Rich and creamy vegan hollandaise blankets this tofu "poached egg" that nestles between an oven-roasted tomato slice and sauteed spinach. This cashew-based hollandaise tastes amazingly like the original. It comes together quickly in the blender and can be made ahead and gently warmed through before serving. Serve this alongside crispy rice paper "bacon"* for a decadent, delicious brunch!
*If you're short on time, make the shiitake "bacon" bits from this salad recipe and sprinkle them over the top.
yield: 4 servings
soaking time: overnight or 30 minutes
prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 10 minutes
total time: 30-60 minutes
Vegan Benedict Florentine
Ingredients:
1 package tofu (about 7 ounces), regular or silken
1 package baby spinach (about 5 ounces)
1 large tomato, sliced into 4 slices
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 large clove garlic, minced
4 slices artisan bread
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish
Hollandaise
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight OR soaked in just-boiled water for 30 minutes
1/4 cup water
8 Tablespoons vegan butter, melted
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 small carrot, blanched for 3-5 minutes in boiling water until just tender and then grated (optional - it creates a nice orange color but does not alter the overall flavor)
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black truffle oil
1/8 teaspoon black salt (Kala Namak - see notes below)
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
pinch cayenne
dash hot sauce
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Drain the cashews and add to the blender with the all of the remaining hollandaise ingredients except the melted butter. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides often. If your blender is struggling, add a bit of the melted butter. Once smooth, add the butter in a steady stream while the blender is running. Transfer to a small saucepan and keep warm over very low heat.
Drain the tofu and gently pat dry. Cut it longways through the middle so that you have two large slabs that are about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick.
Using a circular cookie cutter or a jar or glass that measures about 3 inches in diameter, cut 4 circles out of the tofu slabs (you can store the excess tofu, submerged in water in an airtight container, to use in another recipe).
Use a spatula to carefully transfer the tofu circles to the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the circles with the black salt.
Place the tomato slices on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake the tomato and tofu for about 10 minutes, until the tofu is warmed through.
Meanwhile, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Using the same circular cutter that you used for the tofu, cut 4 circles out of your bread slices. Add the bread circles to the skillet and cook until golden brown on each side. Remove to a plate.
Add the shallot to the hot skillet and saute until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the spinach and stir until just wilted. Remove from the heat and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Top each bread circle with 1/4 of the spinach mixture, followed by a tofu circle and then a tomato slice. Drizzle with hollandaise, garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Notes: Black salt, also called Kala Namak, has a sulfuric taste and smell that is highly reminiscent of eggs. It is pink in dry form and turns black/gray when wet. This recipe will still be delicious if you don't have this salt, but it might not taste as much like a traditional hollandaise made with egg yolks. If you are not using the Kala Namak, add a bit of extra sea salt to your hollandaise and sprinkle your tofu circles with sea salt before baking.
Did you make this?
If you make this, I'd love to know how you like it. Please feel free to leave a comment.