Creamy Plant-Based Gratin

Preparing the veg

• Peel and chop the onions into small chunks
• Trim, peel and roughly chop the carrot and parsnip into 2cm chunks
• Trim, peel and chop the celeriac and cauliflower into 2cm pieces
• Drain and rinse the haricot beans
• Rip the stem off the kale and finely chop the kale
• Finely chop the sage and parsley leaves

Roast the veg

• Place the onion, carrot, parsnip, celeriac, cauliflower and unpeeled garlic cloves in a mixing bowl, drizzle over 2 tbsp olive oil, a pinch of salt and stir to cover
• Spread the red onion, carrot, parsnip, celeriac, cauliflower and garlic over the baking sheet
• Put the sheets in the oven and bake for 25 minutes

Making the sauce

• While the vegetables are roasting, make the bechamel sauce
• Add the oil to a large deep frying pan and warm over a medium heat
• Add the flour and stir for several minutes till well combined
• Add the plant based milk, a few tablespoons at a time stirring continuously, the mixture will become very thick at first but the more milk you add, the more creamy it will become
• Once the bechamel is ready, set aside to cool

Blend the sauce

• Pour the bechamel into a blender, add the beans and blitz until smooth
• Pour the sauce back into the pan, add the magic dust, thyme, bay and a touch more milk if the sauce is too thick
• Warm the sauce over a low heat for 5 minutes
• Taste and season to perfection with salt and pepper

Assemble the dish for baking

• Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven
• Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skins into the bechamel and stir to combine
• Remove the bay and thyme sprigs from the bechamel
• Mix the roasted vegetables and kale into the pan
• Pour the contents of the pan into 2 individual oven proof dishes, evenly sprinkle the breadcrumbs and sage over the top
• Place the dishes in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden

Finish and serve

• While the gratin is baking, trim and cut the broccoli in half longways
• Place the broccoli into the steamer and steam for 2-3 minutes
• Take the Vegetable and Bean Gratin out of the oven, plate up one, with half the broccoli, sprinkle over half the parsley and serve
• Transfer the remaining Gratin, broccoli and parsley to a sealable container, place the container in the fridge and eat later in the week, ensuring the gratin is piping hot