Recipe: Tofu No-Eggs Benedict with Vegan Hollandaise Sauce (using almonds)

TOFU BENNY WITH HOLLANDAISE

"Though I was an eggs Benedict superfan back in the day, I haven't ever fantasized about the traditional version once since creating this masterpiece. Give tofu a real chance if you haven't yet. It comes in many textures, and all it requires is proper seasoning and cooking technique! If you thought your vegan life would never let you dive deep into a plate full of bennies again . . . you're welcome!"



Makes 4 servings
PREP TIME 20 minutes
COOK TIME 20 minutes
prep ahead

FOR THE TOFU:
1 (16 oz/450 g) brick medium-firm tofu
1⁄4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
1⁄4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
FOR THE TOPPING:
10 cups packed baby spinach or stemmed and chopped kale
Sea salt and ground pepper
2 vine tomatoes, sliced
TO SERVE:
Vegan Hollandaise Sauce (recipe follows)
4 English muffins, split in half
4 tablespoons vegan butter
Small handful of chives, for garnish
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, for garnish

Drain the tofu and pat dry of excess moisture with a tea towel or paper towel. Slice the tofu into quarters and slice each quarter in half lengthwise, so you have 8 thick medallions.

Season the tofu on all sides with the paprika, salt, and pepper.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan over medium-high heat and coat the bottom with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Place the pieces of tofu in the pan and fry for about 3 minutes on the first side. Flip and fry for another 3 minutes. The tofu should develop a nice golden crust. Continue turning the pieces to fry all sides.

Remove the tofu to a dish, cover to stay warm, and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium and saute the spinach with a pinch each of salt and pepper until just wilted and cooked through. Remove the greens from the pan. Then fry up the tomato slices for 1 minute each side.

Warm up the hollandaise sauce. Toast and butter the English muffins.

Top each muffin half with greens, a tomato slice, a piece of tofu, and a dollop of warm hollandaise. Garnish with the chives and a sprinkle of ground cayenne pepper.

THE HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
MAKES about 1 cup

"Have you ever Googled how to make real hollandaise? It's rich on rich on rich! Rather than relying on butter and egg yolks for fat and flavor, I make the base with lean, mean almonds. You're definitely serving it with the Tofu Benny, but it's also a classic pairing with grilled asparagus or other green veggies."

PREP TIME 15 minutes
COOK TIME 5 minutes

1⁄2 cup sliced blanched almonds
1⁄2 cup unsweetened nondairy milk
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1⁄2 teaspoon mustard powder
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
1⁄2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Place all the ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until very smooth. If you need to thin the sauce, add small amounts of nondairy milk until the desired consistency is achieved.

Heat the sauce over low heat in a saucepan, whisking constantly, before serving. If you overheat the sauce or forget to whisk it constantly, it will thicken and get lumpy. If this occurs, reblend it to smooth it out or add more nondairy milk or water.

When reheating leftovers, you'll definitely need to add a bit more nondairy milk or water to thin out the sauce again. It keeps up to 7 days in the fridge.

Reprinted with permission from Hot for Food Vegan Comfort Classics, copyright 2017 by Lauren Toyota. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.