Mushroom & Cannellini Bean Cassoulet

Say hello to my new favourite stew!! It's full of herbs, fennel, leek, mushrooms and creamy lil' cannellini beans, making this hella comforting, yet not too rich or heavy. Usually stews have red wine in them, yet you won't find that here – however, it's equally delicious in it's own way, without it. The garlic breadcrumb topping is gloriously delicious, and also incredibly convenient as it means you don't need to make a side of mashed potatoes to mop up the gravy.

I've fed this to a few different people who were poorly at the time, and they all reported back it well & truly hit the spot!

Ingredients

• olive oil
• vegan butter/margarine
• 2 leeks
• 1 large carrot
• 4 large stalks celery
• 1 fennel
• 6 cloves garlic (or 1 tbsp minced garlic)
• 18 button mushrooms
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp mixed herbs
• 2 x 400g tins cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
• 2 tsp chopped fresh sage leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1/4 cup plain (GF or not)
• 1/2 cup passata
• 3 cups "chicken" or vegetable stock
• 1 handful parsley, chopped
• salt & pepper
• 4-8 slices bread (GF or not, amount depends on size of slices), preferably slightly stale
• garlic oil

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C and prep your veg, by rinsing the leeks then chopping into thick half moon slices, dicing your carrot & celery, thinly slicing your fennel into half moons and crushing, peeling & chopping your garlic.
2. In a large fry-pan or large pot add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, along with a generous knob of butter. Add the leek, carrot, fennel and garlic to the pan, sautéing until beginning to soften.
3. Meanwhile, chop your mushrooms into quarters. Add the mushrooms to the pan, along with the paprika and mixed herbs. Stir to combine, then sauté for a few more minutes until the mushrooms begin to brown & soften.
4. Add the drained beans, sage, bay leaves and thyme to the pan and gently stir to combine. Add the plain flour and stir to coat everything. Add the stock, deglazing the bottom of the pan and stir everything together once more. Let bubble away for 5-10 minutes, while you make your topping.
5. Add your bread slices to a food processor (don't stress about the quantity, you can't really have to many, only so little that your dish will look a little forlorn). Blitz into breadcrumbs, remove the blade and drizzle over a tbsp or two of garlic oil. Toss with your hands to combine. Season with a sprinkle of salt & toss once more.
6. Add the parsley to the stew, and season to finish. Pour the stew into a large baking dish (or a couple of dishes, or keep in the pan if an oven safe dish), then sprinkle over the breadcrumbs. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, until looking golden brown and like a savoury crumble. Dig in - yum.