With another month of cold weather in New England, there’s still time to make Veg Au Vin, a vegetarian version of Coq Au Vin. Veg Au Vin has the mouth-watering scent of the original chicken stew and uses the same spices and wine. It tastes like Coq Au Vin without the meat.
I still have fall garden squash and pumpkin to use before spring arrives and this recipe is the perfect vehicle for a large squash. It feeds a crowd. The umami flavor of mushrooms, hearty vegetables, and lentils makes this a rich and substantial dish. No one will miss the chicken.
You can serve this stew with cut boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, rice, polenta, or plain with a loaf of crusty bread. I like it with boiled potatoes that have been lightly mashed with a fork.
This recipe makes 8 – 10 servings.
Tips
- Be sure to complete this prep work before you start cooking.
- Soak the dried lentils in water for at least 8 hours. I recommend putting them in water the night before you make the stew.
- Soak the dried mushrooms in water for at least 4 hours. You can soak them overnight too.
- Use a hearty squash or pumpkin that can stand up to the long cooking required to soften the lentils and merge the flavors. I used a Kabocha squash, which cooked nicely and didn’t break down in the stew.
- Substitute vegetable stock for the mushroom liquid if you prefer.
- Use a red wine that you enjoy. A French red wine is used in Coq Au Vin, such as a Burgundy, Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, or Bordeaux, but you can use a different red wine.
- Have a little more soy sauce, tomato paste, salt, and pepper on hand to adjust flavors after the stew has cooked a while.
Ingredients
You need the following ingredients to make Veg Au Vin.
- 1 cup dried mushrooms, soaked in 4 cups water for at least 4 hours
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped into small pieces
- 2 cups sliced carrots, 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup chopped celery, 1/4 inch pieces
- 4 large Swiss chard stems, leaves and stems separated, stems cut into 1/4 inch pieces, leaves chopped into small pieces
- 1 medium squash, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks (about 6 cups)
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
- 1 cup dried black or green lentils, soaked in water for at least 8 hours
- 4 stems thyme, leaves stripped from stems and chopped
- 3 stems rosemary, needles stripped from stems and finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 20 ounces cremini mushrooms (sometimes called baby bella), chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1 750ml bottle of red wine
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Remove the dried mushrooms from the water, reserving the water. Squeeze the water from the mushrooms (you can add it to the reserved water). If any mushrooms are tough, discard them. Finely chop the remaining mushrooms and set them aside for later.
Add the olive oil to a large heavy pan, such as a dutch oven, and heat it over medium heat. Cook the onions until they become translucent (5-10 minutes).
Add the carrots, celery, and Swiss chard stems and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the squash and continue cooking for a few minutes.
Stir the garlic into the large pot. Add the thyme, rosemary, soy sauce, and tomato paste. Stir everything together and cook for a few minutes to slightly brown the tomato paste.
While the vegetables are cooking, add the butter to a skillet on medium high heat. When the butter is melted and sizzling, add the cremini mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms until they are shiny, have released some juices, and the juices start to be cooked away (about 5 minutes). Add the mushrooms to the large pot and add the chopped dried mushrooms.
Rinse the lentils in a strainer and drain them well, then add them to the pot. Add the mushroom stock and the red wine.
Bring the stew to a light boil, then turn it down, cover the pot, and simmer the stew until the lentils are soft. This will take 30 minutes to an hour.
Add a little salt and pepper to the stew. After it cooks for a few minutes, taste the broth and adjust the seasoning, adding more of any of the following as needed: tomato paste, soy sauce, salt, and pepper.
Simmer the stew for a while with the lid off to thicken the liquid.
Serve the stew with your starch of choice.
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