Broccoli and Cauliflower on Whipped Tofu with Smoked Chili Dressing
If you are craving something vegan, but still utterly delicious after all those heavy holiday meals, Broccoli and Cauliflower on Whipped Tofu with Smoked Chili Dressing is for you. In one addictive plate of flavor explosions you get the crunch and nutrition of just blanched cauliflower and broccoli taken to new heights by smoky chili infused butterbeans and their lemony – aromatic oil.
Together with some fresh mint to cool the chili heat, spread on a super creamy whipped parsley tofu. And as if all that isn’t enough to convince you, it’s sprinkled with browned garlic and Pangrattato for extra crunch. Just grab some fresh bread, to get all those flavors mopped up from your plate!
Fantastic for both the festive period and Veganuary.
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Why You Will Love This
Two Favourites Combined in one Delicious Main Course
There are these recipes that I just can’t get out of my head until I’ve integrated them into one of my own. Today’s recipe includes two of my favourites of the last years: Yotam Ottolenghi’s Smoked Cascabel Beans from his fabulous book “Flavor”*, slightly toned down in heat (though of course you can dial it up as much as you like) and Nisha Vora’s addictive Whipped Tofu, but with added parsley.
Both of those fabulous components come together in today’s Broccoli and Cauliflower on Whipped Tofu with Smoked Chili Dressing for a recipe that is healthy enough to happily have through Veganuary, yet pretty enough to serve to guests as vegan main dish.
The Smoked Cascabel Butterbeans
These magic beans are probably my most frequently made recipe from the whole book, heck, maybe from all of Yotam Ottolenghi’s books. Not to minimize the other recipes in the slightest, I feel they are wonderful and each of them is drool-worthy, but this one had me fall in love with butterbeans like no other.
There is just something about the chili-citrus-garlic-coriander infused oil that really makes beans sing and sparkle. I often munch them straight from the jar as evening snack and get antsy when I don’t have a jar of them around for longer than a week.
What I changed
Now, don’t get me wrong, the original recipe is incredible, but with me getting an instant headache when I smell toasting cumin and my fairly ridiculous sensitivity to chili heat, I had to make 2 small changes by leaving out the cumin (Sorry Yotam, I realise it’s your non-negotiable spice).
Anyone who doesn’t have my reaction and loves cumin, please feel free to add it back in. Instead I’m raising the coriander seed content and omitting the fresh jalapenos.
The result is a warmly spiced and super aromatic oil, without the intense heat of charred jalapenos.
You’d think 6 cascabel chilis would add a good bit of spice, but they are surprisingly mild, adding a lovely warm, fruity depth to the oil.
Add Smokiness
Frying all the aromatics in a hot pan until charred adds the smokiness to the oil for the beans and, by using it for the dressing later, to the whole plate.
Whipped Parsley Tofu
The whipped tofu is a more recent discovery, which really brought this dish together. It was the perfect creamy and cooling contrast to the spicy oil and acts as base for the greens that just get drizzled with a bit of the lemon infused oil before serving.
If I should describe it to someone: It tastes similar to whipped ricotta with tons of flavor from lemon, nutritional yeast, miso and garlic. I literally eat it by the spoonful, it’s just so good!
Nisha made it with a stunning sweet and savoury glazed squash in her video and I urge you to try it. I had the whole meal a few weeks ago for my dinner meal prep and was looking forward to it every single day.
Nutritious
Adding 4 out of your 5 a day to this meal, you can safely call this healthy. That’s if you count the different types of greens as one. But I guess we can be generous here and say it’s at least two. So you are all covered veggie wise for the day! Plus, of course protein in form of both beans (doubling as veggie) and tofu. The two latter will also keep you full and satisfied for hours. Add a hunk of fresh, crusty sourdough beer bread or some Sourdough Discard Naan and you are set.
Flexible
If you are not a fan of cauliflower and broccoli or just want to mix it up a bit, this is also incredible with zucchinis (fried until slightly browned), roasted butternut squash or sweet potatoes or roasted carrots. Or all of the above. Thinking about it, roasted cherry tomatoes would entirely transform this dish into more of a dipping affair.
Vegan
I feel I half need to whisper this bit, as many people are a little sceptical of vegan dishes. I honestly selected every single ingredient for flavor, not veganism, so it’s more…uhm…incidental? But the more I cook plant centred, the more I enjoy it. There is just so much variety and deliciousness to discover, that a plate with meat and two veg just can’t deliver.
Elegant for Guests
While I made this greedily just for myself, Broccoli and Cauliflower on Whipped Tofu with Smoked Chili Dressing is a dish I would very happily serve even non-vegan guests. The plates look super pretty with all their green and cream tones and with the layers of flavor and spice, no one will even realise they are eating a vegan meal.
Plus, as mentioned above, you can prepare everything ahead and just plate up when you are ready to eat. Always a bonus when having friends over, isn’t it?
The Ingredients
This list may seem long, but you are getting essentially 3 condiments, 1 appetizer/snack and a salad all in one. So it’s well worth making.
Smoky Spiced Cascabel Beans
- Cascabel Chilis – The one and only ingredient I found ever so slightly tricky to get because I’m in Ireland are these chilies, but chances are, for you it may be much easier. They are not particularly hot, but have a beautiful fruity, warm flavor. Adding everything that is great about chilis without a lot of heat. In a pinch you could use Ancho chilis or another mild and fruity variety.
In case you are in Ireland, I got my Cascabel chilis at Picado. A great source of anything Mexican. (Not affiliated)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – I usually don’t mention oil in the ingredients list, but for these beans it’s important to use a really good olive oil as you would for a salad. It will only be heated gently after charring the aromatics, so it won’t burn. The flavor of it will infuse the beans, so choose an oil you enjoy.
- Butter Beans – Use the best quality butter beans you can get your hands on. Jarred tend to be best. I found my all-time favourite butterbeans in the Evergreen Health food store and they are just delicious.
- Aromatics – Lemon, lime, garlic and coriander seeds are what I use. In a pinch you could use ground coriander and only toast it very gently, but you’d be missing out on the fabulous crunch the toasted seeds add. Try to get them whole if you can. It makes a big difference.
Pangrattato
Note:
This picture has butter in it, but for this particular recipe I made it with 2 tbsp olive oil instead, to keep it vegan.
- Stale bread – Use any bread you have around (except maybe sweet ones) and need to use up. I used sourdough bread. 1-3 days old is ideal.
- Olive Oil – Use extra virgin for flavor. I added butter in the original recipe, which is delicious, but if you’d like to keep it vegan use either more oil or add some vegan butter
- Aromatics – Lemon zest, garlic, thyme give the stale bread new and unexpected life. Once you’ve tried this, you’ll sprinkle it on everything. I used Basil in the original recipe, but left it out for this version, because it’s winter here and I just can’t keep it alive.
Whipped Parsley Tofu
- Extra Firm Tofu – Against the expectation that silken tofu might be best for whipping it’s just too wet. The extra firm one is best and there is no need to press it either. The finished consistency will be creamy and ricotta-like.
- Nutritional Yeast – The secret vegan weapon to make anything taste savoury and cheesy. I got a huge jar (1kg it was I think) about a year ago and against all expectations it’s half empty. I thought I’d never use this much, but once I started adding it to dishes, I found more and more ideas to use it. It really gives that little umami hit you might have missed when going lactose free and leaving cheese out of your recipes.
- White Miso – For those of you who thought Miso is only used in soups this might be a surprise. But this Asian fermented soybean paste adds the perfect complex salty umami hit to a million dishes, including this whipped tofu. You can even add it to cookies, I kid you not.
- Aromatics – Lemon, garlic and parsley give the rather addictive whipped tofu a fresh, sharp and herby note, perfect to go with the veggies and chili oil from the beans. We’ll use zest and juice from the lemon, so nothing is wasted.
Smoked Chili Dressing
- Some of the smoky chili oil from the beans – This is what adds incredible depth of flavor to the whole dish. It will also be used to fry the garlic before adding to the dressing, which makes it even more delicious. Be sure to include a good bunch of the crunchy coriander seeds.
- Lemon and lime juice plus lemon zest – Use up the juice from the limes and lemons used in the bean oil plus probably a bit more lemon juice, depending on how juicy your lemons are.
- Honey – Just a tablespoon, to balance heat and acidity
The Vegetable Topping
- Broccoli and Cauliflower – Because it’s winter here (shivers and wraps herself around a cup of hot tea) these two are easy to get and…well…maybe not seasonal, because really very few things are at this time of the year, but a really nice and available fibre and vitamin hit. To keep that nutrition and crunch intact, we are just briefly blanching them.
- Greens – Arugula for pepperiness, lambs lettuce for soft contrast and, weird, I know, mint! Yep, I’m using mint as lettuce here. A bunch of it will do and add a stunning fresh contrast to the chili warmth of dressing and beans.
Ok, that’s it with ingredients, I promise!
The Process
Bear with me, as this Broccoli and Cauliflower on Whipped Tofu with Smoked Chili Dressing might look like a long recipe. But the fact that you can prepare it up to several days ahead means it’s a pretty relaxed process. Plus every step only takes a few minutes and very little chopping is required.
The Smoked Cascabel Butterbeans
Start with the beans, as they profit from time just sitting in the flavourful oil.
Tip
A little word of caution:
The charring of the aromatics will leave black marks in any pan you might use. As this gets very hot, I would not recommend any type of ceramic frying pan, which can’t be scrubbed firmly. I used my stainless steel pan* before, which worked reasonably well. For the picture I tried my Greenpan frying pan, which promptly got black marks that I will now have to find a way to remove without ruining the coating. Don’t be like me.
Toast Coriander seeds
Start by lightly toasting the coriander seeds in a saucepan* (ceramic coating is fine for this part), that you will later use to heat the oil. Just het them until they get a little bit darker and smell delicious. If you choose to make double for topping your dish with irresistible crunchy seeds later, remove half of them to a small dish after toasting. Set aside.
Char Aromatics to add smoky flavor
Open all windows and set the fan on your hob to high. Tie a damp kitchen towel over your mouth if you are sensitive to chili smoke. Be prepared for your smoke alarm to go off. Let the dogs outside.
In a carefully chosen non-stick or stainless steel frying pan* on high heat, fry your lime and lemon peel, the garlic cloves and chili pieces until charred. Use thongs to transfer the bits that are ready to the saucepan with the toasted coriander seeds. The citrus peels will be ready in about 2 minutes, the garlic and chili in 3-4 minutes. If you opted for adding more heat with fresh jalapenos, char those too.
Evacuate your kitchen, cough, have some water, cough some more. Wait until your ears stop ringing from the darn smoke alarm. I swear it will be worth it.
Add Olive oil and Butterbeans
Once you can get back in your kitchen, add the oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp lime juice and about 3 tsp flaky sea salt or kosher salt to the saucepan with the toasted coriander. Gently heat until you see little bubbles rising around the aromatics. Don’t let it come to a full boil. You just want it hot enough to extract all the fabulous flavors and smokiness.
Take off the heat, squish the aromatics with tongs*, to get all the flavor into the oil, and stir in the rinsed and drained butterbeans. Once cool enough to handle, transfer to a lidded jar and keep in the fridge. The oil will solidify, so take out about 1h before you want to enjoy them. They will keep for about a week, max 2 in the fridge.
There, you survived the worst. Everything else is easy.
Pangrattato
Preheat your oven to 300°F/150°C and line a sheetpan* with parchment paper.
Rip your stale bread into smaller chunks. Add to your food processor* together with the garlic, lemon zest, salt, pepper and thyme (If you like, add basil like in the picture. I just didn’t have any this time around and it was still delicious.). Pulse until everything is roughly chopped. Add the olive oil and pulse again until distributed evenly.
Tip onto the prepared sheetpan and place in the middle of your oven. Bake in 15 minute intervals, stirring in between until browned and crispy. Keep an eye on the bread, as it can burn quickly. The exact time depends on the age of your bread and your oven. I had the perfect result from as quick as 20 minutes all the way to 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool, transfer into a lidded jar*.
Whipped Parsley Tofu
Gently pat your tofu dry with paper towels.
Crumble the tofu into your food processor*. (If you just made your Pangrattato, a quick wipe with a paper towel will be enough to clean it in between.) Add all the remaining ingredients minus the oil. Process until you have a creamy consistency, scraping down the sides a few times in between. Slowly drizzle in the oil while running.
If it’s not creamy enough yet, add a few tablespoons of iced water or more olive oil. Have a taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. I usually add more lemon juice, since I love it quite acidic, but your tastebuds might prefer a different direction.
Transfer into a lidded container*. Keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Fried Crispy Garlic
In a small saucepan* heat about 100 ml of the aromatic oil skimmed from the beans. There will still be plenty to keep them covered.
At medium-high heat fry the sliced garlic until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a plate covered with a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Once cool, transfer into a lidded container.
Smoked Chili Dressing
In a jar with tightly fitting lid (I love using old jam jars for this) mix about 6 tbsp of the remaining lemon and lime juice, 6 tbsp of the incredibly aromatic oil from the beans and frying garlic, the honey and some salt and pepper and shake well. Set aside.
The Vegetable Topping
Strip the mint leaves of their stems. In a large bowl of cold water, wash arugula, lambs lettuce and mint. I like to leave mine in the water while I prepare the rest, as it perks them up quite a bit.
Drain and spin* to dry when ready. Keep in a lidded container* in the fridge, either on a dry paper towel or a box with a grid at the bottom. I found any type of leaf keeps for up to a week crunchy and fresh when I prepare it like that.
Bring a large pot* of salted water to the boil. Prepare a large bowl* of iced water.
Cut cauliflower and broccoli into bite sized florets. Keep them separate, so the broccoli doesn’t crumble green fluff all over the cauliflower. Don’t mind the huge amount in the picture. I made double to use in different dishes over the week.
Blanch first the cauliflower in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes. It should still be crisp, but not feel entirely raw anymore. With a slotted spoon transfer into the iced water, then into a colander*.
Prepare fresh iced water.
Blanch the broccoli the same way as the cauliflower and transfer into the iced water then to a colander.
Move both broccoli and cauliflower to a large lidded container, drizzle over half of the smoky lemony-chili-garlic dressing and mix well.
This will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days and the flavor will be even better on day 2.
There, you did it! Your Broccoli and Cauliflower on Whipped Tofu with Smoked Chili Dressing is all prepared and ready to assemble. 😊
Assemble
On either one large sharing plate or individual plates, spread some of the whipped parsley tofu around to create a base layer.
Add a layer of leafy greens which you drizzle with some of the Smoked Chili Dressing.
Top with marinated broccoli and cauliflower, surround with some of the delicious Cascabel butterbeans and sprinkle over the crunchy garlic and Pangrattato.
Drizzle with a bit more of the aromatic smoky chili oil from the beans jar, including some of the crispy coriander seeds.
Admire your work. Take a picture.
Grab some fresh bread, sit down with a glass of your favourite beverage and groan with pleasure while you tuck in.
Meal Prep
Smoky Cascabel Butterbeans
Preparing the Smoky Cascabel Butterbeans the day before (or even a few days) ensures they can soak up all the gorgeous flavours from the oil and become their magical creamy, lemony and warmly spiced selves. I would recommend making double, as they are really hard to resist and can serve as appetizer, snack or salad topping. Even soups are improved by using them.
Whipped Tofu
The Whipped Tofu stays fresh for up to a week and can be used in salads, on soup, as spread on bread or dip with veggies. I was happily munching any leftovers with carrot sticks.
Pangrattato
The Pangrattato will stay fresh in a sealed jar for up to 2 weeks, same as the fried garlic. Both can be used to top salads, soups or pasta, so I encourage you to make more than you need.
Veggies
Leaves just 2 quick jobs, which is to wash the leaves you chose for your dream plate plus chop and blanch cauliflower and broccoli. Which, once done can also both be kept (separate) in sealed containers to eat in all sorts of dishes during the week. Not that I think you’ll want to eat much else than this combo, but just in case you get bored.
And with that: Happy Holidays!
This will be my last recipe before the festive period, which I will use to overhaul the look of this site, hopefully making it faster and more user friendly for you.
Wish me luck, as the last time nearly had me rip my hair out in desperation over all the tech stuff I had to learn! Wig donations are welcome!
Looking for more inspiration for Veganuary?
Vegan Tom Kha Soup
Asian Bowl with Cauliflower and Tofu
Vegetable Stew with Dumplings
Vegetarian Mezze Feast
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share. It helps me a lot.
Want to read a bit about my pets and my life?
I wrote about it in this post:
Getting Used to my New Life and Introducing the Dogs
That’s also where the pup pictures went, in case you read a pre-blog overhaul version. 🙂
Broccoli and Cauliflower on Whipped Tofu with Smoked Chili Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
Smoky Spiced Cascabel Beans:
- 1 jar butter beans good quality, drained and rinsed
- 6 dried cascabel chilies stems removed, torn into pieces
- 8 garlic cloves skin on, crushed
- 2 limes 8 strips of peel + 2 tbsp juice for oil, rest for dressing
- 2 lemons 8 strips of peel + 2 tbsp juice for oil, rest for dressing
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds + extra for garnish
- 600 ml extra virgin olive oil
Pangrattato:
- 3-4 slices bread about 150 g, preferably day-old, torn into chunks
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or dried if unavailable
- 1 lemon zest
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Fried Garlic Slices:
- 100 ml smoky chili-infused oil from Smoky Spiced Cascabel Beans
- 6 garlic cloves thinly sliced
Smoked Chili Dressing:
- 6 tbsp cooled chili oil from frying garlic
- 1 tbsp honey
- Juice of remaining lemon and lime
- Salt and pepper to taste
Whipped Parsley Tofu:
- 1 block extra-firm tofu 400 g
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 garlic cloves smashed and peeled
- 2 tbsp white miso paste
- 1.5 tsp kosher salt or more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 bunch fresh parsley 40 g
Vegetables:
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets
- 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
- 2 bags mixed lettuce e.g., arugula, lamb’s lettuce
- 1 bunch fresh mint 25 g, leaves only
- Remaining Smoked Chili Dressing
Instructions
Prepare Smoky Spiced Cascabel Beans:
- Toast coriander seeds in a saucepan until fragrant. Set aside half for garnish.
- Char chili pieces, citrus peels, and crushed garlic in a hot pan until blackened. Transfer into the saucepan with toasted coriander seeds.
- Add olive oil, 2 tbsp each of lemon and lime juice, and 3 tsp salt. Heat gently to infuse flavors (do not boil).
- Stir in butter beans, cool, and refrigerate in a lidded jar.
Make Pangrattato:
- Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Pulse bread, garlic, lemon zest, thyme, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Add olive oil and pulse to coat evenly.
- Bake on the tray, stirring every 15 minutes, until golden and crisp (20–45 minutes). Cool and store in an airtight container.
Prepare Whipped Parsley Tofu:
- Pat tofu dry and crumble into a food processor. Add nutritional yeast, garlic, miso, salt, pepper, parsley, lemon zest, and olive oil.
- Blend until creamy, adding a bit of iced water if necessary. Adjust seasoning to taste. Store in the fridge.
Fry Garlic and Make Smoked Chili Dressing:
- Heat chili-infused oil and fry garlic slices until golden. Drain on paper towels. Store in lidded container.
- Combine 6 tbsp oil, remaining citrus juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a jar. Shake to emulsify.
Blanch Vegetables:
- Boil salted water and prepare an ice bath.
- Blanch cauliflower for 2–3 minutes, then broccoli for the same time. Keep seperate to leave cauliflower looking white. Cool in ice water and drain.
- Toss with half the Smoked Chili Dressing and refrigerate.
Assemble the Dish:
- Spread Whipped Parsley Tofu on plates as the base.
- Add a layer of leafy greens, drizzled with dressing.
- Top with marinated broccoli and cauliflower. Scatter Cascabel butter beans around the plate.
- Sprinkle with Pangrattato, fried garlic slices, and toasted coriander seeds.
- Finish with a drizzle of the aromatic oil from the beans.
I tried this broccoli and cauliflower on whipped tofu with smoked chili dressing, and it’s amazing! The smoky dressing pairs so well with the creamy tofu and roasted veggies—a perfect balance of flavors.
Thank you. 🙂
I love everything about this recipe…so much flavor, filling, and it’s easy to put together! Definitely making this again!
Thank you, so glad you like it! 🙂
That smoked chili oil is die for so versatile. I am going to make it again. Thanks for sharing.
It really is, thank you! 🙂
I tried this recipe and loved it especially smoked chili dressing. I made a batch of it.
Thank you, so happy you enjoyed it. 🙂
I served this as a side dish and my family loved every single bite!
Thank you, so glad your family loved it. 🙂