Vegan Cheesy Soy Curls Noodle Casserole

For a few months, I was working on an entirely different dish for this time of year. It failed repeatedly. And I finally decided I needed to take a break from trying to improve it. Enter this vegan cheesy soy curls noodle casserole recipe–a bit like chicken, but absolutely not, loaded with savory goodness, and yes, homemade cashew cheese sauce. It basically wrote itself. And when I tasted it, it was sublime. As Kenny Rogers used to say, “You gotta know when to fold ’em…”, because sometimes, the next great vegan entree is waiting to be made.

This recipe makes a 9″ X 13″ casserole.

A few things…

• To make the vegan cheese sauce, you’ll need to follow this recipe. It requires using a high speed blender, like a Vitamix.

• If you’re U.S.-based, I highly recommend Walmart’s Great Value Egg-Free Wide Ribbon Noodles for this vegan casserole recipe. If you can’t find them where you are, elbow macaroni or rotini would probably work great.

• Soy curls not easy to find where you are? Try TVP chunks or a 15 ounce can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans.

• To get the soy curls into bite size chunks, I just broken them with my hand and added them to the measuring cup.

I hope this is a big hit! Don’t miss other UVK recipes, like Creamy Chickpea Salad, Vegan Cheesy Grits, Vegan Funeral Potatoes, Vegan Cheesy Potato and Bacon Pierogi, Asian Sesame Noodle Salad, and more.

Vegan Cheesy Soy Curls Noodle Casserole

1 batch vegan cashew cheese sauce

1½ cups bite size pieces of dehydrated soy curls (see note above)

3 cups egg-free wide ribbon noodles (I used Great Value Egg-Free Wide Ribbon Noodles)

6 Tbsp vegan butter

¾ cup small dice onions

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ tsp dry rubbed sage

½ tsp dried marjoram

¼ tsp dried rosemary

¼ tsp onion powder

Black pepper, to taste

16 ounce bag of frozen mixed vegetables (OR ~3 cups frozen mixed vegetables)

1¾ cup crushed golden round crackers (I used Field Day Organic Golden Round Crackers)

1 cup fake chicken broth (I dissolved a ½ cube of Edward & Sons Not Chick’n Bouillon in 1 cup of water)

Finely chopped fresh parsley, to top – optional

1.First, you’ll make the vegan cashew cheese sauce by following this recipe. You can leave it in the blender until you’re ready to use it in the vegan noodle casserole.

2. When you’re done making the cheese sauce, add the soy curls to a mixing bowl. Add enough cold water to fully submerge them. Set aside for, at least, 10 minutes. Then, drain and squeeze out any remaining water.

3. After you get the soy curls soaking, add a large pot of water to the stove. Make the noodles according to the directions on the package. When they are finished boiling, drain and rinse them. Set aside.

4. While the soy curls soak and you wait for the water to boil for the noodles, you can get started on the filling for the vegan cheesy soy curls “chicken” casserole. In a large skillet, add 2 Tbsp vegan butter, the onions and a dash of salt. Sauté over medium-low heat for ~7 minutes or until golden.

5. Add the garlic, sage, marjoram, rosemary, onion powder and black pepper. Stir around for ~30 seconds. Then, add the drained soy curls. Stir around for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

6. Add the cooked noodles, frozen mixed vegetables, cashew cheese sauce and the broth to the large skillet. Stir together until well mixed. Set side.

7. Preheat the oven to 425º F. Grease a 9″ X 13″ pan. Spoon the vegan noodle casserole filling into the pan and spread in an even layer.

8. Melt 4 Tbsp of vegan butter. Add it to a large bowl with the crushed golden rounds. Gingerly stir together until all the crackers are well coated.

9. Layer the crushed crackers on top of the casserole. Cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 425º F for ~40-45 minutes or until completely cooked through. Remove the foil and BROIL on HIGH until the crackers are nice and lightly browned (~1-2 minutes for me, but keep a close eye on it through the entire broiling process!). Remove from the oven.

10. Top the vegan cheesy soy curls noodle casserole with parsley (if using). Serve.