When I started brainstorming this year’s fall line up for UVK, I had scalloped potatoes on my mind. Think of this easy slow cooker vegan potato, soyrizo and kale casserole recipe as an amped up version that’s main dish ready. Upon first bite, my husband declared, “That’s it. Start a food truck and sell this on the menu.” With that kind of praise, it found it’s way here to share with you!
This recipe makes ~6-8 servings.
A few things…
- Soyrizo (also known as vegan chorizo) carries much of the flavor in this dish. I would not recommend skipping it. In the U.S., popular brands include Frieda’s, Melissa’s and Trader Joe’s. For this recipe, I used Sprouts Soy Chorizo. You could also try making your own from scratch, but I admit, I haven’t tested it. I’d love to know your results if you go that way.
- To make this recipe as written, you will need a high speed blender, like a Vitamix. If you don’t have one, you can soak the whole raw cashews and then, follow the recipe using a regular blender.
- I selected Yukon gold potatoes, because they hold their shape. Red potatoes would also work well, but Russets tend to fall apart. If you make any swaps, keep this in mind.
- It’s really important to uniformly thin slice the potatoes for the slow cooker vegan casserole. You want them to cook through at the same rate. So, how thin? Like you’re planning to make potato chips out of them. That thin. I used a knife, but if you’re into using a mandoline, this would be the time to break it out.
- Finally, I averaged ~1 large Yukon gold potato thinly sliced per layer in my slow cooker. I ended up doing 4 layers of potatoes and 3 layers of soyrizo-kale mixture. I use a boring manual 6 quart Crock-Pot. Depending on the size of your slow cooker, you may average more or less.
Please enjoy! And discover other UVK recipes, like Vegan Slow Cooker Seitan and Green Pea Stew, Slow Cooker Beet Stew with Seitan, Mushrooms and Roasted Buckwheat, Slow Cooker Vegan Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens, Slow Cooker Seitan Goulash, Vegan Green Bean Casserole and more.
Slow Cooker Vegan Potato, Soyrizo and Kale Casserole
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large sweet onion, small diced (OR ~2½ cups small dice sweet onion)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
12 ounce package of soyrizo (see notes above – I used Sprouts Soy Chorizo)
2 cups chopped lacinato kale
¾ cup raw whole cashews (see notes above)
2 cups fake chicken broth (I used 2 cups of water + 1 Edward and Sons Not-Chick’n Bouillon Cube)
1¼ cup water
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Vegan butter, to grease the inside of the slow cooker
4-5 large Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced (see notes above)
Finely chopped fresh parsley, to top – optional
1.First, you’ll prepare the soyrizo and kale for the slow cooker vegan potato casserole. In a large skillet, add the olive oil, onion and a dash of salt. Sauté over medium heat until the onion is golden (~10-15 minutes). Then, add the soyrizo and cook it up. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the kale. Set aside.
2. Next, add the cashews, broth, water and flour to a high speed blender. Blend until completely smooth. Set aside.
3. Now, it’s time to start layering the ingredients for the slow cooker vegan potato, soyrizo and kale casserole. Grease the inside of the slow cooker with vegan butter. Then, pour ~1 cup of the cream sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker. Spread it evenly. Layer ¼ of the potatoes over the sauce.
4. Add ⅓ of the soyrizo kale mixture on top of the potatoes (see photo above to the left). Spread it evenly.
5. Add a layer of potatoes over the soyrizo kale mixture. Pour ~1 cup of the cream sauce over the potatoes (see photo above to the right).
6. Repeat making layers (soyrizo kale – potatoes – cream sauce) until you’re out of ingredients. Your last layers should be potatoes topped with the remaining cream sauce.
7. Secure the lid. Cook the slow cooker vegan potato, soyrizo and kale casserole on HIGH for 4.5-5 hours. Remove the lid. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
