I’ve made variations of this scrumptious vegetable-and-tofu recipe several times and the amounts of vegetables needn’t be exact. You can go by the guidelines below, or adjust based on what ratios look right to you and what you have on hand. I do think it is critical for the flavor and character of the recipe to use wine. It provides depth of flavor to the dish. Also, wine makes vegetables taste special.
Of course, you don’t have to use rainbow vegetables to make the recipe, but they are especially beautiful. And if you don’t use rainbow vegetables, then you have to just call it Vegetable Bake, instead of Rainbow Vegetable Bake, which isn’t quite as enticing.
I like for the vegetables in this dish to retain some snap, but if you like softer vegetables, sauté them for a bit longer than the instructions indicate.
Make sure to watch the cheese toward the end of the cook time to achieve a perfectly-balanced, golden-yet-stringy crust. Enjoy!
Rainbow Vegetable Bake
Loosely adapted from Harvest Vegetable Bake from The Pollan Family Table by Corki, Lori, Dana, and Tracy Pollan
- Yield: 6 servings
- 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 14 ounce package extra firm tofu, drained and cut into bite-size cubes
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 4–5 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, 2 minced and 2 sliced
- ½ cup of shallots, finely chopped
- 1–2 tablespoons dry sherry
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 c sliced baby portabella mushrooms
- 1 bunch rainbow carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 small zucchini, sliced
- 1 ½ broccoli florets
- 1 bunch rainbow chard, roughly chopped
- 1 ¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 ¼ cup Monterey Jack cheese
Method
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the tofu on it in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes, until slightly golden.
While the tofu is baking, place a saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the shallot and the minced garlic. Stir until softened. Add the sherry and white wine. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the vegetable broth, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside.
While the sauce simmers, pour remaining olive oil into a large skillet, over medium heat. Add sliced garlic, mushrooms and carrots. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add zucchini and broccoli. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add the chard and stir for 2–3 minutes, until chard begins to wilt. Transfer vegetables to a large baker. Add the tofu, pour the sauce over all, and gently stir to mix. Sprinkle both cheeses on top. Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes. When serving, ladle some of the broth-like sauce on top of each serving, for optimum flavor.
