# Weeknight white bean cassoulet with mushrooms and garlicky walnut crumbs

Source: https://hungryvegan.co/recipes/weeknight-white-bean-cassoulet-with-mushrooms-and-garlicky-walnut-crum

> This weeknight cassoulet simmers white beans with deeply browned mushrooms, smoked paprika and thyme until thick and creamy, then gets a crunchy topping of toasted bread, walnut and garlic crumbs.

- Prep: 15 min
- Cook: 30 min
- Serves: 4
- Protein: about 22 g per serving (computed from USDA FoodData Central values)
- Diet: vegan
- Key swap: Classic cassoulet leans on duck confit, sausage and pork fat. Here, hard-seared mushrooms, smoked paprika and a splash of soy sauce bring the savory, smoky depth, and a scoop of mashed beans gives the sauce that rich, clingy body.
- Make ahead: The stew keeps 4 days in the fridge and tastes even better on day two. Store the crumbs separately in a sealed jar at room temperature and sprinkle on after reheating so they stay crunchy.

## Ingredients

### Garlicky walnut crumbs
- 2 slices whole wheat bread (60 g), torn into small crumbs
- 1/2 cup walnuts (50 g), finely chopped
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast (15 g)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- Pinch of salt

### Cassoulet
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb (450 g) cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (vegan) or extra vegetable broth
- 3 cans (15 oz each) cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed (720 g drained)
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 cup frozen green peas (140 g)
- 3 cups chopped kale, stems removed (about 1 small bunch)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste

## Steps
1. **Toast the crumbs.** In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, toss the bread crumbs and walnuts with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Toast, stirring often, until golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Tip into a bowl and stir in the grated garlic, nutritional yeast, parsley and lemon zest. Set aside.
2. **Brown the mushrooms.** Wipe out the skillet, add 2 tbsp olive oil and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the mushrooms in an even layer and leave them alone for 3 minutes, then stir and cook until deeply browned, 5 to 6 minutes total. Don't crowd or rush them. This is where the flavor comes from.
3. **Soften the vegetables.** Add the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. **Bloom and deglaze.** Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, smoked paprika and thyme and cook for 1 minute, until the paste darkens. Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits, letting it bubble for about 1 minute.
5. **Simmer the beans.** Add the beans, broth, soy sauce, Dijon and bay leaf. Scoop out about 1 cup of beans, mash them with a fork and stir them back in. Simmer uncovered, stirring now and then, until thick and stewy, about 10 minutes.
6. **Add the greens and finish.** Stir in the kale and frozen peas and cook until the kale is just tender and the peas are hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Spoon into bowls and pile the walnut crumbs on top right before serving.

## Tips
- Rinse the canned beans well so the sauce tastes clean and not tinny.
- If the stew gets too thick, splash in a little more broth. If it is too loose, simmer a few minutes longer and mash a few more beans.
- Stale bread makes the crunchiest crumbs. A quick pulse in a food processor works if your bread is fresh and soft.
- Serve with a simple green salad and crusty bread for the full bistro moment.

## Questions
### What can I use instead of white wine?
Use more vegetable broth plus 1 tsp of red wine vinegar or lemon juice. You still get that bright lift that balances the rich beans.

### Can I bake this like a traditional cassoulet?
Yes. If your skillet is oven safe, sprinkle the untoasted crumb mixture over the finished stew and slide it under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Watch it closely, since walnuts burn fast.


Searing the mushrooms hard in a hot, uncrowded pan builds deep browning that stands in for the meaty richness of a classic cassoulet. Blooming tomato paste and smoked paprika in the oil, then deglazing with wine, pulls all that fond back into the sauce.

Mashing a cup of the beans releases their starch, which thickens the broth into a silky, spoonable stew in about 10 minutes instead of hours. The crumbs are toasted separately and added at the end, so you get real crunch against the creamy beans in every bite.