From Baywatch to Bourguignon: Pamela Anderson’s latest venture doesn’t involve slow-motion beach runs, but rather slow-cooked vegetables in a hearty, wine-infused stew that might just change how you think about plant-based cooking.
The actress, activist and self-described “lifelong cook and homemaker” has shared her recipe for Vegetable Bourguignon from her cookbook “I Love You: Recipes from the Heart,” offering a meatless twist on the classic French dish that sacrifices none of its rich, comforting appeal. “Cooking with wine always feels elegant and elevated,” Anderson notes. “This Vegetable Bourguignon is hearty and satisfying for family dinners or for curling up by a fire on dark, moody days. And it’s always good for leftovers.”
A Plant-Based Take on a French Classic
The dish transforms the traditional beef-centered recipe into a mushroom-forward delight. Anderson’s version calls for both dried porcini (soaked in boiling water to extract maximum flavor) and fresh mushrooms — a full pound and ten ounces of them — creating a deeply savory base that might make you forget about meat altogether. These fungi join forces with the classic mirepoix of onions, carrots, and celery, all bathed in a full cup of red wine that reduces to intensify the dish’s complexity.
What makes this bourguignon particularly intriguing? Perhaps it’s the thoughtful addition of kale in the final cooking stage, adding color, nutrition and texture to the traditionally one-note stew. Or maybe it’s the finishing touch of balsamic vinegar that brings a subtle acidity to balance the richness of the dish.
The recipe includes a plant-based celeriac mash as an accompaniment, featuring six sliced garlic cloves, plant butter, and plant sour cream for a creamy texture that serves as the perfect landing pad for the vegetable-laden stew. Of course, Anderson suggests that mashed potatoes or parsnips would work beautifully as alternatives.
From Pot to Plate
The cooking process begins with the crucial step of soaking dried porcini mushrooms in boiling water, creating an umami-rich liquid that later becomes part of the stew’s base. Meanwhile, onions are sautéed until golden, followed by garlic, carrots, and celery, all cooked until tender in a Dutch oven or similar heavy-bottomed pot.
A tablespoon each of tomato paste and flour creates the foundation for a silky sauce before the red wine enters, deglazing the pot and incorporating all those flavorful browned bits from the bottom. The fresh mushrooms and rehydrated porcinis (along with their soaking liquid) join the party next, followed by a bundle of herbs — thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves — tied together for easy removal later.
“The oven does most of the work,” Anderson might say. After assembling these ingredients, the covered pot goes into a 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables become tender and the sauce thickens. Then comes the kale for a final 10-minute oven session, before finishing with balsamic vinegar and seasoning to taste. The final touch? A sprinkle of chopped parsley for freshness and color.
Anderson’s journey from ’90s icon to cookbook author might surprise some, but she’s quick to identify as a “lifelong cook and homemaker” alongside her more publicly visible roles as actress and activist. Her cookbook, from which this recipe is excerpted, offers a glimpse into her private life and the foods that have brought comfort and joy to her family table.
In a world where celebrity cookbooks often feel like mere extensions of personal branding, Anderson’s Vegetable Bourguignon stands as a genuinely thoughtful recipe — one that understands the soul-warming power of a good stew, especially when shared with loved ones on those “dark, moody days” when we could all use a little culinary embrace.
