French Cassoulet Soup is food for the soul. Filled with delicious ingredients like sausage, bacon, fresh herbs, and cannellini beans, it is perfect for these cold winter days. It is flexible (use what you have on hand) and it works all year long as true comfort foods do.
When we were visiting friends in a small town outside of Dijon, France, they made a huge pot of cassoulet for us to eat at a dinner party they planned to welcome us. It was outstanding and our hostess had been working on it for a few days to get it just right. I can still remember every bite of the luscious stew.
Traditionally some cassoulet stews are made with sausage, duck confit, pork and white beans, all cooked slowly together in a rich broth. It originated in the South of France as a peasant dish, and the best flavors are achieved by hours of simmering. The stew becomes luscious and incredibly satisfying, the perfect winter meal to share with those you love.
Today’s soup version is a wonderful way to get the flavors of cassoulet stew quickly, without the time-consuming steps. It has most of the ingredients but uses a few shortcuts like canned beans and bacon to make it easier and faster to prepare.
I love that you can make this a day ahead and the flavors improve with time. You can have this all ready to reheat for the simplest dinner party fare or for weeknight dinners.
If you can find duck confit legs, I urge you to add them to the soup. Their flavor and meltingly tender texture will add tremendously to the succulent taste of the soup and bring it closer to the original stew. Strip the meat and fat from the bones and add them near the end so it has time to warm up in the soup without over cooking.
If you don’t have duck confit you could use roasted and shredded chicken adding that lovely poultry flavor to the soup. Using a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store makes it even easier. It is totally up to you if you want to add this ingredient.
I love the deep, rich broth of this soup. The potatoes aren’t traditional but they bulked the soup up and made it a hearty full meal. I added a simple salad and I was completely satisfied with the cassoulet soup for dinner. If you are looking for other soups here at The Heritage Cook, check them out here.
I hope you enjoy this French Cassoulet Soup. It can be an easy regular item on your menu during the cold months of the year. Give it a try and enjoy!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day. I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for French Cassoulet Soup:
- Olive oil, sausages, bacon, onions, garlic, carrots, celery,
- Thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, tomato paste, white wine,
- Beans, chicken stock, salt, duck confit (optional), and pepper
PRO Tip:
If you don’t already have an enameled Dutch oven, I recommend putting one on your wish list. They can be expensive depending on the brand, but is an investment in your future meal preparations. I’ve had mine forever and will pass it along to the next generation. My personal favorites are Le Creuset or Staub (not sponsored).
How to make French Cassoulet Soup:
- Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cool water. Add a large pinch of kosher salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook at a low boil for about 15 minutes. Drain in a colander and return to the hot pan; set aside.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven and sear sausages until browned. Let them rest on a plate until cool enough to handle then cut them into chunks.
- Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has rendered its fat and gotten slightly browned but not crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, and herbs to the Dutch oven. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is softened and released its liquid, but not browned.
- Add the tomato paste and stir it in, cooking for 1 minutes, stirring often. Pour in the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to release the browned bits (where there is a ton of flavor) until nearly all the wine has evaporated. Add the beans, sausage chunks, bacon, stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the large carrots and celery and discard. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes to meld the flavors. Taste and add salt if needed. Ladle soup into bowls and serve.
PRO Tip:
If you can find or have homemade duck confit legs, I urge you to add them to the soup. Their flavor and meltingly tender texture will add tremendously to the succulent taste of the soup and bring it closer to the original stew.
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Gluten-Free Tips:
Be sure you check the stock, bacon, beans, and sausages for gluten ingredients. Because they can hide in these foods, be cautious. If you have any questions, contact the manufacturer to be sure they are safe to consume.
*NOTE: The major gluten-free organizations have declared that distilled alcohols are gluten free. Wine is also considered safe. For some very sensitive people wine may cause issues. In a few rare cases, wine makers may use barrels that have minute amounts of gluten in the caulk. If you have issues with wine, look for a winery that uses only stainless steel containers to age their wines.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
French Cassoulet Soup (Gluten and Dairy Free)
French Cassoulet Soup is a wonderful way to
easily get the flavors of cassoulet stew without the time-consuming steps. It has most of the same ingredients but uses a few shortcuts like canned beans and bacon to make it easy to prepare and still be rich and delicious.
Ingredients
- 3 Russet potatoes, peeled and rinsed, cut into bite-sized pieces, optional
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 8 (about 900g) short, thick pork and garlic sausages (gluten-free if needed)
- 7 oz (200g) thick-cut bacon, coarsely chopped (gluten-free if needed)
- 2 onions, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup dry white wine*, chicken stock (gluten-free if needed), or water
- 2 cans (425g each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (gluten-free if needed)
- 6 cups (1420ml) low-salt chicken stock (gluten-free if needed)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 confit duck legs, optional, remove the meat and fat from the bones and chop into bite-sized pieces (you will add the fat with the meat to the pot)
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt, if needed
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cool water. Add a large pinch of kosher salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook at a medium boil for about 15 minutes or until fork tender. Pour into a colander, drain, and return to the hot pan; set aside.
- While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the sausages until browned all over and cooked through (165°F; 74°C). Reduce heat to medium. Place sausages on a plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Then cut them into 2/3-inch (1.5cm) thick chunks. Set aside.
- Add the bacon to the same pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has rendered its fat and cooked through. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon and reserve it separately on a paper towel-lined
plate. - Add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves to the Dutch oven. Cook, boiling gently, for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onions have softened and released their liquid. Scrape the bottom of the pan.
- Add the tomato paste to the vegetables and cook for 1 minute stirring often. Add the wine*, stock, or water and bring to simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot to release the browned bits (where there is a ton of flavor), until most of the wine has evaporated. Add the beans, sausage, stock, and pepper. Add the meat and fat from confit duck legs, if using. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir the cooked potatoes into the soup. Turn the heat to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes to meld the flavors and heat the potatoes. Taste and add salt if needed. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Ladle into soup bowls, top with the crispy bacon, and serve.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
Be sure you check the stock, bacon, beans, and sausages for gluten ingredients. Because they can hide in these foods, be cautious. If you have any questions, contact the manufacturer to be sure they are safe to consume.
* The major gluten-free organizations have declared that distilled alcohols are gluten free. Wine is also considered safe. For some very sensitive people wine may cause issues. In a few rare cases, wine makers may use barrels that have minute amounts of gluten in the caulk. If you have issues with wine, look for a winery that uses only stainless steel containers to age their wines.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Adapted from a recipe in Good Food, a subsidiary of the Sydney Morning Herald
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 513Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 2948mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 5gSugar: 11gProtein: 31g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate.
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