White Bean Cassoulet with Roasted Vegetables

This hearty vegan cassoulet with roasted vegetables is a festive and affordable way to feed a crowd.

A traditional French cassoulet is a legendary, almost mythical creature. Duck confit and pork sausages are nestled into creamy white beans, topped with seasoned breadcrumbs, and baked into an enormous casserole fit to feed someone who’s been hunting all day in a cold, wet, French forest.

I had the pleasure of eating the real thing in Paris, the February before Covid changed everything. It was an unusually gusty, rainy night, and thanks to the benevolence of the gods, we got a table at Chez Denise without a reservation. (Maybe the gods sensed a global pandemic was coming and were like, “Fine, here you go. You probably won’t be back for a while.”)

Admittedly, my girlfriends did not share my enthusiasm for ordering a bean dish. But man, did their eyes light up when our stoic waiter set that steaming, bubbly casserole on our table. By the end of the meal, there wasn’t a single bean left behind.

Here’s my easy, home cook-friendly version of vegan cassoulet (pronounced kae-soo-lay, btw) with roasted vegetables. It’s a festive yet low-key way to feed any crowd.

What’s In This Vegan Cassoulet

Tomato-tinged beans make up the bulk of cassoulet. The traditional duck and pork bits make way for earthy roasted vegetables here (mushrooms, carrots, and fennel), and everything gets topped with crunchy seasoned breadcrumbs. The casserole is then baked until golden.

Key Ingredients + Substitutions

• White Beans: Although home-cooked beans are best, you can make this with canned or from-scratch beans. Use cannellini or great northern.
• Mushrooms: Mushrooms have a “meaty” texture and savory flavor, making them a perfect vegetarian stand-in for a classically meat-heavy dish. I recommend a combo of cremini and shiitake, but you can sub in oyster or trumpet mushrooms, too.
• Carrots: Add a bit of sweetness.
• Fennel: If you don’t like fennel, leave it out and compensate with extra mushrooms and carrots, and perhaps add some celery.
• Tomato Paste: Adds a depth of flavor. I recommend the tube versus the canned kind since it lasts longer in the fridge.
• Broth: Use boxed vegetable or mushroom broth, make your own, or use Yondu or Better Than Bouillon.
• Panko: Japanese-style panko breadcrumbs are crunchier and fluffier than American-style. They’re available in most supermarkets these days, but regular ones will do just fine, too.
• Nutritional Yeast: Adds an umami note to the topping.

How to Make Vegan Cassoulet

Step 1: Roast the Vegetables

Combine the veg on a baking sheet, and add oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat, arrange in a single layer, and roast until golden, about 25 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Roasting the vegetables before adding them to the beans concentrates their flavor and eliminates excess moisture.

Pro tip: Unless your mushrooms are literally covered in soil, don’t wash them under the tap (mushrooms absorb water, which can make them rubbery); wipe them with a damp paper towel instead. Toss the veg with oil, salt, and pepper, and roast until lightly golden, about 25 minutes.

Step 2: Sauté the Aromatics

In a large high-sided skillet or Dutch oven, cook the onion and garlic with the spices until translucent. Then add the tomato paste and cook for another minute.

Step 3: Simmer the Beans

Add the beans and broth to the aromatics and simmer for 5 minutes to meld all the flavors together.

Step 4: Make the Topping

In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, parsley, a bit of oil, and a pinch of salt. Rub the mixture with your fingers to distribute the oil.

Step 5: Assemble and Bake

Stir the roasted vegetables into the beans and transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. Sprinkle with the panko mixture and bake until golden, about 25 minutes.

Make-Ahead Tips

Cassoulet is great for making in advance since it arguably gets even better as it sits (since all the flavors get a chance to combine). However, the breadcrumbs will lose their crunch as the cassoulet sits in the fridge.

If you want to prep in advance, work through step 6: put the vegetable-bean mixture in the casserole dish and cover it with foil. (It will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.) When you’re ready to finish cooking, sprinkle the casserole with the breadcrumb mixture and bake.

What to Serve with Vegetarian Cassoulet

I recommend serving this dish with vegan mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes, plus a salad – either this arugula-sweet potato salad or this kale-orange one. But, if you’re feeling lazy, just a crusty baguette will do. (Psst… wanna keep the French vibes going? Make my vegan bourguignon next!)

More Festive Bean Dishes…

• Cannellini Bean Dip
• Tuscan Beans on Toast
• White Bean Purée
• Warm Lentil Salad