Having a good béchamel sauce in your repertoire is so useful. I bring this sauce out really regularly for weekday dinners like macaroni cheese, for cauliflower or broccoli cheese for a Sunday roast (or a combination cauliflower/broccoli/macaroni cheese is SO good). I use it for the cheesy, creamy layer in lasagnes and moussakas and I use it for creamy mushroom, leek and white bean pies topped with pastry or mash. This vegan version (made with nutritional yeast instead of cheese, creamy oat milk instead of cow milk and some delicious olive oil instead of butter) is so delicious, nutritious and really quick and easy to put together. Simply whisk the ingredients together cold. Then put the pot over a medium heat and whisk and cook it into a thick sauce! How do you use béchamel sauce?
Liz x
Ingredients
- 150g plain flour (wheat, spelt or even a gluten free plain-flour blend all work)
- 20g nutritional yeast (or more to taste)
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 litre oat milk (or any unsweetened plant milk you like)
Method
- Measure all the ingredients into a cold pan and whisk them together.
- Put the pan onto a medium heat and cook and whisk slowly until it thickens into a creamy sauce.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed with more salt and pepper or more nutritional yeast if you want a cheesier flavour.
- It’s that simple! Now stir through cooked pasta or cauliflower or broccoli and bake until bubbling and golden on top. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and more nutritional yeast for a golden crunchy topping? Or spoon between layers of lasagne sheets and ragu for a gorgeous lasagne. Fold through sautéed mushrooms and leeks, stir in a drained tin of white beans and top with pastry or mash for a cosy, creamy pie…