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An easy cassoulet recipe perfect for holiday entertaining
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3.39 from 47 votes

Easy Cassoulet

My Easy Cassoulet is a pared down version of the classic French dish and it's perfect for laid back entertaining or a romantic dinner for two!
Course: Dinner Recipes
Cuisine: French
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 4-5 sweet Italian sausages
  • 4 chicken thighs or a mix of thighs and legs
  • olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion peeled and diced
  • 1 large shallot peeled and thinly sliced
  • 3 large cloves of garlic peeled and smashed
  • 1 small head of fennel diced
  • 1/2 cup dry vermouth or other white wine
  • 1 heaping cup crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 32- ounce carton of Swanson® Chicken Stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 large bunch fresh thyme tied with twine, plus more for garnish
  • salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
  • 1 Tbsp harissa
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • a small bunch maybe 8 or so, baby carrots, trimmed and peeled, but left whole
  • 2 14- ounce cans of white beans drained and rinsed
  • a splash of sherry vinegar

Instructions

  • Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy stew pot over medium high heat until quite hot. Prick the sausages all over with the sharp point of a small knife. Brush them will olive oil and place them in the pan. Brown on all sides and set aside. Do the same with the chicken pieces. Remove and set aside.
  • Coat the bottom of the pan lightly with olive oil and saute the onions, shallot, fennel, and whole garlic cloves for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
  • Add the vermouth to the pot and let it cook down for a couple of minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and stock, bay leaves, thyme, harissa, and spices, stir well and bring to a simmer. Let the sauce cook uncovered for about 10 minutes to reduce a bit.
  • Add the sausage and chicken back into the pot, and nestle down into the sauce. Cover and let simmer on low for about 20 minutes.
  • Add the white beans and the baby carrots at the very end of the cooking, just so the carrots barely cook through.
  • Add the sherry vinegar and taste to adjust any of the seasonings. Remove the bay leaves and the thyme bundle. Cut each of the sausages in half.
  • Garnish the cassoulet with fresh thyme leaves. Serve hot with crusty bread.