The French aren’t known for being big into vegetarianism, or even particularly tolerant of it! Ellie’s French in-laws are an exception, having been vegetarian for decades. This recipe is from Ellie’s mother-in-law, Odile who says
“Although there are innumerable versions of cassoulets, they are all based on a stew of white beans and various forms of pork. The most original comes from Toulouse in the southwest of France. The dish gets its name from the pot it is traditionally based in, the cassole, which is often shaped like a wide inverted cone. The version I follow comes from a very old traditional recipe book where the recipe includes duck confit and the French garlic sausages that are a specialty of Toulouse.”
Luckily this recipe is simpler and from the sounds of it cheaper. I can be cooked on the hob or in the slow cooker, and you can use any type of sausages you like.
At the bottom of the recipe are a series of options and alternatives should you need them, including vegan, low FODMAP and hacks to make the recipe easier.
Ingredients
- Two sorts of sausages (e.g. a box of Linda McCartney and a box of Cauldron or Quorn).
- 1/3 of a box of vegetarian suet.
- 1 x 400g tin of flageolet beans.
- Bouquet garni (found in the dried herb section in what looks like a tea bag), plus 2 tbsp dried mixed Italian herbs.
- 1 white onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 fresh or half a tin chopped tomatoes.
- 4 medium potatoes, quartered
- Other vegetables e.g. carrots if desired
- 1/3 pint vegetable stock
- Corn flour mixed with cold water
Serves 4
No sponsorship was received for this recipe in any form.
Method
Cut the onions into four sections. Dice the garlic.
Dissolve the suet in a frying pan and soften the onions and garlic.
Add the chopped tomatoes and quartered potatoes. Then add the herbs and whole sausages.
Cook gently until the potatoes are almost tender, stirring regularly. Add the beans with the juices to the mix, plus the vegetable stock.
Stir well and continue cooking until the potatoes are soft and the beans are piping hot. Add the corn flour solution and stir well.
Click on any of the below for some ideas for changing this recipe to suit you.
Both Quorn and Cauldron make vegan sausages which makes this recipe easy to make vegan. Atora vegetable suet is also suitable for vegans.
This recipe contains beans, gluten, onion and garlic, which unfortunately makes it unsuitable for a Low FODMAP diet. Sorry!
Chopping is already minimal, but onions are available pre-chopped in the fresh section of most supermarkets. If you find chopping potatoes difficult, you could use new or baby potatoes instead and cook them whole.
If you struggle with tins, Sainsburys sell some beans in a tetra-pak container that can be cut open with a knife or scissors.
