This Vegan Coq Au Vin is a rich French-inspired stew made with mushrooms, jackfruit, red wine, carrots and herbs. It is perfect for a cosy dinner! Get the recipe below.
My Vegan Coq Au Vin is a hearty, rich and comforting French-inspired dish made with mushrooms, tinned jackfruit, carrots and shallots, simmered in a deep red wine sauce. It has all of the cosy favours you would expect from a traditional coq au vin, but is completely plant-based.
Coq au vin is traditionally a French dish in which chicken is slwoly braised in red wine with vegetables, herbs and mushrooms. This vegan version swaps the meat for a combination of baby chestnut mushrooms and jackfruit, creating a satisfying stew with plenty of texture and flavour.
The secret to a really good egan coq au vin is giving the mushrooms and jackfruit time to caramelise before adding the liquid. This adds a deep, savoury flavour to the finished dish, while the tomato puree, red wine, thyme, bay leaves and herbs de Provence create a rich and aromatic sauce.
This is a wonderful vegan dinner for autumn and winter. Serve it with creamy mashed potatoes, crusty bread of your favourite seasonal vegetables for a comforting meal that's perfect for a cosy night in, a Sunday dinner or a special occasion.
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Ingredients
There are quite a few ingredients in this recipe but each adds something special. You're going to need:
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Baby chestnut mushrooms
- Tinned jackfruit
- Banana shallots
- Carrots
- Tomato puree
- Vegetable stock
- Red wine
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh thyme
- Bay leaves
- Herbs de Provence
- Vegan butter
- Plain flour
The ingredient that needs the most thought is the red wine. It's essential for creating the characteristic rich, savoury flavour of coq au vin. Be sure to choose a vegan red wine as not every wine is vegan! You can find out more about vegan alcohol in my vegan alcohol guide.
Step-by-step instructions
- Step 1: fry the garlic in the olive oil in a large, deep sauce pan
- Step 2: caramelise the mushrooms and the jackfruit in the pan
- Step 3: add the shallots, carrot and tomato puree and stir well to ensure everything is coated
- Step 4: pour in the stock, wine and herbs and season with plenty of salt and pepper
- Step 5: bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes allowing the vegetables to soften
- Step 6: make the roux by melting the butter and stirring in the flour while the stew is simmering
- Step 7: stir the roux into the stew and whisk until it is fully incorporated into the sauce and simmer until the sauce has thickened
Hint: don't skip the caramelising of the mushrooms and jackfruit. Let them cook until their edges are deeply golden before adding the wine and stock. This extra step creates the savoury, umami-rich flavour that makes this vegan coq au vin taste much more complex.
Substitutions
If you don't have all of the ingredients listed then you can make some of the following changes:
- Mushrooms: you can replace chestnut mushrooms with other varieties. Just cut them in to bite size pieces.
- Jackfruit: if you don't have jackfruit, you could use vegan chicken pieces, seitan or chunks of tofu instead.
- Shallots: replace with pearl onions or finely diced white onion.
- Vegan butter: the vegan butter can be replaced with dairy-free margarine or even olive oil.
Variations
You can make a couple of tweaks to the recipe to really make it your own. Why not try...
- Adding vegan bacon: fry some chopped vegan bacon before adding the mushrooms and jackfruit.
- Adding potatoes: for a one-pot meal, add small chunks of waxy potato along with the carrots.
- Adding lentils: add cooked green or brown lentils for extra protein and texture.
Equipment
To make this recipe you will need:
- Sharp knie
- Chopping board
- Large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or casserole
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Small saucepan
- Whisk
Storage
If you have leftovers, leave the Vegan Coq Au Vin to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
The flavours often become even richer after resting, making it a great dish to make ahead of time.
You can also freeze the stew for up to 3 months. Defrost it thoroughly in the fridge before reheating.
Gently reheat the defrosted stew in a saucepan over a medium-low heat until piping hot. If it's thickened too much add a bit more stock.
Top tip
Use a red wine that you actually enjoy drinking. Wine is one of the main flavours of the dish so choosing a good quality red wine will make all the difference.
Frequently asked questions
Coq au vin is a traditional French dish in which chicken is slowly cooked in red wine with veegtables, herbs and mushrooms. My vegan version replaces the chicken with jackfruit.
Not all wines are vegan unfortunately. Some wines are clarified using animal-derived fining agents. Because of this you will need to check the bottle or the manufacturer's website.
A dry, full-bodied vegan red wine works particularly well. A Burgundy-style Pinot Noir is a class choice, but you can use another dry red wine that you enjoy.
The recipe
Vegan Coq Au Vin
Equipment
- Large, heavy-based saucepan or casserole
- Wooden spoon
- small saucepan
- Whisk
- Sharp knife
- chopping board
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 450 g baby chestnut mushrooms whole, halved or quartered depending on size
- 200 g young green jackfruit from a 400g tin, drained
- 2 banana shallots finely diced
- 3 carrots finely diced
- 2 tablespoon tomato purée
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 500 ml vegan red wine
- 1 bunch fresh parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon herbs de Provence
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan or casserole over a medium heat. Add the minced garlic and fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and jackfruit. Cook until the edges begin to caramelise.
- Add the shallots, carrots and tomato purée. Stir until the tomato purée coats all of the ingredients.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and red wine. Add the parsley, thyme, bay leaves and herbs de Provence. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the roux. Melt the vegan butter in a small saucepan and stir in the flour until you have a smooth paste.
- Stir the roux into the sauce and whisk until smooth.
- Continue to simmer for 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
- Remove the bay leaves, taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.
Nutrition
Serving suggestions
Serve this Vegan Coq Au Vin with something that will soak up the delicious red wine sauce.
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