Cauliflower Quiche

A few weeks ago my mom sent me some vegetarian recipes she had torn out of a magazine. I was intrigued by "Yotam Ottolenghi's Cauliflower Cake," a savory quiche made by the famous Israeli chef. Egg texture tends to be a bit difficult to replicate with plant-based ingredients (not to mention the original recipe also called for a ton of parmesan cheese!) but I attempted this one and was so pleased with the result. It's savory and unctuous and has a great mix of textures. I will definitely be making this again!

Cauliflower Quiche (serves 4)

4 cups small cauliflower florets (about 1 small head of cauliflower)
1 red onion
5 Tbls. olive oil
1/2 tsp. finely chopped rosemary
1 package silken tofu
3 Tbls. nutritional yeast
3 Tbls. hummus (I used my own recipe)
2 1/4 tsp. sea salt, divided
1/2 Tbls. lemon juice
2 1/2 tsp. vinegar
1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 tsp. ground turmeric
1 Tbls. white sesame seeds
1 tsp. nigella seeds*
Black pepper, to taste
Vegan butter for lining pan
Chopped parsley for serving (optional)

*I had to google what these were. Apparently they have an onion/garlic taste. I didn't have them so I substituted celery seeds, which were great.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Toss the cauliflower florets with 1 tsp. salt in a microwave-safe bowl and add a bit of water. Microwave for 4 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until the cauliflower is tender. Drain and set aside.

Cut the onion in half on it's side so that it looks like tree rings.

From the larger side of one of the halves, cut a 1/4" thick slice.

Set the slice aside and peel and chop the rest of the onion.

Heat the oil in a pan large enough to hold the onion. Saute the onion with the rosemary until soft, about 10 minutes.

While the onion is cooking, blend together the tofu, nutritional yeast, hummus, 1/4 tsp. salt, vinegar, and lemon juice. This will be the egg and cheese substitute.

Transfer the egg mixture to a large bowl and whisk in the onion and basil.

Whisk in the remaining teaspoon of salt, flour, baking powder, turmeric, and black pepper to taste. Gently stir in the cauliflower.

Rub the sides of a round baking pan with butter and pour in the mixture. Take the onion slice you set aside and separate into rings, arranging on the top. Sprinkle the sesame and nigella (or celery) seeds around the edges.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is set. The original recipe calls for it to be served just warm (not hot) or at room temperature but I loved it hot.

Cut into 4 slices, top with parsley if desired, and serve.

For the record, this is the picture of Chef Ottolenghi's original creation: