Arugula and Cheese Souffle

I had to try again. It's like the itch I can't quite scratch, my holy grail: the vegan souffle.  Once again, I decided tonight was the night to try and get one to rise, savory this time around.  I thought gooey Daiya mozzarella made a nice compliment to the peppery arugula, but try any vegan cheese you like.

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 9 cups trimmed arugula (about 6 ounces)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 and 1/4 cups plain non-dairy milk
• 1 Ener-G egg yolk
• 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese
• 6 Ener-G eggs
• Dash of cream of tartar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

1. Coat a 1.5-quart souffle dish with cooking spray, and sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the bottom and sides of the dish.  Set aside.

2. Cook the arugula in boiling water for 15 seconds, just until wilted.  Drain in a sieve and press until barely moist (be careful to press through several layers of paper towels, or you'll scald your fingers).  Finely chop and set aside.

3. Lightly spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife.  Combine the flour in a saucepan with the salt, ground nutmeg, ground red pepper, and black pepper.  Gradually add the milk, whisking until blended.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Continue to cook for 1 minute, until thick.

4. Make 1 Ener-G egg yolk in a large bowl (as a reminder, that's 1 and 1/2 teaspoons powder whisked into 1 tablespoon warm water).  Gradually stir in one-fourth of the hot milk mixture.  Return the whole mixture back to the saucepan, and cook for a final 30 seconds, until thick.  Remove from heat and stir in the arugula and cheese.  Let cool.

5. While the milk mixture cools, it's time to whip up your Ener-G eggs to mimic egg whites.  Combine the 6 Ener-G eggs and a dash of cream of tartar in a large bowl.  Beat for 12 minutes until "stiff peaks" form.  Gently stir one-fourth of the beaten Ener-G mixture into the milk mixture.  Fold in the remaining beaten Ener-G mixture and the baking powder.

 6. Spoon the mixture gently into the prepared souffle dish, and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, until puffed.  Like all souffles, serve immediately, as it will deflate!  Here's a peak through the oven door:

And here it is just out of the oven:

This dish is an excellent component of a leisurely Sunday brunch - think fresh-squeezed orange juice, vegan bacon strips, and fruit salad.  Or skip the orange juice and pour a glass of crisp white wine, like a (vegan) Sancerre. 

Nutrition Info:
6 servings (1/6 of the souffle), Calories 154 

Tasting Notes:
Heck before I talk about taste - it rose!  It rose beautifully, it was puffed, and golden, and spilling over the edges.  I am ecstatic merely for that.  Having conquered that bit, I would tinker with taste next time.  Because I was nervous, I was heavy-handed with the baking powder, which gave a slightly metallic taste to the final product.  Try decreasing to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons (or even 1 teaspoon) and you might still achieve the same results without the metallic tang.  I would also offset the flavor by adding more cheese and more arugula, and instead of the ground red pepper, I would use double the amount of nutmeg.  1/2 cup breadcrumbs was more than necessary to coat the sides of the dish; 1/4 cup should be plenty to achieve the desired result.  Finally, if you want your souffle to taste "eggier" consider adding nutritional yeast or the new Vegg. 

Rating:
4