Cassoulet Vert is one of those fancy French dishes that has the look and feel of a delicacy. Fortunately, it’s not difficult to make, and it’s incredibly tasty as well. If you make this one, cook it in a big pot but serve it in individual bowls. The presentation makes it look like you’ve worked for hours in a kitchen, and you’ll impress your friends and family. This recipe doesn’t just look good, by the way. It is both tasty and rather filling!
Ingredients (soup):
- 1 can (29 oz) little white beans
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoon herbs de Provence
Ingredients (pesto):
- 2 cups fresh kale, packed
- 1 cup cilantro, packed
- 3 cloves garlic
- zest and juice from one small lemon
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
In a soup pot, add olive oil and onions, and saute for four to five minutes, stirring. When the onions are soft, add garlic, and saute another 2 minutes.
Rinse the canned beans well. Add beans, stock, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and other herbs, and stir gently. The broth should just barely cover the beans. Simmer for 30 minutes to an hour.
While the cassoulet is cooking, make the pesto.
Put the kale, cilantro, and garlic into a food processor. Pulse until it is chopped but not soupy. Add the rest of the ingredients: lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, water, salt, and the pine nuts. Pulse until it’s well combined but not too smooth. You want pesto, not soup. Use a spatula to scrape off the sides, and pulse briefly one more time. Set aside.
When the cassoulet is ready, you should remove some of the broth if there’s too much. The soup part should be mostly beans, with only a bit of broth. Stir in the pesto, gently turning it until it’s well mixed. The cassoulet should have the consistency of stew, rather than soup. Continue to simmer on your lowest heat setting for another 10 minutes to let the flavors blend together.
Add salt and pepper as needed for flavor. This dish should be quite lemony, and salty as well. Top with croutons, sprouts, sliced avocado, a poached egg, or some cheese, depending on your tastes. It pairs well with a white wine, and a hearty, crusty bread.
Notes:
You can use traditional basil pesto in this recipe, but you may want to use a bit less. The jolt of flavor from the basil will overpower the mild taste of the beans if you use too much. Add other types of pesto slowly, until the flavor seems right to you. That said, I recommend making the kale pesto above. It’s so delicious!