Vegan Cassoulet with King Oyster Mushrooms
Going vegan doesn’t mean giving up rich, savory dishes. If you need proof, all you have to do is try this Vegan Cassoulet.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup dried Great Northern Beans see Pre-Prepping the Beans instructions below as this must be done in advance or use 3 14 oz cans of Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed; see Recipe Notes for substitution option
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 10 oz pkg King Oyster mushrooms washed thoroughly; see Recipe Notes for substitution option
- 1/2 cup red wine or substitute water
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup tamari
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 carrots washed and diced
- 1 celery stalk washed and diced
- 1 8 oz jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil; drained and chopped
- 1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups water + additional water if the cassoulet becomes too dry
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Pre-Prepping the Beans
- The night before you plan to serve this Vegan Cassoulet, soak the dried Great Northern Beans in 1 quart of water with 1 ½ tbsp of salt overnight. I do this in a large glass bowl on my counter and cover the top of the bowl with a clean towel.
- The next morning, drain and rinse the beans and put them in a medium-sized sauce pot. Cover the top of the beans with at least 2 inches of water, add the bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the beans are soft. About 2 hours. Add additional water as necessary.
- When the beans are softened, remove the bay leaves, drain and set aside.
- You can also use 3 14 oz cans of Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed, in place of the dried beans. See the Recipe Notes for changes in timing.
Vegan Cassoulet
- Washed the King Oyster Mushrooms and cut the cap from the top. Then trim the ends of the stems. Using the tines of a fork, shred the stems of the mushrooms lengthwise. They should take on the appearance of pulled meat. Then thinly slice the caps.
- Add the shredded mushrooms and red wine to a large, deep-sided cast iron skillet. Bring to a simmer and allow the wine to cook down. 8-10 minutes.
- When the wine has almost completely cooked off, add 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and sauté the shredded mushrooms until they just begin to brown. About 2-4 minutes.
- Add the diced onions and salt and reduce the heat to low. Slow cook the mushrooms and onions, stirring occasionally, allowing the onions to caramelize slightly. About 20 minutes. Be careful not to burn the onions.
- While the onions are sautéing, combine the tamari, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Increase the heat to medium and add the minced garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the dried parsley and thyme and tomato paste. Stir to combine and continue to cook until the tomato paste becomes a dark red. About 2-3 minutes
- Add the tamari mixture and continue to cook until the mixture has reduced. About 3-4 minutes.
- Add the carrots, celery, soaked Great Northern Beans, sun-dried tomatoes, vegetable broth and water (but see Recipe Notes if you are using canned beans in lieu of dried beans).
- Reduce the heat and allow the dish to simmer slowly until the broth has reduced to a thick stew. About 1 hour. See Recipe Notes if you are using canned Great Northern Beans.
- Preheat oven to 325º.
- When the cassoulet has a thick, stew-like consistency, put the cassoulet on the middle rack of the oven and bake for ~30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the top of the cassoulet should have developed a crust. Gently break a small spot in the crust and spoon the sauce from underneath over the top of the crust then bake for an additional 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then serve.
Notes
I like making this recipe in a cast iron skillet, as it retains heat very well and easily transfers from stove top to oven.
Can't find Great Northern beans? The best substitute is Cannellini beans.
Wondering why I pre-cook the beans? Read up on this in my blog post!
If you can't find King Oyster mushrooms, you can substitute cremini mushrooms. Wash and trim the stems, then slice them and proceed with the recipe.
If you are using canned beans in lieu of dried beans, reduce the simmer time to 30-40 minutes and don't add the water right away. Instead, let the cassoulet simmer with just the vegetable broth and add water only if necessary.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!