Purple Asparagus and Tofu Benedict

If you weren’t a routine being before the pandemic, then I’m sure you’ve at least picked up a few repetitive habits along the way. While routines lead to beautiful efficiencies, sometimes mixing things up and taking a load off with a great meal is exactly the sort of break we need.

Personally, I have toast and coffee for breakfast most days — today, however, we are breaking the mold with a delicious seared tofu, vegan bacon, purple asparagus Benedict and homemade hollandaise sauce. This fun recipe is inspired by my favorite breakfast sandwich at Upton's Breakroom in Chicago, which, btw, I always had for lunch.

Make the hollandaise sauce first and keep it warm while you roast the asparagus, pan-fry the bacon and tofu, and toast the English muffins. While all of the multitasking may sound like back-breaking work, rest assured, your stresses will melt away with the first bite. Extra hollandaise sauce can be adjusted to create a queso dip or for a spin on mac and cheese.

Purple Asparagus and Tofu Benedict

Preheat the oven to 400˚

Make the hollandaise sauce – Place all of the sauce ingredients in a high-speed blender and process for 2 minutes until very smooth. Place in a small saucepan. Turn heat on low and keep warm until you are ready to plate, adding a little soy milk to thin the sauce to your liking, if necessary.

Roast the asparagus – Line a medium sheet pan with parchment paper, spread the asparagus in a single layer and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 7-10 minutes or until tender yet crisp. Keep warm.

To assemble – Warm the hollandaise sauce, whisking constantly.

On a dinner plate, place the split English muffin. Top each half with two slices of bacon, a piece of seared tofu and roasted  asparagus spears. Pour warm sauce over each half, garnish with a sprinkle of espelette pepper and some chopped chives and serve.

serves 4

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

  • ½ cup raw cashews
  • 1¼ cups of soy milk
  • ¾ tsp lactic acid or substitute with 1 tbsp of lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp Miyoko’s Creamery vegan butter
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp ground yellow mustard
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE BENEDICT

  • 1 lb purple asparagus, washed and trimmed
  • 1 pkg of vegan bacon, pan fried until warm
  • eight  slices of medium tofu, cut into rounds and seared until golden brown
  • four English muffins, split and toasted until golden brown

GARNISH

  • espelette pepper
  • chopped chives