Tofu Benedict with Hollandaise

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, think again.

Tofu Benedict with Hollandaise

Ingredients

For the Tofu:

• 1 (16-ounce) 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 Toppings:

• 10 cups packed baby spinach or stemmed and chopped kale
• Sea salt and ground pepper
• 2 vine tomatoes, sliced
• Hollandaise Sauce (recipe below)
• 4 English muffins, split in half
• 4 tablespoons vegan butter
• Small handful of chives, for garnish
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, for garnish

For the Hollandaise Sauce:

• 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

Instructions

1. 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.
2. Season the tofu on all sides with the paprika, salt, and pepper.
3. 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.
4. Remove the tofu to a dish, cover to stay warm, and set aside.
5. Lower the heat to medium and sauté 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.
6. Warm up the hollandaise sauce and toast, and butter the English muffins.
7. 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. 

For the Hollandaise Sauce:

1. Place all the ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until very smooth. If you need to thin the sauce,
2. add small amounts of nondairy milk until the desired consistency is achieved.
3. Heat the sauce over low heat in a saucepan, whisking constantly, before serving. If you overheat the sauce or
4. 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.
5. 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.