Tofu and Beans Roast, Gluten free

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This tofu and beans roast is perfect for a holiday meal. Make it ahead of time and reheat which eases the burden the day of the holiday meal. It has all the flavours of a roasted turkey but is vegan and gluten free.

A note on some of the ingredients:

White beans: White kidney beans, or cannellini beans are best for this recipe. The recipe uses about one-third of a can, and you can freeze the extra for up to three months.

Extra firm tofu: I use extra firm tofu in this recipe as it has the least amount of moisture. If using firm tofu I recommend pressing it first either with a tofu press or underneath some heavy cookbooks. Soft tofu makes the roast dough too wet, so avoid using it.

Mushrooms: Any type of mushroom would work in this recipe. I have used cremini and button. Mushrooms help to add an umami flavour to the roast. You don’t need to chop them too fine since you’ll pulse them together after sautéing. Sautéing the mushrooms concentrates their flavour and removes any extra water.

Teff flour: Teff flour is an ancient flour that originated in Ethiopia. It is a high protein flour that has a slightly nutty flavour. It is dark in colour and gives the tofu and beans roast the dark colour. If you can’t find teff flour a good substitute would be millet flour. Millet flour won’t give the roast quite as dark a color.

Nutritional yeast: Nutritional yeast helps to add an umami flavour to the roast. I keep some on hand since it works in so many different ways. If you don’t have any nutritional yeast, increase the miso to 1 1/2 tablespoons.

Psyllium husk powder: Psyllium husk powder is used in gluten free baking as a binder. It helps to give the baked product elasticity and structure. I have not attempted making the roast with a substitute for the psyllium husk powder. Ground chia seeds would make the best substitute however it may change the texture of the roast slightly.

White miso: Miso is a fermented soy bean paste that is used in Japanese cooking. It helps to add savory flavour and some salt to the roast. White miso is lower in sodium and has a milder flavour than red or brown miso. If using a darker miso omit the 1/2 teaspoon of salt in the recipe.

Vegetable broth: I like to use vegetable broth in this recipe just to add a little extra flavour however water can also be used.

How the tofu and beans roast is made:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a medium sized pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the mushrooms, onion and celery just until the celery and onion become translucent and the mushrooms begin to colour. Set the pan aside.

Into a food processor add the beans, tofu, mushrooms, onion, celery and garlic. Pulse the mixture until everything is finely chopped, stopping to scrape down the sides when needed.

Add in the miso and the broth and run the food processor. The mixture will be very loose, this is ok!

Add in the all of the dry ingredients including the sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Run the food processor until everything begins to come together into a dough.

Lay out a large piece of aluminum foil. Spread approximately 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the foil, this ensures that the roast will not stick.

Either on a large cutting board or right onto the foil pour out the dough and shape it into a log that is approximately 10 centimeters long. Try to have the tofu and beans roast be as uniform in shape as possible so that it cooks evenly.

Wrap the foil around the roast and place on a baking sheet. Bake the roast for 50 to 55 minutes, flipping it halfway through.

When the roast is done, let it cool on the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Then carefully remove the foil and place the roast on a cooling rack. Let the roast cool completely. Wrap it tightly at this stage, then place it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

When ready to serve the roast slice it into 1 centimeter pieces and lay it out on a baking sheet or in a baking dish. Cover it with foil and reheat in the oven. Because the oven is typically already running for other holiday sides, I included reheating times for various oven temperatures. The roast can also be eaten cold and makes for excellent leftover sandwiches!

Enjoy!