Vegan Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict is a classic breakfast dish that has a history dating back to the late 19th century. There are a few theories about the origin of this beloved dish, but most food historians attribute its creation to Lemuel Benedict, a retired Wall Street stockbroker. Legend has it that Benedict ordered some toast, bacon, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City in 1894 to cure his hangover. The maitre d'hotel, Oscar Tschirky, was so impressed with the combination that he put it on the menu, replacing the bacon with ham and English muffins instead of toast. Over the years, Eggs Benedict has become a staple in brunch menus around the world, symbolizing indulgence and sophistication in the realm of breakfast dishes.
Special occasions call for special breakfasts and eggs benedict is often what people want. It’s easier than ever to make vegan now that we have great vegan egg products, but hollandaise sauce seems hard to convert. Hollandaise is basically an emulsion of eggs and oil or butter. So is mayonnaise. I used vegan mayonnaise for this recipe. you can use any brand but it will change the flavor outcome slightly.
For the hollandaise sauce you will need the following ingredients:
1/2 Cup of vegan mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon of mustard
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
4 Tablespoons of melted plant butter
a little shake of turmeric [just for color not enough to even write a measurement]
salt and pepper to taste
Put the mayonnaise in a small bowl and whisk all of the ingredients together.
For the eggs you will need the following ingredients:
1/3 Cup of Just Egg [you could use the premade folded Just Egg or any other vegan egg substitute. The premade eggs require no further ingredients]
a small sprinkling of onion powder
a shake of pepper
about a teaspoon of chives
Mix the Just Egg with the onion powder, pepper and chives and cook according to the package directions.
For the eggs benedict you will need:
4 pieces of pan fried vegan bacon [optional]
4 pieces of pan fried vegan ham
vegan egg
warmed vegan hollandaise sauce
1 vegan friendly English muffin [watch out for milk]
Toast the English muffin and place the two pieces on a plate. Arrange the ham and bacon on the English muffin pieces. Next place the egg on the meat and spoon the hollandaise over each side.
It is a little bit extra work for this breakfast dish but it’s worth the effort on occasion. I feel as though this vegan dish is a triumph for vegan dishes. It is comprised of so many things that animal products and yet here it is, 100 percent made of plants! I’m convinced I can make anything out of vegan ingredients. I’m not saying we should have diets made entirely out of dishes like this. I believe you are going to be your healthiest if you eat whole plant foods and limit your consumption of processed foods. Every once in a while you gotta splurge though!
I would save this dish for something like a breakfast in bed for someone you love or a spring celebration of some kind. I don’t know why but it feels like a mother’s day breakfast to me.
Whenever you decide to serve it, I hope it is well enjoyed!