Sometimes I like to get creative when veganizing a recipe and replace the meat with all kinds of vegan stand-ins like veggies and beans and tofu. I get all crazy ! But then sometimes I like to simply create a vegan version of a dish that’s as close to the classic as you can get, using something like seitan to replicate the taste and texture of meat. That’s just what I did with this vegan coq au vin recipe. I already had a general idea of how coq au vin was made, having created a recipe for eggplant bourguignon a few years ago. Coq au vin is pretty much the chicken version of beef bourguignon, but with a little more artistic freedom for the recipe creator, from what I can tell. My vegan coq au vin turned out to be scrumptious and comforting!
What You’ll Need
Olive oil. Any high-heat oil will do, but olive will give your stew the best flavor.Cremini mushrooms. Button mushrooms can be substituted if you can’t get these.Seitan. You can use store-bought or homemade seitan for this recipe. If you use my recipe, go for the chicken flavored variation. Large chunks of seitan work best, but any shape will technically do.Onion.Pearl onions. The recipe calls for fresh pearl onions, which you can usually find near the regular onions at the supermarket. Frozen (and thawed) pearl onions can be substituted if you can’t find them.Carrots.Garlic.Flour. I’ve only tested the recipe using all-purpose wheat flour, but I think other varieties like whole wheat flour should work just fine.Red wine. Use a dry, full-bodied red wine such as cabernet or zinfandel. Also be sure to run your variety and brand through Barnivore, as not all wines are vegan.Brandy. A similar liquor such as bourbon or cognac can be substituted if needed.Vegetable broth. I use Better Than Bouillon in seasoned vegetable flavor, but feel free to use your favorite.Tomato paste.Balsamic vinegar.Poultry seasoning. This is an herb blend that’s normally used for seasoning poultry, and it’s totally vegan. Look for it in the spice aisle of your supermarket.Liquid smoke. Feel free to leave this out if you aren’t a fan.Salt & pepper.Mashed potatoes, pasta, or polenta. Pick one of these to serve your vegan coq au vin over.
How to Make Vegan Coq au Vin
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Heat some oil in a large nonstick skillet and add a layer of sliced mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms for a few minutes on each side, until they’re browned and tender, then remove them from the skillet.Add some more oil to the skillet if it seems dry, then add your seitan pieces and cook them for a few minutes, flipping them occasionally, until they begin to brown.
While your seitan/and or mushrooms cook, lightly oil the bottom of a large pot, place it over medium heat, and add sliced onion, pearl onions, and sliced carrots. Cook everything for a few minutes, until the onions become very soft.Stir in some minced garlic and flour. Keep stirring until the flour evenly coats the veggies, then let everything cook for about a minute, until the garlic becomes very fragrant. Keep stirring all the while so nothing burns!Add your cooked mushrooms and seitan to the pot, along with the wine, brandy, broth, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, poultry seasoning, and liquid smoke. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer until the sauce is thick and the veggies are tender.
Take your pot off of heat and season the stew with some salt and pepper to taste. You can adjust any seasonings to your liking at this point as well.
Serve your seitan au vin over your choice or pasta, mashed potatoes, or polenta. Or feel free to enjoy it on it’s own!
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover vegan coq au vin will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
More Vegan Stews
Vegan Beef StewVegetable StewVegan Bigos (Hunter’s Stew)Mushroom PaprikashVegan Irish StewCozy Eggplant Stew
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