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During the holiday season, I often find myself looking for one-pot, big-batch, hearty soups and stews that can be made ahead of time. Something that folks will love and that will serve as a stand-alone meal. This cassoulet fits the bill perfectly. My mom has been making it for years and now I make it too. The recipe is adapted from Shelia Lukin’s USA cookbook.
If you like this recipe you will probably also like my French market soup. It’s a little less labor intensive if you don’t feel like browning meat. Sorry vegetarian friends – these dishes are meat heavy but if you are looking for a hearty vegetarian option, try my cozy Cajun vegetarian stew.
Notes on Holiday Cassoulet
Ingredients and Preparation
This recipe is pretty basic – no duck, rabbits or other “fancy” ingredients often found in cassoulet. You will find everything you need at the local grocery store. The preparation for the dish is also pretty straight forward. The biggest active time requirement is browning all the meat which must be done in batches. I usually do two batches of chicken and two batches of pork. If you want to speed things up, get out a second heavy bottom pan (a large cast iron skillet or stainless steel sauté pan will work well) and do two batches at once.
For the beans, we’ve switched over from using dried beans to canned beans. It speeds up the process and reduces the number of dishes you have to do. If you prefer to use dry beans, soak 1 pound of dried navy or great northern beans overnight. The following day, put the beans in a large pot and cover with water. Simmer for 30 minutes with a bay leaf and a few chopped celery stalks. Add the beans to the cassoulet when you add the garlic, broth, tomatoes, and other seasonings.
Suggested Serving and Pairing
We dish this stew up in big soup bowls. Garnish it with some fresh parsley and serve with crusty hunks of bread. You really don’t need any more sides but a simple salad is a good choice if you want more veggies.
If you plan to imbibe with your meal, I prefer beer with this stew. Try a nice porter or milk stout. Christmas ales also work great with the stew. My favorite is the Great Lakes Brewing Company Christmas ale. I also like the Sierra Nevada Celebration ale. For those of you that prefer wine, try a French (as cassoulet is French) Malbec, Cote de Rhone, or some other bold, full-bodied red.
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Cassoulet
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Soups and Stew
- Cuisine: French
Description
This recipe is adapted from Sheila Lukin’s USA cookbook. The recipe is called “Sandi Hillmer’s Wisconsin Cassoulet”
Ingredients
- olive oil for browning meat
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1.5 inch pieces
- 1 boneless port loin (about 3 lbs), cut into 1.5 inch pieces
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 4 medium carrots, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 28 oz can plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ¼ light brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 pound kielbasa sausage, cut into 1.5 inch pieces
- 3–4 cans of navy or great norther beans
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil in large dutch oven. Brown the chicken and pork in batches adding oil as needed. It should take about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer meat to a large bowl or platter once browned. I usually get out a second heavy bottom pot (like a large cast iron skillet) to speed this process up. You will probably need to do at least 4 batches.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the dutch oven and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook over medium heat for 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the meat to the pot with the stock, tomatoes, syrup, brown sugar, and all dried herbs and spices. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour.
- Add the sliced kielbasa and canned beans to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed.
- Garnish with parsley and serve with crusty bread or cornbread.
Keywords: sausage; chicken; pork; cassoulet; holiday; one-pot
Cassoulet Kitchen Tools
For this recipe, you will need a large heavy bottom pot with a lid. A dutch oven is perfect for the job. The Le Creuset enameled dutch ovens are beautiful and one of the best reviewed, well-loved options. Lodge also makes a well-reviewed popular option. Got a chef on your Christmas list? These pots make great holiday gifts! Gift them with a set of your favorite dutch oven recipes!!!
