Brunch: Twice-baked goat’s cheese soufflés with blitzed beetroot and garlicky white beans & cherry tomatoes

Brunch is my absolute, without a doubt, favourite part of the weekend, so it has to be delicious whether I eat out or in. The first time I made these gorgeous soufflés on my blog, someone commented that they were quite old fashioned (I prefer "retro")! So I’ve tried to drag them into 2011, with a little detour via Morocco!

I served this dish at a brunch 'n craft supper club I held a few months ago. Other than eating, guests were able to make gorgeous brooches, cards and cross-stitch thanks to Sarah (check out her site, Violet Iris) who runs workshops at the Create Place in Bethnal Green (heaven for creative types!). 

The recipes are below and serve 6-8 people.

Twice-baked goat's cheese soufflés - check out my previous post for the recipe.

(from Stephanie Alexander's "The Cook's Companion")

You can make the soufflés in advance, and then do the second baking just before you’re ready to serve. They taste gorgeous and look impressive, but are easy to make for a large group if need be.

Blitzed Beetroot (based on recipe from Moro East)

You can make this in advance and keep in the fridge.

400g cooked beetroot (if buying raw you can roast or boil it until tender)

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons tahini

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Combine all the ingredients, except for the herbs and vinegar. You can either blitz the mix in a wizz/blender or with a stick blender. Season well and add herbs and vinegar.

Warm white bean and cherry tomato salad (based on recipe by Donna Hay)

The garlic flavor intensifies with time, so you can make this up to a day ahead and warm through before adding the herbs and sumac.

4 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

Generous pinch of dried chilli flakes

2 tablespoons of salted capers, rinsed

2 x 400g cans of white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Approximately 15-20 cherry tomatoes

A small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped

1-2 tablespoons of sumac

Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add olive oil, garlic, chill and capers and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the beans and the tomatoes, squashing/bursting the tomatoes as you add them (alternatively you could roast the tomatoes in the oven for 20 minutes first). Cook for about 10 minutes. The salad is nice warm, rather than hot, so you can leave it for 10-15 minutes before serving. When ready to serve, add parsley, sumac and season well.

To serve

I served this brunch with freshly baked flatbreads, but you could also pop some brown pita bread in the toaster and drizzle it with olive oil and salt.

On each plate, place a soufflé and a little cream from the baking dish. Add a generous spoonful of the bean salad, and finish with a dollop of blitzed beetroot and triangles of bread.

Enjoy!