Not my best food photography, but several of you asked for this recipe and I want to get it up quickly.
I started with a photo of a recipe my daughter shared with me from the book Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. She uses navy beans, olive oil, and fresh carrots in the stew; I made do with what I had (frozen peas and carrots, cannellini beans) and sauteed the leeks, onion, and garlic without oil. I had a leftover roasted sweet potato to use up so I subbed that for half of the vegan shortening she called for in the biscuits. I also just dropped the biscuit dough all over the top of the hot stew, instead of rolling and shaping it into discs.
Here’s my version:
Cannellini Bean “Cassoulet” with Sweet Potato Biscuit Topping
For the stew:
- 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes or medium Russets, peeled and diced
- 2 leeks, trimmed, washed well, and sliced thinly
- 1 small or 1/2 a large yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- half of a 12 oz bag frozen peas and carrots
- 3 cups veggie stock (I used 3 cups of water plus 1 tablespoon Better Then Bouillon “No Chicken” Base
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 can (15 oz.) organic cannellini beans
Do ahead: Skip down to the biscuit recipe and add the vinegar to the milk so it has time to sour/curdle.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the diced potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until just tender. Drain well and set aside.
Heat a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. (If your pan is not ovenproof, you can transfer the stew to a large baking dish or casserole later.) Add the leeks and onions to the pan and cook until translucent and just beginning to brown on the edges, stirring frequently and adding a bit of water as need to keep from sticking. Add the minced garlic and cook another minute or two.
Whisk the cornstarch into the bouillon and add to the vegetables. Stir in the cooked potatoes, frozen peas and carrots, and thyme. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Bring to a boil stirring constantly so no lumps form. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5-7 minutes while you prep the biscuit dough. (Turn the heat off after 7 minutes if you are not done with the biscuits yet.)
For the Sweet Potato Biscuits:
- 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 small cooked, peeled sweet potato (about 1/2 cup mashed)
- 2 tablespoons cold vegan “butter” or coconut oil
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the sweet potato and “butter” into the flour mixture until crumbly. With a fork, stir in the soured milk, just until all the flour is wet.
If necessary, transfer the stew to a large baking dish. Drop the biscuit dough by spoonfuls all over the top of the hot stew and bake in the pre-heated oven for 15-17 minutes, until the biscuits feel firm and are just beginning to brown on the edges.
Note: if you don’t have a sweet potato, you can eliminate it and double the “butter” instead. I just wanted a lower fat version and I love sweet potatoes!
