Discover the secrets to creating a delicious cassoulet, a traditional French stew that is hearty, flavorful, and perfect for cooler months. It combines bacon, smoked pork sausage, and tender pork butt. All are slow-cooked with vegetables, tomatoes, beans, and fresh herbs.
It is a cornucopia of pleasures for your taste buds and an explosion of comforting aromatics. This is one of my husband’s and son’s favorite dishes and is ideal for fall and winter. If you like this recipe, try cowboy stew, pumpkin chili, or pork stew.
What is cassoulet?
Cassoulet is a slow-cooked French stew with white beans, pork, and sometimes chicken, duck, or lamb. It is a hearty dish with plenty of fresh vegetables and flavor from dry white wine and fresh herbs.
It was originally a peasant dish often made with mutton and duck confit, but recently, it has taken a more modern approach with bacon and smoked sausage.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Bacon: smoked and use the bacon grease to cook the Polska Kielbasa and vegetables.
- Polska Kielbasa: or any smoked sausage
- Vegetables: all your regular stew standards, such as onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and tomatoes
- White wine: a dry one like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
- Pork shoulder: pork butt or pork country-style ribs
- Herbs: bay leaves, rosemary, parsley, and thyme
- Vinegar: just a splash of apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- Beans: cannellini beans or Great Northern beans
How to Make Cassoulet
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
First, brown the bacon and sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Using a slotted spoon, plate the bacon and sausage. Leave the bacon grease in the skillet. Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until the onion and celery are tender. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook for a minute while stirring.
Plate the vegetables using a slotted spoon, leaving any bacon grease in the pan. Add the pork butt and cook until golden brown. If there is more than half a tablespoon of fat in the pot, remove it.
Then, add the wine, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze. Simmer until the wine is reduced by about half. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, and cooked vegetables to the skillet. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for about an hour.
Remove the pot from the oven, and add the thyme, rosemary, apple cider vinegar, diced tomatoes, and cannellini beans. Cover and place in the oven for about an hour or until the pork is super tender and the beans are just starting to break down. Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves.
Preparation Notes
- This recipe has several but easy steps that even a new cook can handle. Trust me when I tell you that it is worth it.
- If you don’t have a Dutch oven, use a large oven-safe pot and cover it with aluminum foil. I love my Dutch ovens. I use them about ten times more often than my slow cooker.
- Trim the excess fat from the pork butt or pork shoulder. I leave small amounts of fat as that is what makes the pork tender and flavorful.
- You can substitute chicken for the pork butt.
Serving Suggestions
This is a hearty stew, but if we have a few extra mouths or company, I like to serve it with cheddar beer bread or no-knead bread. It is also delicious with arugula salad or spring mix salad.
Storage and Reheat
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can be reheated on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.
More Stew Recipes
Easy French Cassoulet Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 slices smoked bacon chopped
- 14 ounces Polska Kielbasa
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1½ lbs pork shoulder, pork butt, or country-style ribs trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans rinsed and drained
Instructions
- Brown the bacon and sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Using a slotted spoon, plate the bacon and sausage. Leave the bacon grease in the skillet.
- Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until the onion and celery are tender. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute while stirring. Plate the vegetables using a slotted spoon, leaving any bacon grease in the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Add the pork butt and cook until golden brown. If there is more than 1/2 tablespoon of fat in the pot, remove it.
- Add the wine, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze. Simmer until the wine is reduced by about half. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, and cooked vegetables to the skillet. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 1 hour.
- Remove the pot from the oven, and add the thyme, rosemary, apple cider vinegar, diced tomatoes, cannellini beans, browned bacon, and sausage. Cover and place in the oven for 45-60 minutes or until the pork is super tender and the beans are just starting to break down. Don't forget to remove the bay leaves.
Notes
- This recipe has a few but easy steps that even a new cook can handle. Trust me when I tell you that it is worth it.
- If you don’t have a Dutch oven, use a large oven-safe pot and cover it with aluminum foil. I love my Dutch ovens. I use them about ten times more often than my slow cooker.
- Trim the excess fat from the pork butt or pork shoulder. I leave small amounts of fat as that is what makes the pork tender and flavorful.
- You can substitute chicken for the pork butt.
Heather
This is the perfect fall meal! So tasty and easy to make!
Stephanie
The perfect stew with our weather right now! I’m prepping the ingredients shortly to try this out!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Stephanie! Enjoy!
Melanie W
We have just started to feel the cold snap so dishes that are home cooked and hearty are just what we need. This looks yummy!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Melanie! Enjoy!
Rhian S
It’s starting to get colder here so this sounds like a perfect dish. I had never heard of a cassoulet before though, sounds hearty
Zena
This recipe was delicious, so tasty and filling. We also enjoyed it as leftovers the next day for lunch
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Zena! So glad that you liked it.
Lynndee
I’ve never had a cassoulet before. But I love a good stew. It’s perfect for cold weather. Will save your recipe for later.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Lynndee! Enjoy!
Melissa Cushing
I have never had Cassoulet, but already pinned this recipe so that I can make this for my family and myself. I love trying new dishes and this one is perfect for the Fall season….so delicious!
Sue-Tanya Mchorgh
This cassoulet was amazing! Perfect comfort food for the cooler months—can’t wait to make it again.
Yancy
I was stuck for ideas of what to cook and as a lover of stew I decided to try this cassoulet recipe. Oh my word, we all loved it so much – such great flavors and really warming.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Yancy! So happy that you liked it!
Lavanda Michelle
I love hearty and comforting dishes for cooler months. This one’s going straight to the top of my fall cooking list!
Beth Pierce
Thanks! Enjoy!
Jupiter H
Oh wow this looks like a hearty meal perfect for autumn. I haven’t had this type of stew previously so would love to try it.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Jupiter! Enjoy!
Ella English
This cassoulet turned out so delicious. All the family really enjoyed it so this was a hit.
Lisa
Cassoulet is such a comforting dish. It has all the ingredients I love and it’s perfect for autumn too. Making this soon.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Lisa! Enjoy!
karen
I’ve had cassoulet a few years ago in Paris and loved it! I never tried to cook it before now, delicious……
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Karen! So glad that you liked the cassoulet!
Michelle
I’ve never tried making cassoulet at home but this turned out perfect. Followed exactly as written and served with a loaf of crusty French bread. Amazing!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Michelle! I am glad tht you liked it.
Krystle Smith
The combination of bacon, smoked pork sausage, and tender pork butt created such a rich, hearty flavor. Slow-cooking everything together really allowed all the ingredients to meld beautifully.
Beth Pierce
I agree, Krystle! It is one of our favorite dishes.