There’s something so enticing and transporting about a steaming bowl of cassoulet and a big glass of red wine. But could the effect be achieved without the seemingly essential magic of pork sausage and duck confit? We’re happy to answer with a resounding: “Hell yes!”In our cassoulet vert; a garden’s worth of aromatics are sweated down to create an intensely flavorful base; to which heirloom beans (cooked with abundant spices) are added. To serve; we add a triple dose of herbaceousness: an herbal pistou; a garlicky gremolata; and a vibrant; herb-y salad. Cooking the beans from scratch is a must: It infuses the them with major flavor; and yields an umami-rich cooking liquid (which gets stirred into the cassoulet). A spunky; natural red wine to drink with the dish is also a must -- as is a hunk of crusty bread; toasted; rubbed with a cut garlic clove and showered with olive oil and sea salt (aka garlicky toast).Our go-to beans: Rancho Gordo's cassoulets!

• 1 quart dried heirloom cannellini beans
• A small handful of kosher salt
• A sachet of: 3 star anise, ¼ cup black peppercorns, 2 tablespoons toasted fennel seed, and 3 chile de arbol
• 1½ cups finely chopped yellow onion
• 1½ cups finely chopped shallot
• Sea salt
• 2 cups finely chopped leeks
• 1 cup finely sliced scallion
• 1 cup finely diced sweet green chile
• Heaping 1/3 cup finely chopped garlic
• ¼ teaspoon toasted fennel seed, finely ground
• ⅛ teaspoon ground clove
• ¼ cup Pernod
• 2 cups finely chopped fennel
• 2 cups finely chopped celery
• 2 cups finely chopped parsnip
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves
• ½ bottle dry white wine
• ½ cup fino sherry
• 1/3 cup sherry vinegar
• ¼ cup Herbal Pistou

• ½ cup basil
• ½ cup flat leaf parsley
• ½ cup dill
• ½ cup fennel fronds
• 2 cups olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• A good sprinkle of sea salt

• ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons garlic, finely minced and fried

To cook the beans: Soak the beans in vegetable stock overnight. Place beans and the stock they were soaking in into a large pot over high heat. Add salt and the sachet; bring to a simmer; and allow to cook gently for a few hours until the beans are just cooked through. They should hold their form and not be at all mushy. Allow to cool in the cooking liquid.To make the cassoulet: In a food processor; blend the onions and shallots into a fine paste. Heat plenty of olive oil in a large; walled saute pan; over high heat; add the onion-shallot mixture and season with salt. Sweat; stirring constantly; until the alliums start to caramelize (you want a golden hue here; not dark brown).Blend the leeks; scallions; green chile and garlic into another fine paste in the food processor; add to the caramelized onion mixture cook down in a similar manner. Season again and add the ground fennel seed and clove. When the mixture is cooked down; deglaze with Pernod; continue to cook on medium until the booze is mostly cooked off.Use the food processor to process the celery; fennel and parsnip into a fine dice. Add to the pan; add more olive oil; add the thyme; and stir well; cook on medium-low until soft; caramelized; and slightly jam-like; roughly 40 min. Add the fino sherry and sherry vinegar; stir; and allow to cook down for roughly 10 minutes. Add the white wine and allow to reduce slowly; for about 30 minutes.At this point; the aromatic mixture should be sweet; bright; rich; fragrant and still solidly wet. Add cooked beans and enough bean liquor to cover. Stir well and cook over low heat until everything is melted; the beans are cooked completely through; and the whole thing has a beautifully stew-y consistency. Before serving; finish by adding the herbal pistou; a splash of Pernod and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice; and stirring through.To make the pistou: Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.To make the gremolata: Stir gremolata ingredients together and reserve.To serve: Serve the cassoulet hot; preferably in a clay cassole or cazuela. Garnish with gremolata; another spoonful of pistou and a small salad of vegetables; greens and herbs; such as shaved asparagus; slivered snap peas; celery leaves; parsley; frilly mustard and pea tendrils; dressed in lemon juice; zest; olive oil and sea salt.