My sister, Natalie, is a chicken whisperer. She keeps about 7 chickens in her backyard coop. She has a constant supply of amazing fresh eggs and when she recently brought me a fresh batch, I knew what I had to make.
I made my first soufflé about 6 months ago. I love to cook...but a soufflé? That is chef-level culinary skill. I was intimidated. What if it fell? What it if did not have that subtle buttery outer-layer? Also, how do I get more veg in that rich and decadent dish? Well, I did it. I was so proud of myself that I started making soufflés as often as I could. My first was a watercress and feta soufflé...delicious. I dabbled with all different versions that I could make up. I finally landed on my all-time favorite version. The best part, it was significantly more healthful (almond milk and less cheese and loaded with veg). You are welcome. :)
This recipe is totally customizable and is a great way to get in small diced or chopped veg into a yummy package. It uses whole wheat pastry flour and almond milk and much less cheese than normal. It's a great way to bump up the nutrient content and still have a impressive and decadent dish. Bonus, this is very friendly on the grocery budget. Eggs can be inexpensive and so is veg, so win-win!
Don't be intimidated by this dish. If you can beat egg whites, not open the oven door, and use a wisk...you can make a soufflé. I challenge you to challenge yourself and try something new. You can make a soufflé!
1. To start this dish, pull your eggs out of the fridge and let them get to room temperature (or pull them fresh and warm from the nesting box for all the chicken keepers out there). Meanwhile, you need to get your oven going at about 400 degrees. Place a very lightly buttered (or sprayed) soufflé dish in the hot oven and let it get very hot while you prep the soufflé.
Tip: You do not need a soufflé specific dish to make this. We just moved into a new house, and an 8x8 Pyrex brownie dish was all I could find, so I went with it. As long as it is deep enough to allow the soufflé to nearly double in size, you are good to go.
2. Peel and cube sweet potatoes. I used white sweet potato, but you can use anything you like. About 1 cup is plenty. You want these to be small bite sized. Cook until tender and set aside.
3. Pour one cup unsweetened almond milk (or any milk of your choice) into a saucepan and cook over medium heating until scalding (just below boiling) then remove from heat.
4. While milk is heating, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a sauce pan over low heat. Once melted, stir in 2 1/2 tablespoons whole wheat or whole grain pastry flour. Stir quickly into melted butter and stir constantly over very low heat for 1 minutes or so. The key here is...don't stop stirring. Take it off the heat after about a minute and slowly add in scalding milk while whisking constantly. Don't stop!
5. Again, this mixture should be off the heat before you add the milk. Add in a pinch of cayenne, a pinch of cumin, a 1/2 teaspoon salt and a 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine.
6. Separate 4 or 5 eggs (4 extra large, or 5 large). Place the whites in a medium-large bowl and set aside. The yolks can go in a smaller bowl.
7. While the milk, butter, flour mixture is still hot, whisk in the egg yolks one at a time. Once combined, stir in 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese (pepper-jack works well here too).
8. Set the mixture aside (but remove from heat!), and prep the veggies. Finely chop 1 cup of your favorite dark leafy green (I used kale, chard, and spinach). Finley dice 1/2 cup of your favorite pepper (I used red and orange). Fold in all the vegetables and reserved, drained sweet potatoes into the egg/milk/cheese mixture. Set aside.
9. Take reserved egg whites and beat with a nice pinch of salt and a small pinch of cream of tartar (I usually am fine with just salt...but it does not hurt to add if you have it on hand). Mix with beater of mixture with whisk attachment (or by hand...check out my sous chef below with mad whisking skills). These need to be stiff glossy peaks (1-2 minutes on high if using a mixer).
11. Take the hot pan out of the oven (does not need to be soufflé pan...although it is much more attractive in a soufflé pan) and slowly add in the mixture. Once in the dish, use your spatula to smooth out the top so the soufflé rises evenly. Reduce oven heat to 370-375 degrees and bake in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes. It is absolutely imperative that you do not open the oven. Set a timer for 20 minutes or so and then turn on the oven light to see how brown it is. Take out at about 30 minutes, once the top is a light-to golden brown.
12. Serve immediately after taking out of the oven. Serve with a lightly dressed side of fresh greens, or with your favorite corn salsa and whole grain chips.
I hope you enjoy!!
Southwest Soufflé3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus a bit more for the dish
2 1/2 - 3 tablespoons whole grain pastry flour (any flour will work here)
1 cup scalded almond milk (or milk of choice)
Pinch of cayenne pepper and pinch of cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt and pinch of black pepper
4 extra-large egg yolks (or 5 large yolks), room temperature
1/2 cup grated cheese of choice (combo of pepper-jack and cheddar work well)
1 cup of chopped fresh dark leafy greens of choice (kale, spinach, and chard work well)
½ cup diced pepper (red, yellow, or orange)
1 cup diced and boiled sweet potato
4 extra-large egg whites (or 5 large), room temperature
Pinch of salt and pinch of cream of tartar
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly butter the inside of a 6 to 8-cup soufflé dish (or another glass dish that’s at least 3 ½ inches deep).
2. Peel and chop 1 cup of white sweet potato and boil in water until just tender. Drain and set aside.
3. Pour 1 cup almond milk in a saucepan and heat slowly until scalding.
4. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or so.
5. Remove from heat.
6. Whisk in the hot almond milk, cayenne, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook over very low heat, stirring consistently, for 1 minute or so until thick and smooth.
7. Whisk in the egg yolks one at a time. Stir in the cheese and set aside. (Pan should still be off of the heat.)
8. Chop all of the remaining vegetables and fold into mixture.
9. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt and/or cream of tartar until they reach stiff peak consistency, and are glossy.
10. Slowly fold in 1/3-1/4 of the egg whites into the milk/egg mixture. Then add in the remaining whites and fold until incorporated. Use your spatula to smooth out the top to help the soufflé rise evenly (circular motion is best here).
11. Lower the oven temp to 370-375 degrees. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until light-golden brown and very puffy. Serve/eat immediately.
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