Vegan Coq Au Vin

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: British, French

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 1 10

Servings:

Calories: 329kcal

Author: Jacq

This Vegan Coq Au Vin is a cosy, retro-inspired take on the classic French stew that was made famous by Julia Child. Our recipe features roasted cauliflower steaks instead of chicken, mushrooms, shallots, and a rich, glossy no-wine sauce. It's a flavour-packed main that would be perfect for a vintage or retro style or a 1960s themed dinner party or for an extra-special meal.

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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Non-stick deep fry pan or skillet
Baking tray, lined with parchment paper
small mixing bowl
Measuring jug
cooking spatula

Ingredients

Roasted cauliflower:

500 grams cauliflower [sliced into four 100-115gram [3-4oz] steak shapes, use one large cauliflower or two medium-small, you'll likely have leftover cauliflower for a different recipe]
2 tablespoons tomato puree [tomato paste]
1 tablespoon dried herb mix [we used a French dried herb mix but any mix will do, or go with a vegan-friendly chicken seasoning mix]
1 teaspoon sugar [use your choice of sweetener, we used granulated sugar]
1 tablespoon olive oil [or your preferred oil, can replace with 1 tablespoon of aquafaba which is canned chickpea water]

Ingredients for stew [mix all together]:

400 millilitres vegetable stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce
120 mililitres tomato passata [or canned tomato sauce / canned or jarred sieved or strained tomatoes, or blend a can of chopped, diced, or plum tomatoes]
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
65 millilitres apple juice

Rest of stew ingredients:

25 grams vegan butter [or replace with ¼ cup of veggie stock and add more as required]
200 grams shallots [halved if large and kept whole if small or use pearl onions, or sliced ordinary onion into even sized thick chunks]
4 vegan bacon rashers [chopped into small pieces, or replace with smoked tofu or little red beans such as pinto or azuki beans, with perhaps a 2 teaspoon sof smoked paprika for a smoky flavour]
6 medium garlic cloves [fine diced or minced]
200 grams mushrooms [thick sliced]
2 tablespoons plain flour [all-purpose flour or replace with gluten-free flour]
1 sprig thyme [pick the leaves off or simply add the sprigs, use more sprigs if liked, or use 2 teaspoons of dried thyme]
1 bay leaf

Optional, garnish:

fresh parsley

Instructions

Prepare the roasted cauliflower steaks:

Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan) / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
Add the tomato puree, dried herbs, sugar, and oil to a small bowl and mix well.
2 tablespoons tomato puree, 1 tablespoon dried herb mix, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon olive oil

Prepare the cauliflower steaks:

Remove the leaves and trim the stalk but keep the core intact as it will hold the steaks together. Slice the cauliflower in half directly down the middle and through the core.
500 grams cauliflower
Now slice each half into steaks about an inch [2-3cm] wide being careful to keep part of the core and bottom stalk on each steak. Depending on the size of your cauliflower you may need 2 to achieve 4 good steaks. Don't worry if one of the steaks breaks apart as it can still be used for the recipe.
Our 4 steaks weighed about 98-115grams [around 3-4 oz] each.
[There is a link below in the recipe notes to a YouTube video demonstrating how to slice a cauliflower steak].
The sides of the cauliflower will crumble into florets as its cut as there will be no core or stalk to hold these together. The crumbled florets can be used for another recipe.
Lay each steak onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper if necessary. Rub the tomato paste mixture all over each steak being carefully not to break up the cauliflower.
Roast for 25-35 minutes or until the steaks are completely cooked through. There's no need to flip the steaks half way through cooking.

Prepare the stew liquid ingredients:

Add the vegetable stock, tomato passata, red wine vinegar, and soy sauce to a jug and stir well.
400 millilitres vegetable stock, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 120 mililitres tomato passata, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 65 millilitres apple juice

While the steaks are cooking cook the stew:

Melt the butter in a non-stick pan and add the shallots or baby/pearl onions. Cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat, stirring frequently.
[use ¼ cup of vegetable stock instead of oil if preferred]
25 grams vegan butter, 200 grams shallots
Next, add the fine diced garlic and chopped vegan bacon and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
4 vegan bacon rashers, 6 medium garlic cloves
Now add the mushrooms, bay leaf, and thyme leaves and cook for 5 minutes. It may be necessary to add a little extra oil [or small amount of vegetable stock if using this as an oil alternative] to help the mushrooms to cook.
200 grams mushrooms, 1 sprig thyme, 1 bay leaf
Sprinkle in the flour and stir so that it looks like it has disappeared.
2 tablespoons plain flour
Next, pour in the stew liquid mixture that you mixed together earlier in a jug. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper, although don't add too much salt just now as it will likely not need much seasoning and the flavours will concentrate as the stew cooks.
Stir well and bring to the boil, lower the heat and gently simmer for 8 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy, and the onions have cooked through. Remove the bay leaf and check the seasoning adding salt and pepper if necessary.

Assemble the coq au vin:

The cauliflower steaks can be nestled into the stew in the cooking pan once both are ready, or place a cauliflower steak onto a dinner plate and ladle over the thick stew. Garnish with a sprinkling of fresh parsley if liked.
fresh parsley

Optional serving suggestion:

Enjoy with sides of mashed potato, green beans, and crusty bread or dinner rolls.

Notes

Nutritional information: This is provided for guidance only and is not intended to be an exact analysis as ingredients can vary.
Cauliflower Steaks: The core of the cauliflower helps to hold the steak together, so it's important not to cut it off. If you're new to making cauliflower steaks, don't worry if the first one or two don't turn out perfect as it takes a bit of practice to get the slices just right. Any pieces that break off can be saved for another recipe or simply roasted and used the same way the steaks are, the flavour will still be the same! For a useful video that demonstrates how to easily cut a cauliflower steak have a look at this quick one on YouTube.
Herbs: The recipe calls for a dried French herb mix, but you can use ordinary dried herb mix. A vegan-friendly chicken seasoning mix is a nice alternative.
Vegan Bacon Substitute: If you prefer, you can replace the vegan bacon with smoked tofu or tempeh bacon, or beans, such as pinto or azuki. If you use beans, consider adding some smoked paprika to give the dish a smoky flavor. We used All Day Bcn Vdeli Rashers, which are plant-based and gluten-free, which we sourced for half price at our local wholefood shop!
Flour: Plain flour is used which is the same as all-purpose flour. If you're gluten-free, be sure to use a gluten-free plain flour.
Serving: This dish can be served as-is, but it's also great with some sides such as mashed potatoes, green beans, and crusty bread or dinner rolls which are all tasty choices. Check out the recipe notes and FAQ section above for more suggestions.
Storage and Reheating: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Or frozen for 2-3 months.
Reheat: Leftovers can be gently reheated in a non-stick pan until piping hot, add a few tablespoons of stock if necessary. Gently flip the cauliflower steaks over so that they are reheated throughout.
Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free vegetable stock, gluten-free soy sauce such as Tamari or an alternative such as coconut aminos, gluten-free vegan bacon, gluten-free plain flour, and check all your packaged ingredients to be 100% sure that all are gluten-free.

Nutrition