The light bechamel without milk is the completely dairy-free version of the classic sauce.
Made with vegetable broth and olive oil, it is a completely vegan recipe.
Extremely easy and fast, it is suitable for all baked preparations such as lasagna, cannelloni, casseroles, and gratins in general.
The light bechamel does not contain any animal-derived ingredients; therefore no butter or milk, making its cholesterol and saturated fat content negligible.
Bechamel is a fundamental base preparation for the success of many classic Italian first courses: from lasagna to cannelloni, from baked pasta to timbales.
The milk-free bechamel recipe, completely devoid of dairy and animal proteins, allows you to make the same preparations for those with intolerances or who want to cook vegetarian and vegan dishes.
It is made with a light vegetable broth, composed only of celery, zucchini, and onion, and a similar roux based on whole spelt flour and extra virgin olive oil.
As flour, I used whole spelt flour.
Whole spelt flour is low in calories and rich in proteins, fibers, and vitamins. Besides being very nutritious, it is also very versatile in the kitchen. Moreover, it has a decent satiating power and, being rich in fibers, the glycemic index of spelt flour is reduced, therefore, it is also suitable in cases of diabetes or altered glycemia.
Soft and versatile, it is also excellent for enriching fillings, meatloafs, and vegetable gratins. It makes lighter, for example, the Cauliflower and Broccoli Gratin
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 144.50 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 11.75 (g) of which sugars 0.79 (g)
- Proteins 2.78 (g)
- Fat 10.20 (g) of which saturated 1.70 (g)of which unsaturated 0.07 (g)
- Fibers 1.50 (g)
- Sodium 854.83 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 125 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Light Bechamel
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2.1 oz whole spelt flour
- 2.7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- nutmeg
Tools
- 1 Pot
- Small Pot
- Hand Whisk
- Food Scales
- Pitcher
Steps for the Light Bechamel
Prepare a quick broth with half an onion, celery, and zucchini. “Keep it warm”.
(If you have no glucose issues, you can replace the zucchini with a carrot).
Otherwise, you can use a broth made with a vegetable bouillon cube, I leave you the recipe homemade vegetable bouillon cube.
Once the vegetable broth is ready, strain it.
Meanwhile, in another saucepan, heat a couple of tablespoons of oil, add the whole spelt flour, stir very well with a whisk and cook for 2 minutes.
Salt, pepper, and add a pinch of nutmeg.
Then add the broth, all at once, stirring vigorously with a whisk to avoid the formation of lumps.
Cook over moderate heat until it starts to boil.
Continue for a couple of minutes, then turn off.
Use the milk-free bechamel immediately, as expected by the recipe.
Advice
Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days covering it with plastic wrap directly on the surface, so no skin forms.
Alternatively, once cooled, in an airtight container in the freezer for 1 month.
Once defrosted, if it is too dense, you can add some vegetable broth to dilute it and make it creamy again by mixing with a whisk.
If lumps form, let the bechamel cool at room temperature and pass it through a sieve.
If the bechamel is too dense, almost like a pudding, you can heat it over low heat in a pan and add, gently stirring, a bit of vegetable broth.
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FAQ (Questions and Answers)
My bechamel keeps clumping. What should I do?
Keep the heat lower and keep stirring continuously, you will see that the clumps will not form.
Can I use something instead of spelt flour?
If you have gluten issues, I recommend rice flour, oat flour.
Otherwise, if you have no issues, you can use regular all-purpose flour.
If instead, you want a low glycemic index flour, you should use whole spelt flour, rye flour, soy flour, etc.
