Savory Asparagus Galette with Vegan Ricotta
Servings: 6 as main dish
Calories: 379kcal
Ingredients
Galette
- 1 1/4 cups (150g) all-purpose flour + more for flouring your work surface
- 1/2 cup (75-85g) medium-grind cornmeal (Note 1)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 10 tablespoons (140g) vegan butter, cubed and chilled until very firm
- 2-4 tablespoons ice cold water, plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- Flaky sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons plant-based milk
- 1 small or medium bunch of asparagus (try to choose spears that aren’t too thick or fat)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Tofu Ricotta (you’ll only need about 1/2 – 2/3 of this recipe) (Note 2)
- 1 (14-ounce / 400g) block extra-firm tofu
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons white or yellow miso paste
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 15 fresh basil leaves
- A small handful of fresh dill
- 1 medium lemon, zested and juiced (about 3 tablespoons juice)
Toppings (Note 3)
- 1 large handful of shelling peas, shelled
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, thinly sliced
- A small handful of basil leaves, thinly sliced
- A few sprigs of fresh dill
- Lemon zest
Instructions
- Slice the vegan butter into cubes. Then place it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm up.
- Make the crust. Mix the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, and salt in a large bowl. Add the chilled vegan butter and using a pastry cutter (or two knives), cut the butter into the flour mixture, until butter is about the size of peas.
- Mix 2 tablespoons of the ice water with the apple cider vinegar. Sprinkle it over the dough mixture, gently kneading the dough with your hands. Add more of the ice water as needed, just a teaspoon at a time until the dough easily comes together when you squeeze it and you can form a ball that doesn’t crumble when you pull it apart. The dough shouldn’t be too wet but a little sticky.1. NOTE: If the dough seems wet, add a little more flour into the mix. If the dough is not holding together or appears crumbly, add another more ice water, a tablespoon at a time.
- Shape the dough into a disc. Wrap the disc in plastic, or place in a bowl and cover it. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 48 hours.
- Make the tofu ricotta. Drain and pat dry the tofu with paper towels (no need to press it). Add the tofu in chunks to a food processor, along with the remaining ingredients. Blend until the mixture is smooth, thick, and creamy. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.
- Preheat the oven and prepare the pan. Once the dough has chilled, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F/200°C, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You’ll need to bring the dough to room temperature for 10-15 minutes to make it pliable enough to roll.
- Prepare the asparagus. Snap off the tough woody ends off the asparagus at their natural breaking point. You can leave the asparagus whole like I did, but it’s easier to cut the galette if you slice the asparagus into pieces, especially if you plan to serve this as an appetizer. Toss the the asparagus with the 1 tablespoon oil and season with kosher salt and pepper.
- Roll out the dough: Place the disc of dough on a large piece of parchment paper. Cover it with a second piece of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12-to 14-inch (30-35 cm) round that’s between 1/4 and 1/8-inch thick (0.3 – 0.6 cm), dust the rolling pin with flour as needed. If the dough sticks to the surface, add a little bit of flour underneath the rolling pin. When you’re done rolling, slide the parchment paper + dough onto a large baking sheet; discard the top layer of parchment. (Note 4)
- Add the toppings. Dollop half of the tofu ricotta on top of the dough, leaving a 1 1/2 to 2-inch (4-5 cm) border around the edge (see photos in blog post). You can add up to 2/3 of the tofu ricotta mixture, but don’t add to much, or it’ll weigh down the dough and may ooze out of the crust during baking. Arrange the prepared asparagus over the ricotta.
- Fold the galette. Fold the edges of the dough up over the filling to form a crust. Brush the tops and edges of the dough with the plant-based milk. Sprinkle the filling and the crust with flaky salt and pepper. Carefully transfer the prepared galette to the baking sheet.
- Bake the galette for 40-45 minutes, or until the crust is nicely golden brown and the crust is sturdy when you tap it, and the asparagus is tender.
- Once the galette has cooled a bit, top with the shelled peas, fresh herbs, and lemon zest.
Notes
Note 1: Unsifted cornmeal has crunchy bits in it, so if you are making this for someone with sensitive teeth or don’t want a few little crunchy bits throughout the crust, I recommend sifting the cornmeal first.
Note 2: You won’t need (or want) to use all of the tofu ricotta. I recommend using between 1/2 and 2/3 of the ricotta. The leftovers stay good in the fridge for at least a week. Or, you can make just half of the recipe.
Note 3: These toppings are optional but recommended. If you can’t find fresh shelling peas, omit or add some sliced cherry tomatoes. The fresh herbs and the lemon zest at the end bring a really lovely fresh brightness to this galette, so don’t skip them. If you don’t have all three herbs (basil, tarragon, dill), just use what you have.
Note 4: Alternative method for rolling out dough.
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Lightly flour a large working surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12-to 14-inch (30-35 cm) round that’s between 1/4 and 1/8-inch thick (0.3 – 0.6 cm), dust the rolling pin with flour as needed. If the dough sticks to the surface, add a little bit of flour underneath the dough.
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Roll dough onto the rolling pin, then unroll it on a sheet of parchment paper. Slide the paper onto a large baking sheet.