Plant count: 13

Cauliflower and Caramelised Leek Bake

I used to love the cauliflower cheese grills that you got from the freezer section in Farmfoods. Since going vegan, I’ve missed those tangy, cheesy, crispy bakes. I wanted to recreate something similar, but healthier, and also something that my omnivore friends would love. Getting this recipe just right was a labour of love and I returned to it over and over again until I got something that I thought knocked the frozen ones out of the park. For me, the caramelised leek was the star of the show, cooked slowly and carefully to avoid burning, it lifted the cheese sauce to another level. I served this with a pile of mixed microgreens, for health, crunch and flavour balance.  

Tip – I served my bake with some garlic bread, but salad would also work well.  

  • Servings:

    8

  • Prep time:

    15 Mins

  • Cook time:

    60 Mins

  • Plant count:

    13

Ingredients

  • 1 medium leek
  • 1 small white onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tbsp white sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Half a med cauliflower
  • 2 medium potatoes
  • 10 green beans
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 tsp stock powder
  • 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 cup Plant milk
  • Half cup vegan cheese
  • Half cup panko breadcrumbs
  • Tbsp sunflower seeds
  • Tbsp flakes almonds
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Chop the leek, onion and garlic and add to a frying pan with a tbsp of oil
  2. Add the mustard, sugar and salt
  3. Bring to a medium heat, then turn to low. Cover and cook for 45 minutes. Stir regularly ( add a splash of water if the mixture is too dry?
  4. Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized chunks. Peel and chop the potatoes into similar sizes as the cauliflower. Trip the green beans and chop into cm pieces. Steam the vegetables for 15 minutes. Leave to cool
  5. Once the leeks are caremelised, add the flour, nutritional yeast, and stock.
  6. Turn the heat to med and slowly add the milk. Once the sauce has thickened, add half the cheese and then the vegetables. Stir through
  7. Pre heat the oven to 180c
  8. Add the mix to a roasting dish.
  9. Make the topping by combining the breadcrumbs with the other half of the cheese, oil, seeds and nuts. Add the topping to the roasting dish
  10. Bake for 40 minutes, until the top is crisp and brown and the sides are bubbling
  11. Serve with a mixed microgreens scatter on top
Smorgs:

Lots and lots of mixed microgreens (broccoli, kale, cabbage, plus nasturtiums), Garlic pizza bread

Smorgs suggestions:

Balsamic glaze, Crispy onions, Salad, Seed mix, Pickled vegetables

Back to blog