Step 1

Preheat a large casserole pan and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Carefully place the vegan sausages and tempeh into the oil and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Note: the tempeh will probably brown faster than the sausage, so you can do a couple of batches of tempeh while you brown the sausage. Remove onto a plate and set aside. It's OK if you have brown bits remaining in the pan, we want that for flavor.

Step 2

Cut the sausages and tempeh into bite-sized pieces while the work on the next to steps to make the cassoulet broth. It's OK if the sausage still has pink in the center, it will simmer in the broth for a long time.

Step 3

Add more olive oil along with the diced onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté over medium-low heat for 10 minutes stirring frequently to loosen the brown sausage bits. Do not let the vegetables brown!

Step 4

Add half a can of diced tomatoes and the vegan broth, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Step 5

Optional: If you want a thicker smoother sauce instead of having vegetable chunks in it, use an immersion blender to CAREFULLY puree the veggies, either completely or partially. SAFETY WARNING: The both is HOT. Only use an immersion blender if you can submerge it in the liquid completely - I had to tilt the pan a little to one side to get the immersion blender to submerge.

Step 6

Add the drained white beans, sliced mushrooms (if using), sliced sausage, bay leaves, thyme, and parsley to the pan. Add a few drops of liquid smoke, if you like. Gently stir, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Allow to simmer, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the broth has thickened, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Check on the pan every 10 minutes or so, and if the liquid is evaporating too quickly, you can add ½ cup of water at a time or cover with a lid.

Step 7

Remove from heat, use tongs to remove the bay leaves, parsley, and thyme sprigs. Stir in fresh diced parley and serve warm.