Winter vegetables with silken tofu aioli
A feast of seasonal vegetables, served with a huge bowl of aioli, is a traditional meal for friends and family in Provence, southern France. This version uses soft silken tofu to create a nutritious, vegan alternative, with two kinds of garlic – roasted and lemon-steeped – to add layers of deep, tangy, savoury flavour
Ingredients
Silken tofu aioli
- 1 garlic bulb , plus 3 cloves
- 3 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 lemon , juice only
- 340g of silken tofu
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt , or to taste
To serve
- 200g of potatoes , (small), roasted in their skins with olive oil and flaky salt
- 2 beetroots , (medium), roasted in their skins, peeled and cut into wedges
- 1 cauliflower , (small), cut into florets and steamed
- 200g of carrots , steamed
- 200g of purple sprouting broccoli , steamed
- 8 spring onions , griddled
- 2 chicory , leaves seperated
- 300g of cooked chickpeas
- 200g of radishes
- 1 handful of parsley , (with stalks to help dip)
- rosé wine, to drink
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6
2
Slice the top 1cm off the head of garlic and lay the rest of the bulb on a small piece of tin foil. Drizzle with about half a tablespoon of olive oil and seal the foil package. Note: You may want to use the time the garlic is roasting to prepare some of the vegetables to serve with the aioli
3
Roast for 45–60 minutes, until the cloves are well softened and lightly browned. When the garlic is ready and is cool enough to handle, pop the cloves out of their papery skin and add to a food processor
4
While the garlic is roasting, prepare the second batch of garlic. Juice the lemon and add to a small bowl. Crush the remaining garlic cloves and add to the lemon juice – this softens the harsh bite of the raw garlic. Set aside to steep
5
Add the soft silken tofu to the food processor (with the roasted garlic) and blend to break down the garlic and purée the tofu. Add the flaky sea salt, about half of the garlic in lemon juice and the remaining 2.5 tablespoons of olive oil, blending to combine
6
Leave the mixture to rest for 5–10 minutes to allow the garlic and salt time to infuse the tofu. Taste the mixture and add more salt and garlic in lemon juice to taste – remember aioli is supposed to taste pretty garlicky
7
Prepare the vegetables as described in the ingredients list and arrange in individual bowls or on a large platter. You can serve the vegetables hot from the oven or cooled to room temperature, depending on preference and timing on the day
8
Pour the silken tofu aioli into a large bowl and serve alongside the vegetables. Dip away, with traditional Provençal rosé wine to wash it all down!
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Winter vegetables with silken tofu aioli
