Recipe: French Style Vegetarian Cassoulet {Hearty Winter Bean & Vegetable Casserole}

Summary: Traditionally a cassoulet has pork sausage, duck, goose and beans. Gelatin from the meats helps to form a crisp crust on the top. Despite the meatiness of the original, I thought the cassoulet could become a delicious vego dish. I was right! This is delicious! Thyme gives this that savory flavour and the medley of veggies lend a richness. Oh and that garlicky, cheesy, Parmesan crust just sets off everything perfectly. Plus it’s hearty and warm and perfect for winter. You could even make it vegan by swapping the butter for oil and omitting the Parmesan (just make sure the bread & wine are vegan too!). This is a winter fave in our house, give it a go and I know it will be a fave in your house too! It’s a dish that’s handy when you have meat eaters and veggies to feed at the same time. The cassoulet is a meal on its own but serving it with sausages on the side is bound to please.

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large leek, sliced into half moons
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 ribs of celery, diced
• 200g mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch kale, chopped or shredded
• 2 tblsp butter
• 1/4 cup verjuice or white wine
• 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bunch thyme, leaves only
• 1 (400g) tin diced tomatoes
• 2 (400g) tins cannellini  beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups stock

For the topping:

• 1 baguette
• 100g Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/3 cup garlic olive oil
• 1/4 bunch parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Place a casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter, onion, leek, carrot, celery, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until soft, stirring often.
3. Deglaze the pan with the verjuice or wine, scraping any brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon (we want to get that flavour!). Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, dried marjoram, thyme leaves, beans, stock and kale and simmer for 30 mins. 
4. While the cassoulet simmers, make the topping. Use a food processor to turn the baguette to coarse crumbs. Add the garlic oil, parsley and Parmesan to the crumbs and pulse to combine. 
5. Once the cassoulet has finished simmering, remove the bay leaf and cover the top with the bread crumbs. Place in the oven and bake, uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The bread crumbs should be golden brown and the edges bubbly.