
Q: Do I have to cook the Cannellini beans myself, or can I used canned?
A: Absolutely you can use canned. If you do, be sure to drain them well.
Q: Do I need to use the full amount of olive oil.
A: Yes, if you want the results we're going for, which is for the consistency to mimic that of a classic cassoulet as closely as possible, (considering it's vegetarian). 😉 The oil and the long cooking time are what make it so rich and creamy, and utterly delicious.
Q: Do the vegetables become soggy with the long cooking time?
A: Nope!
Oh, and if you want a cassoulet with meat, you'll want to try this Chicken Sausage Cassoulet.
Other Vegetarian Stews
- Tuscan White Bean Stew
- Slow Cooked Red Cabbage Stew
- Curry Potato Stew
- Roasted Butternut Squash Chili
- Vegetarian Tofu Chili
I hope you enjoy every last bite of this amazing vegetarian comfort food.
Vegetarian Cassoulet Recipe
*You can cook dry beans ahead of time (here's how), or use canned, draining them first.
*Please note that the majority of the cooking time is inactive.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2½ cups yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons roasted garlic, roughly chopped
- 2½ cups carrots, peeled and cut into ¼ to ½-inch rounds
- 5 cups packed kale (preferably Lacinato), washed and dried, tough stems removed, roughly chopped
- 1½ cup oil marinated artichoke hearts, drained, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1¼ cup canned tomatoes, peeled, chopped
- ½ cup cream sherry
- 2¼ cups vegetable stock
- 3¾ cups cooked Cannellini beans
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook onions and mix with garlic. Use about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to coat the bottom of a large (about 3½ quart), heavy-bottomed pot (A Dutch Oven is perfect). Place the pot over medium-high heat and add the onions. Stirring every few minutes or so, cook the onions until they are very tender and are beginning to become brown, about 15 minutes. Add the roasted garlic and stir to blend.
- Add remaining vegetables. Add the carrots and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Then add the kale and cook until it’s completely wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the artichokes, oregano and thyme, and cook for a couple of minutes, until it’s very aromatic.
- Deglaze. Deglaze the pot with the tomatoes, sherry and stock. Use a flat-bottomed wooden spatula to scrape any stuck bits of food from the bottom of the pot, back into the mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Then uncover the pot, turn the heat to medium and cook to reduce the liquid by about half. This should take about 20 minutes.
- Fold in the beans and season generously to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
- Assemble. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 x 2½ inch baking dish, or two 9 inch pie dishes. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly on top and then drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
- Bake. Bake uncovered in the preheated 300°F oven for 1½ hours. Then cover loosely with foil, and bake for another 30 minutes. (If the top isn't as golden as you'd like, you can place it under the broiler for about 30 seconds.)
- Let it rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.
NOTES
NUTRITION
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Kim Malcolm
Wow, this was a hit at a recent holiday dinner. The artichokes are an excellent addition. I added topped with a little parmesan (because my friends can't not have cheese).
Valentina
Thanks so much, Kim! So happy it was a hit with you and your friends. I totally get it about the cheese. 🙂 Happy New Year! Warmly, Valentina