Vegan Coq au Vin
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Cozy up with a bowl of this flavorful, hearty vegan coq au vin made with mushrooms and lentils! Served over creamy mashed potatoes, it’s the perfect vegan comfort food dinner.
Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz button mushrooms, sliced thinly
8 oz pearl onions – or use regular onion cone #3
2 cups carrot, cone #4
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups dry, fruity red wine*
1/4 cup brandy or Cognac
1/2 cup French green lentils
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 tbsp fresh chopped thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
1 tsp fine grain kosher salt ,plus more to taste
½ tsp ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 tbsp vegan butter
1 tbsp all purpose flour (gluten free if needed)
For serving: Polenta
Creamy Polenta
Ingredients
4 1/2 cups water
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups polenta
1/4 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup vegan parmesan vio life brand
Optional garnishes: fresh parsley, parmesan, salt & pepper
Instructions
Bring water and salt to a boil. While whisking, slowly pour in polenta. Continue whisking for a minute to prevent any clumps from forming. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring once every few minutes and scraping down the sides.
Once the polenta is tender, stir in butter, cheese and more salt to taste (may not be necessary – taste before adding more salt).
Instructions
Preheat the 7qt roaster over medium heat.
Add oil and the garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and stir well. Cook until mushrooms reduce and soften, about 8-10 minutes.
Stir in onions, carrots and tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the broth, red wine, brandy, lentils, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, Herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, heat a small saucepan over low. Add butter, let it melt, then whisk in flour to make a roux. Whisk until there are no lumps and allow to cook for a minute or two.
Stir roux into the coq au vin. Simmer uncovered for an additional 5 minutes until thick and creamy. Serve over polenta Notes
Wine: *Our favorite wines for this recipe include Beaujolais, Shiraz, Zinfandel or Pinot Noir.
French green lentils are smaller and firmer than regular green lentils, and they hold up really well when cooked for a long period of time. Traditional brown and green lentils tend to get pretty mushy, so French green lentils are really the best option here.
Pearl onions: it’s pretty much impossible to find fresh pearl onions (at least where we live), so look for them in the frozen vegetable section at your grocery store.
Herbes de Provence: a French herb blend typically containing thyme, basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, tarragon and lavender. If you don’t have any, you can substitute with the same quantity of a variety of similar herbs (thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano).
Storage: store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or over low heat on the stovetop.