Vegan CornBread Dressing

Ingredients:

For the Vegan Cornbread:

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or other plant-based milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup applesauce (as an egg substitute)

For the Dressing:

• 1 batch of vegan cornbread (recipe above), crumbled and dried out
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups vegetable broth (or more as needed)
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions:

For the Vegan Cornbread:

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish or a similar-sized cast-iron skillet.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk, vegetable oil, and applesauce.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
5. Pour the cornbread batter into the prepared baking dish or skillet and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden. Remove the cornbread from the oven and let it cool.
6. Once the cornbread has cooled, crumble it into small pieces and leave it out to dry for a few hours or overnight. Stale cornbread works best for dressing.

For the Dressing:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and celery, and sauté until they become soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the minced garlic, dried sage, dried thyme, dried rosemary, salt, and black pepper to the skillet. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the herbs become fragrant.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sautéed vegetable mixture with the crumbled, dried cornbread.
5. Gradually add the vegetable broth to the mixture, stirring as you go, until the dressing reaches your desired level of moisture. You may need more or less broth depending on your preference.
6. Transfer the dressing to a greased baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden and the dressing is heated through.
7. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.