Vegan Cauliflower Cheese Gratin
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This creamy, vegan cheese sauce is the perfect base for steamed cauliflower and broccoli to reinvent the British classic Cauliflower Cheese. A crispy topping of breadcrumbs makes it even better!!
The sauce is based off of one by Kenji at Serious Eats I changed it to suit my tastes and Ive used it multiple times now to make vegan mac and cheese. I think the addition of a few key things really helps. Firstly, the potato helps give the sauce a thickness and stretchiness that you cant get from a flour-based roux. Its the blending action on the potato that really makes this work. Secondly, adding a bit blob of something salty & savoury my favourite is marmite and I have to say, I havent even been the biggest fan of marmite in the past. This sauce has changed my mind. Lastly, a bit of acidity & sweetness from the mustard (I use the Frenchs yellow mustard as its quite neutral but sweet) and apple cider vinegar. All of that together helps to create that faux cheesy effect and without having to resort to using pre-made vegan cheese (most of which smells kinda weird).
Anyway, I used this for a vegan Christmas dinner I did last year for my friends and it went down super well with everyone! I added the breadcrumbs for a crispy top but if youre coeliac, just leave them off or use GF ones instead!
Other vegan Thanksgiving recipes:
- Vegan Pecan Pie
- Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts & Smoky Olives
- Simple Garlicky Vegan Sourdough Stuffing
- Hassleback Squash with Garlic-Sage Butter
Vegan Cauliflower Cheese Gratin
A super creamy & tangy vegan 'cheddar cheese' sauce coating steamed cauliflower and tenderstem broccoli, with a crispy breadcrumb topping.
Ingredients
For the vegan 'cheese' sauce:
- 60ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 white onion, finely sliced
- 120g (~3/4 cup) peeled, cubed potato
- 130g (1 cup) cashews
- 375g (1 1/2 cups) water
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp marmite, soy sauce or miso (my fave is marmite)
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- Salt
- Black pepper
For the gratin:
- 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into medium florets
- 150g (5.4 ounces) tenderstem broccoli (optional)
- 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Heat 4 tbsp of the olive oil in a large pot over a
medium-low heat. Add the onion to the pot and saute until it starts to brown
slightly about 10 minutes. Add the potato, cashews, water, smoked paprika,
garlic granules, nutritional yeast, soy sauce/miso, and mustard to the pot. - Bring to the boil and turn down to simmer leave for 15
minutes so that the potatoes and cashews can soften. - Pour the contents of the pot into the jug of a high-speed
blender along with the apple cider vinegar and blitz until completely smooth,
adding more water as needed to get the right sauce texture (I added about 250ml/1 cup to get it thin enough). Taste and season
with salt and black pepper. - Preheat your oven grill to a medium heat and place an oven rack in the top third of the oven.
- Pour a few cm (1-2 inch) depth of water into a large pot and set over a high heat on the stove. Once the water is boiling, add the cauliflower and broccoli to the pot. Cover with a lid, turn down the heat to low, and let the veg steam for 4 minutes until tender but still with firmness to it.
- Drain the veg and add to a roasting dish. Pour over the 'cheese' sauce and stir to coat. Mix the breadcrumbs and oil in a small bowl until coated then scatter this over the vegetables.
- Place under the grill in the oven and watch carefully. You want the breadcrumbs to toast and the sauce to brown slightly. This should take around 5 minutes but will depend on your grill.
- Once finished, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
For the 'cheese' sauce:
For the gratin:
Notes
To make ahead:
- Prep the sauce and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Prep the veg and, once steamed, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- When ready to assemble: Gently warm the sauce with an added splash of water, in a small pot on the stove, stirring often until hot. Toss with the cold vegetables in a roasting dish and continue with the recipe as usual.
To make gluten free:
Use gluten free breadcrumbs for the topping
Have you made this recipe?
Id love to see how it went! Tag me on instagram@izyhossackand hashtag it#topwithcinnamonso I can have a look & reshare in my stories!
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