Recipe: Vegan Beet Greens and Barley Gratin (Nut Free)

 

This recipe was inspired by an omnivore version at the New York Times. I made it using ingredients more readily available to me as well as using vegan substitutes for some of the items on the original ingredient list. If you have beet greens on hand, this is one of my favorite ways to have them.

Also, because this uses soy milk and a vegan egg substitute, if you are like me and sometimes find that you're averse to traditional protein sources like beans or tofu, this might be a good alternative on such days. I can almost always be convinced to have some cheesy grains, after all!

This is reliant on a few processed foods, but sometimes we splurge. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

Vegan Beet Greens and Barley Gratin
Serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side

1/3 cup pearled barley
1 cup water
1 bunch beet greens
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for oiling the baking dish.
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup JUST Egg or other vegan liquid egg substitute
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
Black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup shredded non-dairy Swiss or mozzarella
2 tablespoons non-dairy Parmesan

1. Rinse the barley and put it in a small saucepan with 1 cup water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Blanch beet greens in boiling salted water for 1 minute. Drain, rinse in cold water, squeeze out excess moisture, and chop finely. Set aside.

3. Peel and chop the onion and garlic cloves.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

5. Lightly oil a shallow 2-quart casserole or gratin dish.

6. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

7. Add garlic and a pinch of salt and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in reserved beet greens and thyme. Remove from heat and set aside.

8. Whisk together soy milk and egg substitute. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste. Stir in barley, greens, and cheese.

9. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until set in the middle and the cheese is melted. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

This is just as good the next day; you can eat it cold, hot, or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Note: I used Daiya Swiss cheese slices, cut up, as the cheese here, because I couldn't find vegan non-dairy Swiss shreds, or a block of cheese to shred myself, but use what's available to you. Mozzarella is more commonly available and works well, too.