Ah, brunch. Some days just call for breakfast food at midday, and stretching it out until it’s time for an afternoon snack. That’s what Sundays are for, right?
There seems to be the assumption that to become vegan, you have to sacrifice all the flavour and creativity that comes with eating and drinking. Well, to the doubters, I gently remind them that it’s 2018, and offer this decadent vegan brunch idea; smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels, runny fried eggs and, of course, a sparkling wine to wash it down with.
Now, I’m not as passionate about vegan cooking as I am about vegan wine. But this….this was worth it. Not only is this delicious to make, it’s relatively easy, too. Aside from the “salmon’, everything was made on the day.
I came across the notion of vegan salmon and egg-free fried eggs a few weeks ago, and they blew my mind. If I had been asked to name several foods I could never imagine being veganized, these would have made the Top 10. Turns out, I’m pretty happy with these rather realistic, very yummy substitutes.
For the salmon, I follow the recipe available on the blog Olives For Dinner (though I’ve subbed the coconut vinegar for apple cider vinegar, being too lazy to try and find it) with great results every time. For the liquid smoke, look in the World Foods- American section of UK supermarkets; it’s about £2.50 from Tesco, and a little goes a long way. One carrot makes a considerable amount of salmon, so get creative with what you do with the rest- I can confirm it makes delicious soft cheese, cucumber and salmon sushi rolls.
What’s the black stuff on top of the salmon, you ask? My friend, that would be vegan caviar!
They are black seaweed pearls and, at £1.50 for an 85g jar, they might just be the best thing that has ever come out of IKEA. Yep, IKEA stock vegan caviar – how great is that?! The jar is labelled SJÖRAPPORT and more information can be found on the IKEA website.
Now, onto the fried eggs.
For these, I followed One Green Planet’s recipe, with the exception of the egg yolk. I miss eggs the most, so had already ordered V-Egg, before I discovered this recipe. It’s available from Amazon and is amazingly realistic.
Pro-tip for the eggs; the recipe calls for FIRM Silken Tofu, the egg pictured was made with SOFT silken tofu. How much of a difference this makes, I’ve yet to find out (there will be another attempt soon), but the silken tofu is super, super soft, and quite fiddly to get in an out of the frying pan. But, like I said, I’m a wine lover, not a chef.
Which brings us back to the real star of the show – the wine. Ca’ Vittoria’s Prosecco Superiore is one of my go-to choices when I want something sparkly and sophisticated, without spending too much. It’s a very good sparkling wine; floral, delicate, and very easy to drink, it was just the kind of pizazz my brunch needed. Bring something else if you’re planning to make mimosas as well, because this vibrant little bottle should be enjoyed in its own glory.
Has anyone else tried making smoked salmon, or fried eggs? Share your own Vegan Sunday Brunch ideas with me, by commenting below!
The Uncorked Vegan 
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