TOFU GRATIN WITH MUSTARD & LEMON BÉCHAMEL (CHRISTMAS RECIPE)

A unique, flavourful vegan Christmas dish that’s sure to impress family and guests. From our table to yours.

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Top view of a plated serving of the gratin, utensils and white casserole dish beside it..

A unique, flavourful vegan Christmas dish that’s sure to impress family and guests. From our table to yours.

Hello, dear readers, it’s Rita here. I’m taking advantage of a quiet Sunday moment, the sun already set and the fireplace lit, to tell you the story behind a recipe that’s very special to my family.

This Tofu Gratin with Mustard & Lemon Béchamel has become very much ours — mine and André’s — but its story goes back long before our relationship. It’s my vegan version of the gratin my mother made every Christmas. She prepared it with salted cod and a homemade dairy béchamel; I make it with tofu and plant-based milk. And although the protein has changed completely, it brings me enormous joy to say that the flavour remains exactly the same as always.

My mother died when I was 17 and, ironically, she didn’t enjoy cooking at all. In her final years, she probably only stepped into the kitchen to make this Christmas gratin and very little else. So, as you can imagine, I didn’t have many opportunities to enjoy my mom's cooking. But despite being a self-professed Grinch of the kitchen, she had a natural talent for making delicious dishes… even if reluctantly.

Most teenagers aren’t particularly interested in helping their parents in the kitchen. But I spent every moment I could by my mother’s side, either preparing our Christmas feast or wrapping presents in the “Santa’s workshop” we set up on the dining table. This time of year always had that kind of magic: it brings a quiet peace and joy that makes up for all the exhaustion and excess. And in the height of my teenage maturity, I knew how to recognise the moments that brought light to my mother and I never let them slip away.

Maybe that intuition is why the exact quantities for her sauce are still etched in my memory. It was her own creation, utterly unique, and it continues to bring my mother to our Christmas table, even so many years later. It also continues to win over new fans of this slightly unconventional festive dish.

It’s our Christmas dish. For as long as I can remember, and forever.

Ingredients prepped for the gratin: tofu pieces, potatoes, sliced vegetables and béchamel components arranged in bowls.

Tofu and vegetable sauté in a bowl, golden fried potatoes and the béchamel sauce ready to assemble.

Combined mixture of tofu, fried potatoes and vegetables, fully mixed and ready for the baking dish.

Yellow béchamel sauce being ladled over the tofu, vegetable and potato mixture in the baking dish.

Close-up of creamy béchamel spreading over the tofu, potatoes and vegetables.

Baked vegan gratin with a golden breadcrumb crust in a white casserole dish.

Gratin dish with a serving on a plate, accompanied by fresh parsley and extra sauce.

Plate with a serving of creamy gratin topped with chopped fresh parsley.

Top view of a plated serving of the gratin, utensils beside it and the main dish in the background.

Close-up of a serving of the gratin with creamy sauce and fresh parsley on top.

Tofu Gratin with Mustard & Lemon Béchamel (Christmas Recipe)

Vegetable & Tofu Sauté

olive oil, as needed
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ leek, thinly sliced
2 carrots, coarsely grated
2 large bay leaves
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
⅓ cup (80 ml) white wine
1 kg firm tofu (2.2 lb), drained, patted dry and torn into small pieces

Fried Potatoes

2 kg yukon gold potatoes (4.4 lb), washed and cut into 1.5 cm / ½–⅝ inch cubes
frying oil, as needed
fine salt, to taste

Mustard & Lemon Béchamel Sauce

6 cups (1.5 L) vegan Béchamel sauce (1 ½ batches of this recipe)
2 packs soy cream (1 ⅔ cups)
½ cup (120 ml) lemon juice
⅓ cup (80 ml) English mustard
¼ cup (20–25 g) nutritional yeast
1 tsp turmeric powder
extra plant-based milk, as needed, to loosen the sauce

To Assemble

breadcrumbs, as needed (use gluten-free if required)
chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Start by gathering, preparing and measuring all of the ingredients. This will improve your dynamic in the kitchen.

Vegetable & Tofu Sauté

Coat the bottom of a large, wide pot with olive oil and heat on medium-high.
Add the onions, garlic, leek, carrots and bay leaves. Sauté until the onions turn translucent, about 5–6 minutes.
Add the spices and mix well. Cook for 1 minute to release their aroma.
Pour in the white wine, increase the heat and cook until the liquid has fully evaporated.
Add the crumbled tofu, stir to coat in the sauté, and cook for 7–8 minutes until lightly coloured and fragrant. Set aside.

Fried Potatoes

Fry the potatoes in hot oil until golden.
Transfer to a tray lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
Season with fine salt and set aside.

Mustard & Lemon Béchamel

Prepare 1.5 L of vegan Béchamel following the recipe instructions (this equals one and a half batches).
While the Béchamel is still warm, add the soy cream, lemon juice, mustard and nutritional yeast. Mix well.
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Béchamel thickens as it cools; add a splash of plant milk only if necessary to keep it fluid and at your desired consistency.
Reserve 2–3 ladles of the sauce for serving.

Assemble and cook the Gratin

Add the fried potatoes to the vegetable and tofu sauté and mix well.
Transfer everything to a large baking dish and spread evenly.
Pour some of the Béchamel over the dish. Use a knife to gently create small gaps in the mixture so the sauce can seep through.
Continue adding the Béchamel until the dish is well saturated and the top fully covered.
Sprinkle with a thin, even layer of breadcrumbs.
If preparing ahead, cover with tinfoil and refrigerate until ready to gratinate.
Otherwise, bake in a preheated 200 °C/400 ºF oven, on grill/broil mode, until the sauce is bubbling and the breadcrumbs are nicely golden.
Serve with the reserved Béchamel and freshly chopped parsley.

Notes

The Béchamel sauce can be made ahead of time, refrigerated or even frozen until needed. The potatoes can also be boiled instead of fried, but the indulgence factor drops dramatically!