Vegetarian Mixed Mushroom Cassoulet Recipe

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The traditional French cassoulet of white beans and confit duck is considered to be an ultimate comfort food, and we think this vegetarian version is equally as satisfying. This mixed mushroom cassoulet recipe, from the kitchen of recipe developer Jennine Rye, yields a comforting and nourishing dish, perfect for those choosing to cut down on their meat consumption (or for those who just really love mushrooms).

The combination of cremini, oyster, and porcini mushrooms provide a deliciously earthy, deeply-infused umami flavor, and along with their meaty texture, give this white bean cassoulet a rich, hearty depth. The mushrooms are cooked alongside a mirepoix base, before being stewed in a Marsala wine-spiked mushroom stock alongside white beans and plenty of herbs. The cassoulet also gets a cheesy and herby breadcrumb topping, which provides a nice textural contrast against an otherwise soft, casserole-like dish. It's always worth having a collection of cozy, warming dinner recipes ready to go, and we highly recommend adding this vegetarian mixed mushroom cassoulet to that list.

For the mushroom medley, you will want cremini mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and dried porcini mushrooms along with hot water to rehydrate them. Additional fresh ingredients you will need include an onion, a carrot, celery, garlic, and fresh thyme. To complete the cassoulet base, you will also want olive oil, butter, dried oregano, bay leaves, tomato paste, Marsala wine, stock, white beans, salt, and pepper. For the breadcrumb topping you will additionally need breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and another drizzle of olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in the boiling hot water for 25 minutes.

Once softened, strain the porcini mushrooms from the liquid and set aside.

Heat a heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pan to medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter to pan.

Saute the onions, carrots, and celery for 6 to 8 minutes, until softened.

Add the cremini mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and garlic to the pan. Saute for 4 to 5 more minutes.

Add the porcini mushrooms, fresh thyme, dried oregano, bay leaves, tomato paste, Marsala wine, mushroom stock, white beans, salt, and pepper to the pan. Mix well and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, thyme, and olive oil to create the breadcrumb topping.

Top the mushroom cassoulet with the breadcrumb mixture.

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden and the cassoulet is bubbling. Serve hot.

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This hearty and nourishing mushroom cassoulet can be adapted in a variety of ways according to your personal preferences and the ingredients you are able to source. This cassoulet recipe uses cannellini beans, however, there are a variety of other bean options available to you. Great Northern beans are an easy switch up for cannellini, or alternatively butter beans also work well adding a creamier finish to the dish. There's no need to stick to just one variety, either, so you can use an assortment of beans if desired.

To infuse the dish with different flavor, you can start off using different base aromatics to the mirepoix used in this recipe. Ingredients such as shallots, leeks, or fennel will each add their own unique taste to the resulting stew. Similarly, if you aren't concerned about keeping the dish vegetarian, you can add bacon, pancetta, or even sausage meat the cassoulet right at the start for a rich and meaty dish. Another way to add a meaty element to this stew is by using a meat-based stock such as chicken or even beef, however if you would prefer to keep this dish vegetarian, adding a dash of soy sauce will increase the umami depth while keeping things meat-free. Finally, you can mix up the breadcrumb topping by mixing in some garlic granules or some chopped nuts for an even richer, nuttier finish.

As well as being a richly-flavored and hearty dinner choice, this mixed mushroom cassoulet is packed full of nutrients thanks to the variety of mushrooms. Mushrooms provide more nutrients than you might think, and in fact, they're something of a super food, offering up various vitamins and minerals that not only makes this cassoulet taste good, but makes it good for you.

Variety is definitely the spice of life, which is why we have used three different types of mushroom in this cassoulet dish, but that doesn't mean you have to stick with the varieties we have chosen for you. The humble button mushroom is a firm favorite of many and easy to source with supermarkets stocking this mild mushroom in abundance. Slightly more flavorful than the button is the shiitake mushroom. Popular in Asian cuisine, this woodsy umami mushroom is highly versatile and would work well with the other elements of this stew. For a more luxurious stew you could reach for morels or chanterelles. Both varieties deserve to be treated like the showstoppers that they are, and in return will add plenty of gorgeous flavor, texture, and visual appeal to your dish.

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