This vegan coq au vin is a hearty fall/winter dinner. It's packed with protein, and full of rich, umami flavor. A delicious plant-based version of the classic recipe!
I love a good soup or stew in the colder months.
There is something so lovely about sitting down with a steaming bowl of stew on a chilly day.
I studied French in high school and a bit in college, so I've always had an affinity for French recipes. This year, when I was daydreaming about fall stews, I knew it was time to make a vegan coq au vin.
This isn't just any vegan coq au vin.
This stew features my homemade seitan chicken, so the dish is absolutely loaded with protein and a fabulous umami, meat-like flavor. So the stew is hearty, nutritious, and super flavorful.
Coq au vin is a French stew.
Coq means chicken (or rooster). And vin means wine. So coq au vin means chicken in wine.
In addition to chicken, coq au vin typically has carrots, onions, and mushrooms. And it's cooked with a burgundy wine, or other French dry red wine.
This vegan version of coq au vin uses a homemade chicken and lentils instead of real chicken. It features all the delicious umami flavors of carrots, onions, and mushrooms, with aromatic herbs, vegetable broth, and red wine.
Step 1. Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, frozen onions, carrots, garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the vegetables are starting to soften.
Step 2. Add 4 1/4 cups of the vegetable stock, along with the red wine, brandy, lentils, thyme, poultry seasoning, herbs de provence, salt, and bay leaf to the pot. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 3. Meanwhile, prepare the Vegan Seitan Chicken or protein of choice **see notes.
Step 4. After 45 minutes, prepare a roux by whisking the flour and remaining 1/4 cup of vegetable stock.
Step 5. Add the roux and Vegan Seitan Chicken to the pot and stir well. Let simmer for another 10-15 minutes, until thickened and creamy.
Step 6. Remove the bay leaf.
Step 7. Serve with French bread and a garnish of fresh thyme.
Add more flour.
Flour is super absorbent and will help soak up some of the liquid. Another 1/4 to 1/2 cup will thicken the stew nicely. Add the extra flour when you mix in the roux.
Add a teaspoon of cornstarch
This isn't the most glamorous solution, but cornstarch will help thicken up your liquid. This is a good option for after you cook the coq au vin. If you realize it's too thin for you, some cornstarch and a few more minutes on the heat will work wonders.
Serve with bread
Okay so this won't actually create a thicker stew, but a nice piece of bread will help sop up the liquid you have leftover. And it's delicious!
Refrigerator: This coq au vin can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezer: This stew is freezer friendly and freezes well for up to 2 – 3 months. To freeze, let cool completely and store in zip top bags or other freezer safe containers, leaving some extra room for expansion
Reheat: You can reheat this soup on the stove over medium-low heat or in the microwave on the defrost setting. For both options, stir every 30-60 seconds until the stew is fully warm.
Thank you God for this coq au vin. Thank you for French cuisine and vegan versions of our favorite recipes. Amen.
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This vegan coq au vin is a hearty fall/winter dinner. It's packed with protein, and full of rich, umami flavor. A delicious plant-based version of the classic recipe!
Pearl Onions: I have never seen fresh pearl onions where I live, but if you can find fresh pearl onions, go for it! Whether you have fresh or frozen, the instructions are the same - add the onions with the carrots and mushrooms. You can also dice a regular onion if you can't find pearl onions.Protein Options: I used my vegan seitan chicken recipe because it is packed with protein and has a great chicken-like texture. However, seitan is not gluten-free, so if you are gluten-free, you'll need another protein option.
You can:
1) use more lentils - add another 1 cup of lentils when you add the 1/4 cup of lentils that are called for
2) use a gluten-free vegan chicken. I recommend Abbot's Butcher chick'n - prepare the chick'n as instructed on the box, then add it to the recipe during step 5 when the seitan chicken would be added
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