Ahhh, cassoulet 🇫🇷—deeply comforting, slow-cooked, and packed with rich flavors. It’s a classic French bean and meat stew, traditionally from southern France. I’ll give you a home-friendly version that keeps the soul of cassoulet without needing specialty ingredients.
🍲 Classic Cassoulet (Simplified)
Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
- 2 cups dried white beans (cannellini or Great Northern), soaked overnight
- 1 lb (450 g) pork sausage (garlic or smoked if possible)
- 4–6 chicken thighs (bone-in preferred)
- 4 oz (115 g) bacon or pancetta, diced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cups (1 L) chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Salt & black pepper
Optional but very traditional: duck confit (replace some chicken if you have it)
Topping
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
Instructions
- Cook the beans
- Drain soaked beans.
- Simmer in fresh water 45–60 minutes until just tender. Drain.
- Brown the meats
- In a large Dutch oven, cook bacon until crispy.
- Brown sausages, then chicken thighs. Remove and set aside.
- Build the base
- In the same pot, sauté onion, carrots, and garlic until soft.
- Stir in tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf.
- Assemble
- Add beans to the pot.
- Nestle in sausages and chicken.
- Pour in broth until just covered. Season lightly (bacon is salty).
- Slow cook
- Cover and simmer on low 1½–2 hours, or bake at
160°C / 325°F uncovered for the last 30 minutes.
- Cover and simmer on low 1½–2 hours, or bake at
- Breadcrumb crust
- Mix breadcrumbs with olive oil.
- Sprinkle over cassoulet.
- Bake uncovered 20–30 minutes until golden and bubbling.
✅ Cassoulet Tips
- It’s even better the next day
- Break the crust once or twice during cooking for traditional texture
- Don’t rush it—slow cooking is the magic
- Use what you have: cassoulet is rustic, not fancy
🍷 Serve With
- Crusty bread
- Simple green salad
- A glass of red wine (very French 😌)
If you want, I can also give you:
- a quick cassoulet-style weeknight version
- a slow-cooker cassoulet
- or a budget-friendly cassoulet
Just tell me 🇫🇷🍲
