Cassoulet is a rich, slow-cooked French casserole that brings together white beans, duck confit, pork, and sausage in a hearty, rustic dish full of depth and comfort. Originating from the Languedoc region, cassoulet is a celebration of tradition and patience—its flavors deepen over hours of simmering, creating the kind of soul-warming food perfect for cold days or festive gatherings.
At its heart, cassoulet is about simple, quality ingredients brought together with care. White beans (typically dried, like Tarbais or cannellini) are soaked overnight, then simmered until tender. A variety of meats—pork shoulder, pancetta, duck confit, and garlicky sausages—are browned to develop deep, savory flavor. These are then layered with the beans and slow-cooked in a rich broth flavored with garlic, onion, tomatoes, and herbs like thyme and bay leaf.
One of the key features of a good cassoulet is the crispy crust that forms on top. Traditionally, it’s broken several times during cooking to allow the broth to thicken and the flavors to concentrate. The final result is a golden, bubbling dish with tender beans, melt-in-your-mouth meat, and a top crust that’s crispy and flavorful.
Though cassoulet requires time—often several hours in the oven—it’s not difficult to make. It’s also very flexible. While duck confit is traditional, you can use chicken thighs as a substitute. Similarly, if you don’t have all the meats, a mix of sausage and pork still makes for a satisfying version.
Cassoulet is best served hot, straight from the oven, ideally with a simple green salad and crusty bread to mop up the sauce. Like many stews, it tastes even better the next day, making it a great make-ahead dish for gatherings.
Comforting, rich, and deeply satisfying, cassoulet is the kind of dish that brings people together around the table—and keeps them coming back for seconds.
Ingredients
- 200 grams dried white beans soaked overnight
- 2 pieces duck legs salted
- 200 grams pork belly cut into chunks
- 6 pieces pork sausages smoked
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 1 pinch thyme dried
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F).
- Brown the duck legs and pork belly in a large oven-safe pot over medium heat until golden. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, add onions and garlic; cook until softened. Stir in tomato paste.
- Add the soaked beans, cooked meats, and sausages to the pot. Pour in chicken stock to cover the ingredients and add thyme.
- Cover the pot with a lid and transfer it to the oven. Cook for about 3 hours, checking occasionally to ensure the beans are covered with liquid.
- Uncover the pot and cook for an additional hour to allow the top to brown and thicken.
- Let it cool slightly before serving. Enjoy your cassoulet with crusty bread.
Nutrition
Just feels like too much meat. Maybe a vegetarian version would be better?
I get your point, too much meat can be heavy. You could try using mushrooms and lentils instead! Sounds yummy! 😋
This seemed too complicated for me. Why do I have to soak beans overnight? Can’t you just cook them? 😕
I thought cassoulet took all day to make. This was surprisingly easy! Thanks for sharing! 🙌
Weirdly enough, I forgot to put in the thyme and it still tasted good! Less work for me!
That’s awesome! Sometimes simpler is better. Glad it turned out tasty! 😊
I find that hard to believe! The thyme is supposed to be important for flavor. You might’ve just gotten lucky.
Cassowhat? 😂 Never heard of this before, but it looks good. Gonna give it a shot.
This recipe is amazing! Best cassoulet I’ve ever made. Will deffo make again! 😊
I totally agree! This recipe has changed my life. Who knew cassoulet could be so good? 😍
Delicious! My family loved it! Next time I’m adding more sausages though.
I dunno about adding more sausages. Isn’t that gonna make it too greasy? Just my opinion.
I’m glad your family loved it! More sausages sound like a good idea, they make everything better!
Could you add more spice next time? It was missing something. 🌶️
I thought it was perfect as is! But I guess everyone has different tastes. 🤷♂️
I didn’t have duck legs so used chicken thighs instead. Still turned out okay but not as rich. 🤷♂️
Chicken thighs? That’s not the same! You need duck for true cassoulet. But glad it turned out okay for you!
I think chicken works fine! We gotta make do with what we got sometimes. Taste is what matters, right? 👍
Yummy! No crusty bread for us tho, just plain ol’ white. It was good anyways!