Savory Vegan Bread Pudding with Leeks and Rainbow Chard

Is bread pudding a side dish or a main course? Is it a casserole for breakfast, lunch or dinner? Basically, it is all of these things! I’ve eaten this savory vegan bread pudding recipe with leeks and rainbow chard for breakfast and enjoyed it with a salad for dinner. It would make a great addition to a holiday spread (Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas). It’s creamy, cheesy and oh so delicious.

A few things…

• ・If you also have a tendency to let your baguettes get stale, this vegan bread pudding casserole is a tasty solution for using them up. Any white bread that you can slice into stale bread cubes will do.

• ・1″ x 1″ bread cubes work best for this pudding. They don’t need to be perfect.

• ・If you’re new to using leeks, you may not realize they trap dirt inside their layers. To clean them, I usually chop the roots off, and then, chop the green part off. Then, I slice the white part lengthwise, and fan out the layers under a running faucet to make sure I get all the dirt and grit.

• ・The vegan parmesan is very optional. It’ll be plenty umami from the white miso, but if you want to add a little, it’ll enhance it a bit.

Please enjoy this delicious, easy vegan savory bread pudding recipe. And be sure to check out more delicious UVK recipes, like Potato Swiss Chard Soup, Vegan Puff Pastry Turnovers with Swiss Chard, Potatoes and Chickpeas, 26 Great Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes, Roasted Breakfast Potatoes, Vegan Baked Pasta with Tofu Ricotta and Eggplant or Gnocchi with Swiss Chard and Tomatoes 💚

Savory Vegan Bread Pudding with Leeks and Rainbow Chard

12.3 ounce package of extra firm silken tofu, drained

1½ cups unsweetened vegan milk (I used Good Karma Unsweetened Flax Milk)

½ cup raw whole cashews

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp white miso

¾ tsp salt

2 Tbsp vegan butter (OR 2 Tbsp olive oil)

1½ cups chopped onions

½ cup finely chopped leeks (white part only; thoroughly cleaned)

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves (OR 1 tsp dried thyme)

½ tsp ground mustard seed

½ tsp garlic powder

Black pepper, a generous amount to taste

4 cups chopped rainbow chard with the stems removed

13 cups stale bread cubes (see note above)

Vegan parmesan, to taste – optional

A pinch of ground nutmeg, to sprinkle

Finely chopped fresh parsley, to top

1. Preheat the oven to 375º F. Grease a 9″ x 13″ baking pan for the savory vegan bread pudding and set aside.

2. Next, you’ll start making the “pudding”. In a high speed blender (like a Vitamix or Ninja), add the silken tofu, vegan milk, raw cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, white miso and ¼ tsp salt. Blend until completely smooth. Set aside.

3. Next, you’ll sauté the aromatics for the savory vegan bread pudding. In a large skillet, add the vegan butter (or olive oil), onions and a dash of salt. Sauté over medium-high heat for ~5 minutes or until soft.

4. Add the leeks and finely chopped garlic to the skillet. Stir around for a minute.

5. Add the thyme, ground mustard seed, garlic powder, ½ tsp salt, black pepper, and the rainbow chard. Stir around until it starts to wilt, and then, remove from the skillet from heat.

6. In a very large mixing bowl, add the stale bread cubes, the contents of the skillet, the contents of the blender and the vegan parmesan, if using it. Mix together until the bread cubes are well coated with the “pudding”.

7. Spread the contents of the mixing bowl evenly across the bottom of the greased baking pan. Pat the bread pudding down. Then, sprinkle it with a pinch of nutmeg.

8. Bake at 375º F for 30-35 minutes. Top this vegan savory bread pudding with finely chopped fresh parsley and serve.