In case you are unfamiliar with postmodern-era cooking, my hero, Julia Child, made the classic recipe for boeuf bourguignon a household name in the 1960s when she revolutionized the kitchens of America with her tome Mastering the Art of French Cooking. This recipe is a vegan boeuf bourguignon, and I think it is fashionable enough to serve even to a party full of steak enthusiasts.
Ingredients
- FOR THE MARINADE
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1⁄3 cup vegan, gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups vegetable broth (preferably beef flavored)
- 7 drops gluten-free liquid smoke
- 1 package (8 ounces) Butler Soy Curls
- 3 tablespoons vegan margarine
- ¼ cup gluten-free bacon-flavored bits
- Herb bouquet (bouquet garni): sprigs of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme tied with kitchen twine
- FOR THE SAUTÉ
- 5 ounces crimini or button mushrooms, halved
- 4 medium-size carrots, sliced into rounds
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon vegan margarine
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- FOR THE SAUCE
- 3 tablespoons superfine brown rice flour
- 1 teaspoon or 1 cube gluten-free vegetable bouillon (beef flavored recommended)
- ½ cup full-bodied red wine, such as Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 10 small pearl onions, peeled but left whole
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
To make the marinade: Combine the first four marinade ingredients in a medium-size saucepan, bring just to a light boil, and remove from the heat. In a large bowl, combine the marinade and soy curls and let rest for 15 minutes. Let the mixture come back down to room temperature and then, using clean hands, squeeze out all the liquid from the soy curls, reserving the marinade in the bowl.
Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the margarine and bacon-flavored bits. Sauté just until the bacon bits start to sizzle, about 5 minutes. Gently tilt the pan to evenly coat with mixture. Add the soy curls and sauté over medium-high heat until evenly browned, about 10 minutes.
Transfer to a large casserole dish and add the bouquet of herbs.
To make the sauté: Using the same saucepan the soy curls were cooked in, sauté the mushrooms, carrots, red onion, and garlic with about 1 tablespoon margarine over medium high heat, about 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent and lightly brown on the edges. Salt evenly while cooking.
To make the sauce: Whisk the brown rice flour, bouillon, red wine, tomato paste and vegetable broth into the leftover marinade, making sure no lumps remain in the liquid. Add the pearl onions.
Combine the sauté with the soy curls in the casserole dish and then evenly top with sauce. Cover with foil and cook in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Uncover and cook an additional 25 minutes or until fragrant and bubbly on top. Remove the herb bouquet before serving.
Serve over mashed potatoes.
Allyson Kramer is the author of Great Gluten-Free, Vegan Eats and Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats from Around the World. She is a regular contributor to Veg News Magazine and blogs gluten-free, vegan recipes at manifestvegan.com.
