Polenta Eggs Benedict (Vegan)

This vegan "eggs" benedict is made egg free by using creamy polenta rounds in place of poached eggs! We also use salty, smoky, crispy tofu "bacon" slabs, plus an easy vegan hollandaise, sautéed greens and a perfectly toasted english muffin. The ultimate brunch!

Jump to:

• 🥗 Why We Love This Recipe
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 📋 Ingredient Notes:
• 🔪 Step-by-step Instructions
• 💭 Expert Tips and FAQs
• 🍽 Related Recipes
• Reviews

🥗 Why We Love This Recipe

• 100% vegan, but just as flavorful as the original recipe! Look, it's pretty dang hard to perfectly replicate the richness of real eggs and dairy, but we think this vegan eggs benedict does a pretty good job! The hollandaise sauce is luscious and creamy, thanks to cashews. The tofu bacon has the same chew and saltiness of canadian bacon. So good!
• Easy to make: there are several components to this recipe, but they're actually all surprisingly quick and easy to make!
• Perfect for any occasion: this vegan eggs benedict is great for any run of the mill brunch at home, but it's also fantastic for holidays and other special occasions. You can make the tofu bacon and the hollandaise sauce ahead of time for super quick assembly!

🥘 Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you'll need to make this vegan eggs benedict:

📋 Ingredient Notes:

• Polenta: instead of using uncooked polenta like we did in this recipe for cream polenta with white beans, we use precooked polenta in a tube for this recipe. It's so easy to prepare – simply slice into rounds and pan-sear until warmed through and slightly crispy on the exterior. You can find polenta in a tube at most grocery stores, typically located near the pasta.
• Tofu: make sure to use extra firm tofu in this recipe. It's also important to press the tofu for at least 30 minutes to remove as much moisture as possible, otherwise it won't get crispy.
• Cashews: raw, unsalted cashews are the key ingredient for the vegan hollandaise sauce. It's important to soak them in water for about 1 hour before using, which allows them to soften up and blend into a perfectly smooth sauce. If you're short on time, you can soak them in very hot water for about 20 minutes.
• Kale: you can use baby kale or spinach, or another green like swiss chard. This would also be great with raw greens lightly tossed in olive oil and salt, like arugula or microgreens. You can also leave the greens out altogether if you prefer.
• Liquid smoke is an essential ingredient in the tofu bacon. It adds the smoky flavor that makes the tofu bacon so similar to the real thing. You can find liquid smoke in many large chain grocery stores, typically in the bbq section.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

Vegan Hollandaise:

Soak cashews in room temperature water for 2 hours (or very hot water for at least 20 minutes). Drain and rinse, then add to a blender with all other ingredients.

Blend until smooth and creamy. You may need to scrape down the sides once or twice. Set aside.

Just before serving, heat in a small saucepan over low heat, whisking well, until just warmed. If it starts to thicken up, you can add in 1-2 tablespoon of water to loosen it up.

Tofu Bacon:

Drain tofu and pat dry. Wrap in a clean towel or paper towel and set something heavy on top, like a cast iron skillet or a few cookbooks. Press for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours if you have time.

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, maple syrup, oil, liquid smoke, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, salt and pepper. Pour over tofu and let marinade for 30 minutes.

Heat a nonstick skillet to medium. Add tofu to a pan and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side, until crispy. Baste with more marinade once or twice while cooking.

Assembly:

Slice each english muffin in half and toast.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add polenta rounds and cook for 5-8 minutes on each side, until crispy on the exterior and completely warm and soft on the interior. Remove from pan and set aside. Add kale to pan and sauté until wilted - about 5 minutes.

Assemble each half of the english muffin with kale, a slice of tofu bacon, polenta round, hollandaise sauce and chives.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• Polenta substitutes: we love polenta here because it's so simple to prepare, it's creamy and soft on the interior, and provides the perfect base for creamy hollandaise. If you'd prefer, you could also swap with tofu scrambled "eggs" (although that would mean doubling up on tofu with the bacon). This would also be fantastic with an egg substitute product like these Just Egg Folded patties. I tried them recently and they're great!
• Hollandaise not getting creamy? There are two potential issues.
  • 1: your cashews may not have been soaked long enough. They definitely need at least 30 minutes, but preferably 1+ hour.
  • 2: your blender container is too big. We had this issue with ours – this makes a pretty small batch of sauce, so our blender had trouble blending it into a creamy sauce. We moved it over to a smaller blender/food processor and it worked perfectly. If you don't have another blender option, we suggest making a double batch of the sauce so it blends better. You can use leftovers with roasted vegetables!
• Storage: you can store the components separately for up to 5 days. The vegan hollandaise sauce stores well, but it tends to thicken up, so you may need to add in some water to thin it out. The tofu bacon also stores well, but we suggest heating it back up in a skillet to warm it up and get it crispy again.

🍽 Related Recipes

Tried this recipe? Leave a comment with a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ below. You can also snap a photo and tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram. We can't wait to see what you're cooking!

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