The French term gratin actually refers to dishes that are baked beneath a crust of breadcrumbs, but more often than not, these dishes also include cream sauces and butter. This dairy-free gratin is an incredibly easy yet flavorful and impressive recipe to prepare. Although it uses a very short list of ingredients and little preparation, everytime I serve this, I am asked for the recipe. Be ready to tell your guests the ingredients!
Serves 4 to 6 as a side
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 large Leeks
- 4 ½ cups plain soymilk
- 1 cup soymilk powder
- 1 ½ t. salt, plus more to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Preparation:
1.Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly oil a 9” x 13” casserole dish.
2. Using a sharp knife, remove all but 1-2” of the green part of the leeks. Cut the remaining white of the leeks in half length-wise, and pull apart the sections. Rinse the grit from each of the sections, and arrange the leeks in a single layer the prepared dish, layering only as necessary. Set aside.
3. Make the cream sauce. In a medium saucepan, whisk the soymilk powder into the soymilk until no lumps remain. (Alternatively, you can blend the soymilk with the soymilk powder in a blender to save time.) Over medium-low heat, stir the salt into the soymilk mixture until combined. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture resembles a thick cream. Add pepper and salt to taste.
4. Pour the sauce over the leeks, pushing the leeks down with a fork to submerge them in the cream. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the mixture and bake until golden brown, about 35-45 minutes. Serve hot.
