Creamy Plant-Based Gratin
We love this veggie gratin! If you are looking for something to cook for dinner or perhaps a quick lunch recipe then here is a tasty vegan dish you will love. We've used veggies in season that we've roasted to give them a lovely depth of flavour. The béchamel sauce is really easy to be make and is so versatile. You can use our béchamel sauce for a vegan mac & cheese recipe, easy lasagnes dishes or anything else you need a creamy sauce for. This recipe is so comforting in this cold weather. Make sure you give it a try- and tag us in your instagram story!
Serves
Ingredients
For the recipe
<item-todo-done>4 tbsp wholemeal breadcrumbs<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 red onion<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 carrot<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 parsnips<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>200g celeriac<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>200g cauliflower<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 clove garlic cloves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>50g olive oil + 2 tbsp<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>50g plain flour<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>750ml plant-based milk<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>400g haricot beans<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>10g nutritional yeast - nutritional yeast, optional<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>5 thyme sprigs<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 bay leaf<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>100g kale<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>5g fresh sage<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>5g parsley<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>300g tenderstem broccoli<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Preheat oven to 200°C | Baking Tray | Large saucepan | Blender | Oven proof dish | Grater | Mixing Bowl
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