This vegan spinach and artichoke casserole is one of my all-time favorite recipe creations. I have been tinkering with this recipe over the years and have finally perfected the cashew Alfredo sauce that pulls this recipe together. The cashew sauce is so creamy and flavorful. I swear, no one will know it’s vegan. The recipe itself is very flexible. Add whatever veggies you have on hand. The hearts of palm are thick and meaty. Though, if you eat meat feel free to substitute cooked rotisserie chicken instead. This recipe is also gluten free and dairy free as written.
This vegan spinach artichoke casserole is rich and satisfying, it is the perfect comfort food and also great for feeding a large family. As an added bonus, you can use up leftover scraps of whatever veggies you have in the crisper to reduce food waste.
First up, we are going to soak the cashews. You can soak cashews in cold purified water for 8 hours to overnight, or you can soak them in very hot water for about 15 minutes to speed up the soaking process. Be sure to drain and rinse the cashews well before use.
I like to gather all my ingredients and make sure everything is prepared and measured out, ready to bring the meal together seamlessly. This also aids to double-check my ingredients before starting and ensuring I have everything needed to complete the meal (and avoid a last-minute trip to the grocery store).
Preheat the oven to 400* F. Grease a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish and set aside.
Heat a large pan over medium heat. Sauté all the onion and garlic until fragrant and the onion is translucent. Spoon half of the onion and garlic mixture into a small bowl and allow to cool on the side. We are going to use this for the sauce later.
Add the frozen spinach and mushrooms to the pan with the remaining onions and garlic. Stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add a tbsp or two of water if the mixture begins to stick to the pan. Cook until the spinach is thawed and incorporated well. Turn the heat down to low and cover the pan.
Cook your choice of gluten free noodles per the package directions. Cook until almost al dente, they will continue to cook in the oven once the casserole is assembled. Rinse the noodles to cool and allow them to sit until we are ready to assemble the casserole.
Next, we are going to make the sauce. Add the drained and rinsed cashews to your high-speed blender and add the nutritional yeast, juice of one lemon (this is the citrus press I use), salt, and about 1 cup of water. Blend, start slowly at first and gradually turn up the intensity as the cashews start to get creamy and well combined. Add another cup of the water and blend on high for about a minute.
Add the sauce to the cooked vegetables and stir well to combine. Turn the heat up to medium and cook for a few minutes until the cashew sauce starts to get bubbly and thick. Add the artichokes, palm hearts, 1/2 of the package of the plant-based mozzarella cheese shreds. Stir well to combine and allow to heat up for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add the noodles to the bottom of the greased casserole dish. Pour the vegetable and sauce mixture over the noodles. Stir to coat the noodles well. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 package of plant-based mozzarella cheese shreds over the top of the casserole.
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling at the sides of the casserole dish. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting for serving.
Leave a comment below if you have tried this recipe and how it turned out. I’d love to hear your feedback.
Rich, Creamy, and oh-so Dreamy Vegan Spinach and Artichoke Casserole
8
servings45
minutes20
minutesIngredients
- Sauce Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic
1.5 cups raw cashews, soaked and drained
3+ cups water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp salt
- Casserole Ingredients
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic
16 oz. package gluten free pasta of choice
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach
1 huge jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained (I used a 33 oz. jar)
1 huge jar hearts of palm, drained (I used a 25 oz. jar)
16 oz. sliced mushrooms, rinsed and dried
1 package plant-based mozzarella cheese shreds
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400* F. Grease a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish and set aside.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Sauté all of the onion and garlic until fragrant and the onion is translucent. Spoon half of the onion and garlic mixture into a small bowl and allow to cool on the side. We are going to use this for the sauce later.
- Add the frozen spinach and mushrooms to the pan with the remaining onions and garlic. Stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add a tbsp or two of water if the mixture begins to stick to the pan. Cook until the spinach is thawed and incorporated well. Turn the heat down to low and cover the pan.
- Next, we are going to make the sauce. Add the drained and rinsed cashews to your high-speed blender and add the nutritional yeast, juice of one lemon, salt, and 1 cup water. Blend, start slowly at first and gradually turn up the intensity as the cashews start to get creamy and well combined. Add another 1 cup water and blend on high for about a minute.
- Add the sauce to the cooked vegetables and stir well to combine. Turn the heat up to medium and cook for a few minutes until the cashew sauce starts to get bubbly and thick. Add the artichokes, palm hearts, 1/2 of the package of the plant-based mozzarella cheese shreds. Add 1 +/- cup water to thin the mixture. Stir well to combine and allow to heat up for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook your choice of gluten free noodles per the package directions. Cook until almost al dente, they will continue to cook in the oven once the casserole is assembled. Rinse the noodles to cool and allow them to sit until we are ready to assemble the casserole.
- Add the noodles to the bottom of the greased casserole dish. Pour the vegetable and sauce mixture over the noodles. Stir to coat the noodles well. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 package of plant-based mozzarella cheese shreds over the top of the casserole.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling at the sides of the casserole dish. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting for serving.
