Vegan No Coq au Vin
Forget the coq! If you like vin, this Vegan Coq au Vin over Creamy Polenta, is the vegan recipe for you! A flavorful “bacon” sauce and red wine are used to make this vegan comfort food rich and savory! This vegetable-loaded, this vegan-friendly ragu is combined with polenta so creamy, you won’t believe that it’s vegan. French cuisine at its finest!
Ingredients
For the "Bacon" Sauce
- 1/4 cup tamari (or substitute soy sauce)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- dash liquid smoke
For the Creamy Polenta
- 1 13.5 oz can full fat, unsweetened coconut milk Note that a 13.5 oz can is roughly equivalent to 1 3/4 liquid
- 1 1/4 cup water +2 cups of water on reserve (see my Creamy Polenta with Mushroom Ragu recipe for detailed instructions on making polenta)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup polenta or medium ground flint cornmeal
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
For the No Coq au Vin
- 20-25 cremini mushrooms washed and cut into same-sized pieces
- 2 quarts water + 5 tsp salt for brining the mushrooms (see my blog post for instructions on brining mushrooms)
- 1 tbsp grapeseed oil
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced or crushed
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes diced into bite-sized pieces
- 2 carrots washed and sliced into 1/2" pieces
- 1 parsnip washed and sliced into 1/2" pieces
- 1 cup red wine I used a Côtes du Rhône (see the blog post for notes on picking a red wine for cooking)
- 1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth I like Pacific Foods
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Wash and cut the cremini mushrooms into large, but similarly-sized pieces. Combine the water and the table salt and stir until the salt is dissolved. Allow the mushrooms to brine in the water for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse and pat dry. Toss lightly in 1 tbsp of high-temp oil (I like grapeseed oil). Roast for 30 minutes. Flip and roast for 5-10 minutes more.
- While the mushrooms are roasting, make the “bacon” sauce by combining the tamari, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, paprika and liquid smoke. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep-sided cast iron skillet until shimmering. Add the diced onion and sauté on medium-low heat until golden brown and starting to caramelize. About 15 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes more, being careful not to burn.
- Add the thyme and rosemary and stir until fragrant. About 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and increase the heat to medium. Sauté the tomato paste until it turns a dark red.
- Add the bacon sauce and continuing stirring. It should start to thicken as the maple syrup caramelizes. About 2-3 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, parsnips and carrots. Stir to coat.
- Add the red wine and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Add the vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, and the bay leaves. Season with salt and plenty of fresh ground pepper. Increase the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened and the potatoes are soft. Add the roasted mushrooms when they're finished roasting.
- To make the polenta, bring the coconut milk and water to a boil in a medium-sized sauce pan. Slowly add the polenta while stirring constantly. Add the salt. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for approximately 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. If the polenta becomes too thick to stir, add additional water. You will likely need to add ~2 additional cups of water. When the right consistency is reached, stir in the nurtitional yeast and add salt & pepper, if desired. The polenta is done when it is smooth and creamy (not gritty or sand-like).
- To serve, add a cup of creamy polenta to the bottom of each serving bowl and top with the Coq au Vin. Garnish with sprigs of fresh thyme and season with salt & pepper, to taste.
Notes
- The Yukon Gold potatoes should help the sauce to become thicker as they cook and start to break down. If you would like it thicker still, remove 1 ladle of the broth from the pot and combine it with 1 tbsp of arrowroot powder. Stir until the arrowroot is dissolved into the broth and then add the mixture back into the stew.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!