Sourdough Stuffing with Figs, Herbs and White Beans
No Thanksgiving feast is complete unless there’s a side of stuffing! To satisfy everyone at the table, we created a vegan version of the classic dish, where dried figs provide a touch of sweetness and white beans add richness. A flaxseed “egg”—flaxseed meal mixed with a little water—helps to bind the ingredients. Our chefs returned to the kitchen several times before landing on just the right texture, something in between a crusty stuffing and a creamy bread pudding. If you like, soak and cook dried white beans for optimum flavor, although rinsed canned beans work equally well and are a big time-saver during the busy holidays.
If you want to serve the stuffing in a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) dish, as pictured, you can double the recipe and bake it at 350°F (180°C) for 1 hour and 10 minutes covered with foil. Then increase the oven to 400°F (200°C), remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 1 loaf sourdough bread, about 1 1/2 lb. (750 g), cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes (about 13 1/2 loosely packed cups)
- 2 Tbs. flaxseed meal
- 5 Tbs. (3 fl. oz./80 ml) water
- 6 Tbs. (3 fl. oz./90 ml) extra-virgin olive oil or vegan butter
- 1 1/2 cups (5 3/4 oz./180 g) diced celery
- 3/4 cup (3 3/4 oz./120 g) diced white onion
- 4 1/2 Tbs. minced fresh thyme or 1 Tbs. dried thyme
- 3 1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary or 3/4 tsp. dried rosemary
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 cups (32 fl. oz./1 l) vegetable broth, warmed through
- 2 cans (each 15 oz./470 g) cooked white beans, such as cannellini or Great Northern
- 1 1/4 cups (6 oz./185 g) minced dried Mission figs (about 21 figs)
Directions:
Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and let dry overnight.
Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9-by-9-inch (23-by-23-cm) baking dish with vegan butter or oil, then butter or oil a sheet of aluminum foil that is slightly larger than the dish.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flaxseed meal and water until combined.
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the celery, onion, thyme, rosemary, flaxseed mixture, a pinch of salt and a few grindings of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the celery and onion are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Put the bread cubes in a large bowl. Slowly pour in the broth 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) at a time, allowing the bread to soak up the broth and gently stirring with a wooden spoon until evenly distributed. You may not need all of the broth. Stir in the celery mixture, then the white beans and figs. The mixture should hold its shape when formed into a ball but you should not be able to squeeze any liquid out of it. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer the stuffing mixture to the prepared baking dish. Cover the dish with the prepared sheet of foil and bake for 45 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C), remove the foil and bake until the top is golden and crisp, about 20 minutes more.
Let the stuffing rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen
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