This vegan bechamel really satisfied me. It’s light and very easy to make, truly child’s play. And even though it’s made with oil it remains really tasty — try it and you’ll see.
I made it to prepare lasagna and the result was really pleasant. It also takes only a few minutes and uses simple ingredients that everyone, especially vegans, will likely have at home.
It’s obviously lighter than classic bechamel and with 2 cups of plant milk there’s enough for 4 servings, although it depends on how you’ll use it. Enough chatter — let’s see how I made it!
Some ideas for using it can be found here:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 2 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
I used unsweetened almond milk as the plant milk. If you use another milk it’s best to recalculate quantities, but be sure to use an unsweetened milk or the bechamel won’t taste right.
For the oil, I also recommend using a mild-flavored olive oil so the oil flavor doesn’t dominate.
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (mild-flavored. 2 measuring tablespoons.)
- 2 cups almond milk (unsweetened)
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated)
- 1 tsp salt
- Total points = 12 WW points
- Points per serving = 3 WW points
Tools
- Saucepan
- Hand whisk
Steps
Weigh and measure all ingredients before starting. Pour the oil directly into the saucepan and begin heating it.
When the oil is hot but not boiling, add all the flour and incorporate the flour and oil well, continuing to stir for a couple of minutes over low heat. Then add the cold milk all at once and stir well while continuing to cook. When it starts to simmer you’ll see the bechamel begin to thicken. Continue cooking over low heat for a bit, always stirring with the whisk. Keep in mind that it will thicken even more as it cools.
At the end, turn off the heat, add salt and nutmeg and incorporate them well with the whisk.
Our light vegan bechamel is ready. Just wait for it to cool a little before using it!
So far I’ve used it for gratinated vegetables and lasagna. I hope soon to show you more vegan recipes using this tasty bechamel!
Try it and let me know in the comments here or in the Facebook Club if you liked it!
Enjoy your meal!
by Giovanna Buono
Tips
As I already mentioned, it’s best to use a mild oil or the bechamel will have too strong an oil flavor.
If you want the bechamel to have a cheesier flavor because you’ll use it in a dish that needs it, you can also stir in some nutritional yeast at the end of cooking along with the salt and nutmeg. 5 g (about 1 tablespoon) will do and it won’t cost you much: only half a WW point for the whole bechamel!
When the bechamel cools it tends to form a hard skin on top. You can either cover it in contact with a piece of plastic wrap or stir it again with the whisk from time to time while it cools.
The recipe I tried with the light vegan bechamel is this one: Broccoli Gratin, and it turned out really good!
