Vegetable Au Gratin

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5 from 11 votes

Course: main course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: corn-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-fee, plant based, soy-free, vegan, wheat-free, yeast-free

Servings: servings

Calories: 248kcal

Author: Judy DeLorenzo

Equipment

baking sheet(s)
medium-size sauce pan.
hand mixer
medium-size bowl and large-size bowl
6 ramekins or 1 medium-size casserole dish

Ingredients

The Veggies

1 medium-small cauliflower, core cauliflower, then cut florets into small bite-sized pieces
3 large carrots, cut into 1/4” half moons
1 large red pepper, cubed
1 cup peas

For the Lentil Gravy

1 cup red lentils
3-3/4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons turmeric powder

For the Topping

1 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, or sweet paprika
3/4 cup chickpea aquafaba (juice from a 15-ounce can of unsalted chickpeas)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

To Roast the Cauliflower, Red Pepper, Carrots

Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Put half of the veggies (cauliflower, red pepper, carrots) onto each baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes or until golden; flip halfway through.

To Prepare the Lentil Gravy

Measure lentils and then sprinkle them slowly into a mesh colander; watch carefully for dirt, pebbles, or other debris. Once you’ve added all of the lentils to the colander, pick through them making sure you didn’t miss anything, then rinse.
Put the measured water and lentils into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the lentils are very soft and broken apart, partially covered. Most of the water will be absorbed and evaporated at this point. Remove from the heat.
Stir in the cayenne, salt, cumin, and turmeric.

To Assemble the Casserole

Add the peas and roasted veggies to the lentil "gravy" and stir.
Spread the veggie/lentil mixture into either one casserole dish or 6 individual casserole dishes.

To Prepare the Topping and Bake

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Pour the measured aquafaba into a separate medium-size mixing bowl.
Using a hand mixer, whip the aquafaba into a stiff meringue-like consistency. When ready, the meringue won't slide around when you turn the bowl upside down.
Fold the aquafaba into the dry ingredients.
Place dollops of the topping onto the casserole dish(es) and immediately put into the oven.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the topping hardens into a golden crust.

Notes

If you roast everything on one sheet, the veggies will be too crowded and they’ll steam instead of roast. Do you only have one baking sheet? No problem, simply roast half of the vegetables at a time.

Nutrition