Vegan Bechamelkartoffeln

When I was a child, I hated white sauce. I would dread having Macaroni Cheese, or worse yet, Cauliflower Cheese. I've gotten over my cauliflower doubts thanks to roasting it with lemon juice. Now I've come to see how delicious white sauce (aka bechamel) can be.

I stumbled across this recipe last winter while I was looking for quintessentially German recipes. Bechamelkartoffeln, steaming hot potatoes in creamy white sauce, are a perfect winter side. Add a vegan sausage and a little salad, and you've got dinner. I changed the original recipe a little to make it vegan and easier to follow if you've never made a bechamel before.

Vegan Bechamelkartoffeln

Serves 4
Lightly adapted from this recipe

Ingredients

1 kg potatoes
1 onion
2 tbsp margarine
2 tbsp flour
250 ml soy milk
250 ml vegetable stock 
salt, pepper and nutmeg

Method  

1. Peel and dice the potatoes. Add to salted water and boil until tender. Dice the onion.

2. Heat margarine in a pan over medium heat, and fry the onion until soft. Add the flour and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Add the soy milk slowly, whisking between additions to avoid lumps. Add the vegetable broth. 

3. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about ten minutes, stirring regularly. Add the potatoes and simmer for a few more minutes. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.