Mushroom Cassoulet

Recipe adapted slightly from the March 1998 issue of BBC Vegetarian Good Food. I usually do the first frying of the onions, peppers and mushrooms in a good non-stick frying pan, to avoid having to be too rough with the baby onions - it's nice if they stay roughly in one piece - and then transfer to a stove-top casserole.

Serves 2

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 100g (4oz) baby (pickling) onions, quartered, or same weight of ordinary onion (about 1/2 medium), sliced thickly
• 1 small red pepper, sliced
• 125g (4oz) chestnut mushrooms, or other strong-flavoured mushrooms, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 x 400g (14oz) can chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 tbsp tomato puree
• 100ml (1/2 cup) liquid - vegetable stock or red wine or a mixture
• 1 x 400g (14oz) can mixed pulses (eg chickpeas, aduki beans, kidney beans), rinsed well and drained
• pinch of dried oregano

1. Fry the onions in the oil for 5 minutes or more, until beginning to brown. Add the pepper, mushrooms and garlic, and cook 5 minutes more.

2. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, liquid, beans and oregano. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes covered, then 15 minutes uncovered.

Nice served with rice or roast potatoes; the original recipe suggested garlic bread.

Kake's (Vegan) Cookery Site - http://www.earth.li/~kake/cookery/
This page added 16 Jul 1999 - comments and questions to Kake L Pugh (kake@earth.li).