Cassoulet, Three Ways: Easy, Vegan, All Out

Pork cassoulet with seared duck breast. Aya Brackett

One of my favorite bean dishes, which I make a million ways. Flageolets—slightly green immature kidney beans—are just as fabulous as traditional Tarbes in the fairly traditional All Out recipe. For the simple Sausage Cassoulet, use whatever you have handy in a can or the freezer. For the vegetable-forward Vegan interpretation, lentils, a completely untraditional choice, work perfectly. For all, the goal is to let the beans cook until they start to break apart, which helps thicken the stew. And don’t skimp on the fat.

Sausage Cassoulet (Easy)

Makes 4 servings

Time: 40 minutes

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 1/2 pounds mild Italian sausage, cut into chunks
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, or 2 teaspoons dried
• Salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
• 1 cup white wine or water (or bean-cooking liquid, if you’ve got it), plus more as needed
• One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 3 cups cooked white beans (or two 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained)
• 4 thick bread slices, any kind

Turn the broiler to high and position the rack 4 inches below it. Put the oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the pieces until they’re no longer pink, 5 to 10 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until the sausage sizzles and browns and the vegetables soften and become golden, 3 to 5 minutes.