This recipe is an excerpt from Sarala Terpstraโs cookbook, Vegan French Favorites. Sarala is an American cookbook author who followed her dreams and moved to the South of France. She focuses on reimagining classic French recipes using every day, plant-based ingredients. She has been featured on Vegan.com, in The Connexion France newspaper, and various blogs and podcasts. This recipe is a vegan version of Coq au vin, using cauliflower instead of meat but maintaining the traditional seasonings and cooking process- including the fun flambรฉ part!
Table of Contents
Vegan Cauliflower au Vin: A Rich and Flavorful Delight
Coq au vin or ‘Rooster in Wine’ consists of chicken or rooster slow-cooked in a wine sauce, often with bacon, herbs, and mushrooms. You can imagine why I elicit an, โMmmm, whatโs for dinner?โ from my husband whenever I make this vegan cauliflower version. A flambรฉ is part of the conventional cooking process where alcohol (usually cognac) is splashed in and set afire before burning it off- a process said to deepen the flavors. Cauliflower is used in this recipe in place of meat for chewy, browned bites that contrast perfectly with a rich stew. If you choose to flambรฉ, be sure to do it safely. Enjoy the Vegan Cauliflower au Vin with potatoes or rice (mashed potatoes are my preference).
Ingredients Youโll Need
For the stew
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Carrots
- Flour
- Red wine
- Vegetable broth
- Water
- Tomato paste
- Soy sauce (substitute tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free)
- Bay leaf
- Fresh thyme
- Fresh parsley, chopped
For the cauliflower
- Olive oil
- Cauliflower head
- Mushrooms
- Poultry seasoning (thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper, and nutmeg)
- Smoked paprika
- Nutritional yeast
- Maple syrup
- Salt and black pepper
- Optional flambรฉ: Cognac, brandy, or other liquor
How To Make This Vegan Cauliflower au Vin
Step 1: Vegetable Stew: Sautรฉ, Deglaze, and Simmer
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pot, then add the onions and fry till the onions are golden. Stir in the garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
- Mix in the carrots, then add the flour and mix well, so the vegetables are evenly coated. Fry for a minute. Deglaze by slowly pouring in the wine, and using it to loosen the mixture from the pan. Allow the wine to cook for a minute.
- Add the broth, water, tomato paste, soy sauce, bay leaf, thyme, and parsley. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow the stew to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 2: Sizzling Cauliflower and Mushroom
- While the stew is simmering, prepare the cauliflower. Flip the cauliflower over and, in a circular motion, cut out the core. This will allow the florets to fall off. Discard the core and cut any excessively large florets in halves or quarters, keeping most of the florets whole. Cut the mushrooms in halves or quarters.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan or cast-iron skillet. Lay each cauliflower floret and mushroom in the pan and sprinkle with the poultry seasoning, smoked paprika, and nutritional yeast. Stir and then fry for a couple of minutes, allowing the cauliflower and mushroom to blacken.
- Splash the cauliflowers and mushrooms with a little water and cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
- Optional step: Once the water has cooked off, pour two tablespoons of cognac or brandy all over the cauliflower and mushrooms and immediately light with a match or lighter. Allow the flames to dissipate.
Step 3: Pour the stew, Simmer and Serve!
- Pour the stew into the cauliflower and mushrooms, mix gently, and stir in the maple syrup and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for a few minutes.
- Serve the Cauliflower au Vin immediately over mashed potatoes or rice.
Vegan Cauliflower au Vin – Recipe Card
Vegan Cauliflower au Vin
Ingredients
For the stew:
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 onion sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 medium carrots sliced
- 2 tablespoons flour can substitute gluten-free flour
- 1 cup / 240 ml dry red wine
- 2 cups / 480 ml vegetable broth
- 1 cup / 240 ml water
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce substitute tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free
- 1 bay leaf
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
For the cauliflower:
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 whole cauliflower head
- 10 mushrooms halved or quartered
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper, and nutmeg
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- ยฝ teaspoon maple syrup
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional flambรฉ: 2 tablespoons cognac brandy, or other liquor
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pot, then add the onions and fry till the onions are golden. Stir in the garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
- Mix in the carrots, then add the flour and mix well, so the vegetables are evenly coated. Fry for a minute. Deglaze by slowly pouring in the wine, using it to loosen the mixture from the pan. Allow the wine to cook for a minute.ย
- Add the broth, water, tomato paste, soy sauce, bay leaf, thyme, and parsley. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow the stew to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the stew is simmering, prepare the cauliflower. Flip the cauliflower over and, in a circular motion, cut out the core. This will allow the florets to fall off. Discard the core and cut any excessively large florets in halves or quarters, keeping most of the florets whole. Cut the mushrooms in halves or quarters.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan or cast-iron skillet. Lay each cauliflower floret and mushroom in the pan and sprinkle with the poultry seasoning, smoked paprika, and nutritional yeast. Stir and then fry for a couple of minutes, allowing the cauliflower and mushroom to blacken.
- Splash the cauliflowers and mushrooms with a little water and cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
- Optional step: Once the water has cooked off, pour two tablespoons of cognac or brandy all over the cauliflower and mushrooms and immediately light with a match or lighter. Allow the flames to dissipate.
- Pour the stew into the cauliflower and mushrooms, mix gently, and stir in the maple syrup and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for a few minutes.
- Serve the Cauliflower au Vin immediately over mashed potatoes or rice.
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More Vegan Recipes You Might Like
- Vegan Cookie Dough
- Middle Eastern Vegan Meatball Stew
- Moroccan Style Chickpea Stew
- Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms
- Stir Fried Veggies with Noodles and Tofu
Connect with Sarala Terpstra on Instagram (@saralaterpstra) and find more delicious recipes on saralaterpstra.com.
