🥒 Vegan Garden Zucchini Casserole
📏 Serves: 4–6
🕒 Prep time: 20 min | Bake time: 35–40 min
💡 100% vegan, can be made gluten-free
🧾 Ingredients
Vegetables:
- 3 medium zucchinis, sliced into half-moons
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper (any color), diced
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (or 1 tomato, diced)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Sauce:
- ½ cup raw cashews (soaked 4 hrs or boiled 10 min)
- 1 cup unsweetened plant milk
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Crumb Topping:
- ½ cup breadcrumbs (or gluten-free breadcrumbs)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp dried oregano or thyme
🥣 Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Sauté the veggies:
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil.
- Sauté onion and garlic for 2–3 min.
- Add zucchini, bell pepper, and carrot. Cook 5–7 min until softened.
- Stir in cherry tomatoes and cook another 2 min. Set aside.
3. Make the sauce:
- Blend soaked cashews, plant milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
4. Combine:
- Mix sautéed veggies with the sauce in a large bowl.
- Transfer to a greased 8×8″ or similar casserole dish.
5. Make the topping:
- In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, olive oil, and herbs.
- Sprinkle evenly over the casserole.
6. Bake:
- Bake uncovered for 35–40 minutes, until bubbly and golden on top.
7. Cool & serve:
- Let rest 5–10 min before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil.
