Healthy Vegan Cauliflower Casserole
User Reviews
5
Healthy Vegan Cauliflower Casserole
Description
This casserole starts with roasting quartered red bell peppers until their skins are blackened and soft, then peeled to remove the charred outer layer. When combined with soaked raw cashews, vegetable broth, water, and paprika in a blender, the result is a smooth, flavorful vegan cream sauce that forms the casserole's base. The vegetables include cauliflower, thinly sliced shallots, and sweet potatoes sliced thinly to ensure even cooking, layered in a 9x13-inch oven-safe dish and topped with the sauce.
Baked at a moderate temperature, the casserole melds the mildly sweet cauliflower and sweet potato with the smoky, slightly spicy flavor of the paprikash sauce. Fresh herbs like cilantro and parsley brighten the dish once it is baked. The use of soaked cashews adds a creamy texture without dairy, aligning with vegan dietary choices.
The recipe notes highlight that raw, unsalted cashews are best and recommend slicing sweet potatoes evenly, preferably with a mandolin, to ensure consistent cooking. Jarred roasted red peppers can be used as a shortcut if desired, offering flexibility in preparation time without significant flavor loss.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews soaked, raw
- 2 red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- salt pinch
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- ¼ cup of water
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- 2 cups cauliflower of
- 2 shallots finely sliced
- 1 medium sweet potato thinly sliced
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- cilantro for garnish, fresh
- parsley for garnish, fresh
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, and slice the red peppers into quarters. Place them on any size baking sheet and coat with olive oil and pinch of salt on top. Cook in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the skin of the peppers is black and the peppers are nice and soft. After taking these out of the oven let them cool. Then remove and throw away the skin of the peppers.
- Put the cashews, roasted peppers, vegetable broth, water, paprika, and pepper into a food processor or high-power blender. Turn on and keep mixing until everything is smooth with no clumps. Taste and add any salt if necessary.
- Once your sauce is made, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cut up your cauliflower, shallots, and sweet potato. I used a mandolin for the potato which worked really well to slice it thinly. Once everything is ready, you can start putting the casserole together.
- Using a 9x13 oven-safe casserole dish, start by layering the bottom of the dish with some of the red pepper cashew cream sauce, enough to coat the bottom but not too much. Next you will do a layer of sweet potatoes and some of the shallots, then a layer of the sauce and a layer of the cauliflower. Repeat until the dish is filled and you’ve used all the ingredients. Make sure that your top layer is the sauce and then it is ready to go in the oven.
- Cover with a lid or some aluminum foil and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes. Cook until the vegetables have softened, and if you’d like you can even uncover the dish and broil the casserole for about 10 minutes to brown the top of it.
- Take out of the oven and garnish with the cilantro and parsley, then cut to serve.
Notes
- Use raw, unsalted cashews soaked in water to achieve the best creamy texture for the sauce.
- Slice sweet potatoes evenly, using a mandolin if available, to cook uniformly.
- Jarred roasted red peppers can substitute fresh roasted to save time without major impact on flavor.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 221 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 221kcal | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 20g | 7% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 14g | 22% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Sodium | 206mg | 9% |
| Potassium | 491mg | 10% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 6916IU | 138% |
| Vitamin C | 69mg | 77% |
| Calcium | 34mg | 3% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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