french red wine braised jackfruit stew
A hearty, cozy vegetarian homage to French onion soup and bold burgundy sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup dry red wine (I like a pinot noir)
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 6 cups vegetarian beef broth (or regular)
- 4 large carrots, chopped into chunks
- 2 cans jackfruit, drained
- 1-2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 French or sourdough baguette, sliced
- 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (or use Swiss)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or sauce pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic, sage, and thyme, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes until slightly golden. Turn the heat to medium-high and pour in the red wine and balsamic vinegar. Simmer 10 minutes longer until the onions are a darker hue (they will be reddish from the wine) and most of the liquid is dissolved.
- Add the Worcestershire, beef broth, carrots, and jackfruit. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 25-30 minutes (or longer!) until very fragrant and the jackfruit absorbs much of the color and flavors. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Make a slurry of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk into the soup. If you desire a thicker stew, make another slurry with 1 tablespoon additional starch.
- Heat the broiler to high. Butter one side of the baguette slices. Broil for 1-2 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven, flip the bread slices, and top each with a handful of cheese. Broil another 1-2 minutes until your desired toastiness.
- Divide the stew into bowls and serve with the crostini to dip.