Butter Bean Bourguignon (VG) from Dirty Vegan Fast and Easy

By Erin Brown
Related Categories: Cookbook Confidential

“I was classically trained at catering college, so bringing the classic French bourguignon to life, minus the beef, was a treat. When it comes to butter beans, the recipe is made here with canned butter beans purely for time management, but you may want to try the dried ones as well. It brings a meatier texture and consistency to the dish, plus the prep is so satisfying. As this bourguignon tastes even better the next day, prepare it a day in advance. That way, it’ll be nice and ready to satisfy those post-party, comfort-food cravings.” Matt Pritchard, author of Dirty Vegan Fast and Easy

For the butter bean bourguignon

3 sprigs of thyme

3 sprigs of rosemary

3 sprigs of sage

30g (1oz) dried porcini mushrooms

250ml (9fl oz) boiling water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, roughly chopped

60g (2¼oz) vegan lardons

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

200g (7oz) mushrooms, trimmed

2 tablespoons tomato purée

3 × 400g (14oz) canned, drained and rinsed (see Note)

375ml (13fl oz) red wine

200ml (7fl oz) vegetable stock

2 tablespoons cornflour

1 tablespoon water

Knob of Vegan butter

Salt and pepper

Finely chopped flat-leaf

Parsley, to serve

For the potato and celeriac mash

400g (14oz) potatoes, cut into 2.5-cm (1-inch) cubes

300g (10½oz) celeriac, cut into 2.5-cm (1-inch) cubes

3 tablespoons Vegan butter (see page 36)

4 teaspoons plant-based cream or milk

Salt and pepper

Make the butter bean bourguignon. To make a bouquet garni, tie the sprigs of thyme, rosemary and sage together with kitchen string. (This will make it easier to pull the herbs out of the sauce before serving.)

Combine the porcini mushrooms and measured boiling water in a bowl. Set aside to rehydrate.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and sweat for 7 minutes, until softened and translucent. Chuck in the vegan lardons, garlic and whole mushrooms and cook for another 7 minutes.

Drain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the porcini soaking liquid for later. (The water is full of umami flavour and will help add depth to your sauce.) Squeeze out all the excess water from the porcini, then finely chop them.

Add the porcini and tomato puree to the pan and stir. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the butter beans and bouquet garni. Pour in the soaking liquid, taking care to leave out any bits of grit at the bottom. You definitely do not want that in your stock. Pour in the wine and stock.

Mix the cornflour with the measured water to make a loose paste, then add it to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer for 30 minutes, until sauce has thickened. Discard the bouquet garni from the bourguignon.

Meanwhile, make the potato and celeriac mash. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and celeriac and boil for 20 minutes, until cooked through and a knife can pierce easily into the veg without resistance. Drain, then put them back into the pan.

Add the vegan butter, cream, salt and pepper and mash until silky smooth.

To serve, stir the vegan butter into the bourguignon and garnish with parsley. Serve with a generous helping of mash and you’ll be on top of the world.