The short answer
The béchamel is a classic and indispensable for dishes Lasagna and macaroni and cheese. It is creamy, indulgent, and results in wonderful comfort food! I once ordered Lasagna in a restaurant and the Bechamel was horrible. It ruined the whole dish. Let’s make sure that will never happen to you. 🧑🍳
Before you keep reading...
Want to learn to cook delicious plant-based food?
Let me present you Foodful Tofu!
Learn the cooking techniques to cook delicious Tofu
Practice with 8 recipes explained in step-by-step videos
BONUS: Get an e-book containing all the recipes and how to tweak them to your taste
From your home, at your rhythm, accessible anywhere, anytime.
We won't spam you. Unsubscribe at any time.
The base of Bechamel: The roux
A perfect béchamel starts with a perfect roux: a mix of flour and fat.
Traditionally, butter was used. In my vegan version, I use olive oil instead, I’ll return to it in a bit ⬇️.
What made this restaurant's béchamel terrible? A poorly cooked roux. It was undercooked, It felt like I was eating raw flour 🤮.
When making your roux, make sure to cook it long enough to remove the flour taste. Aim for a light blond color, just enough to eliminate the floury rawness without adding the nutty taste of a blond roux.
Which fat: Oil or Vegan Butter? 🧈
I use olive oil over vegan butter because it’s basically the same. Vegan butter is a blend of oil and water stabilized with a soy emulsifier. It contains at least 80% of oil. Therefore, it doesn’t make any difference in a roux. 🤷
Make it simple for yourself, use oil.
Choosing the right milk 🥛
The milk is the body of the béchamel sauce, choosing it wisely is crucial. I prefer soy milk for its neutral flavor and consistency, but any unsweetened plant-based milk will do. The key here is unsweetened, sweet milk will ruin your bechamel.
Perfect your bechamel with these tips
To make sure your béchamel is a hit, follow these tips:
- Whisk consistently both the roux and as you add the milk to avoid lumps.
- Add your milk gradually to find the perfect consistency for your sauce.
- Season your sauce. Traditionally, white pepper and nutmeg are used to flavor the béchamel while keeping its white color intact.
- Optionally, pass your sauce through a fine mesh to remove any left flour lump.
- Also optional, infuse your milk for 15 to 30 minutes beforehand for an aromatic boost.
Infusing the milk
This step might be optional, but it's a simple way to make your béchamel unforgettable. Warm the milk with two garlic cloves, a bay leaf, and a few peppercorns, and let your milk rest for 15 to 30 minutes. It’s a small touch that will have your guests nodding in approval 🥰.
The comforting power of Béchamel
Whatever you make with Béchamel, it will make transform this dish into comfort food. Whether you make Lasagna or add nutritional yeast to create a cheesy sauce, the béchamel will transform simple ingredients into indulgent comfort food like Mac’N’Cheese 🤤.
The Recipe
Bechamel Sauce
The béchamel sauce is one of the French mother sauces. It is the one that creates super comfy food for you and your guests!
Prep time
5
mins
Cooking Time
10
mins
Servings
2
people
Ingredients
- 20g flour
- 20g extra virgin olive oil
- 250 ml unsweetened soy milk
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Make the roux: Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk continuously to avoid lumps. Cook until the mixture is sandy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the soy milk: Slowly pour in the soy milk, whisking constantly to mix it smoothly with the roux. Keep stirring to prevent lumps as the sauce thickens.
- Season the sauce: Lower the heat and add the nutmeg and pepper. Stir for another minute to blend the flavors.
- Adjust the thickness: Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed. If it’s too thick, add a bit more soy milk until it’s just right.
