Creamy Plant-Powered Kugel

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2 min read
Summary

This Passover noodle kugel is a must try! Kugel is a baked casserole, typically made with egg noodles or potatoes, and is a wonderful dish to bring family, friends, and community members together over good food and conversation. We’ve substituted egg noodles with whole grain (or legume) noodles, added some broccoli and spinach, and used a veggie-centric, dairy-free, creamy sauce to make it exceptionally delicious!

Yields6 ServingsPrep Time25 minsCook Time55 minsTotal Time1 hr 20 mins

Ingredients

 12 oz organic whole grain or legume pasta (thick noodles, if possible, see Chef’s Notes)
Cauliflower Squash Sauce
 1 cup yellow onion (chopped)
 3 medium garlic cloves (minced)
 3 cups cauliflower (florets chopped into 1” pieces)
 1 cup butternut squash (cut from fresh into 1” cubes or frozen)
 1 tsp ground turmeric
 ¼ tsp ground black pepper (optional)
 1 cup vegetable broth (unsalted, preferably homemade)
 1 tbsp organic miso (mellow white or chickpea)
 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
 1 tsp smoked paprika
 1 cup plant-based milk (plain, unsweetened)
 1 tsp salt (optional)
Vegetables
 1 cup onion (sliced into 1” chunks)
 3 cups organic broccoli (fresh or frozen, chopped into 1” florets)
 ¼ cup water (or vegetable broth, unsalted, preferably homemade)
 3 cups organic spinach (fresh or frozen, chopped)

Directions

1

Make the pasta as instructed on the packaging, run under cool water to prevent sticking, and set aside.

2

Make the sauce: Heat a large stovetop skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3–4 minutes. Add 1–2 tablespoons of water as needed to deglaze the pan.

3

Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.

4

Stir in the cauliflower, squash, turmeric, and ground black pepper, if using. Cook for an additional minute before adding the vegetable broth. Turn the heat down to medium or to simmer, cover, and cook for 7–10 minutes or until the cauliflower and squash are tender.

5

Remove from heat and transfer the cauliflower mixture to a blender or food processor (you may need to do this in two batches). Add the miso, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, plant-based milk, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt, if using (reserve the other ¼ teaspoon for later). Blend until smooth. Set aside.

6

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and set aside a 9x13” baking pan or dish.

7

Sauté the veggies: Heat the same skillet you used for the cauliflower sauce over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3–4 minutes, stirring often. Add 1–2 tablespoons of water as needed to deglaze the pan.

8

Add the broccoli and ¼ cup of water, plus the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt, if using. Cover with a lid for 3–5 minutes or until the broccoli is slightly tender (it’ll continue to cook in the oven).

9

Stir in the spinach and remove from the heat.

10

Transfer the pasta, sauce, and vegetables to a 9x13 baking dish. Stir well, until everything is combined.

11

Bake, covered with either a lid or parchment paper with foil on top, for 30 minutes.

12

Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before diving in!

Chef's Notes

Substitutions
For the pasta, use whole grain or legume pasta. If you can’t find noodles then use another type of pasta cut like rotini, fettuccine, or ziti.

For the sauce, use white onion in place of yellow.

For the sauce, use sweet paprika in place of smoked paprika (however, note that you’ll lose the smoky flavor!).

For the sauce, use acorn or delicata squash in place of butternut squash.

Substitute cauliflower for the broccoli.

Use another leafy green in place of the spinach.

Flour-free
Substitute zucchini noodles in place of pasta.

Use sliced, cooked potatoes (sweet, russet, Yukon Gold, or red) in place of the noodles. The potatoes will cook more in the oven so when you boil or steam them as prep for this, leave them a bit al dente.

Prep Ahead
Make the cauliflower squash sauce ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before cooking this recipe.

Make the vegetables ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before cooking this recipe.

Additional Notes
If preparing this kugel to enjoy during Passover omit the nutritional yeast if you’d like to keep this dish Kosher.

Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to one month.

Ingredients

 12 oz organic whole grain or legume pasta (thick noodles, if possible, see Chef’s Notes)
Cauliflower Squash Sauce
 1 cup yellow onion (chopped)
 3 medium garlic cloves (minced)
 3 cups cauliflower (florets chopped into 1” pieces)
 1 cup butternut squash (cut from fresh into 1” cubes or frozen)
 1 tsp ground turmeric
 ¼ tsp ground black pepper (optional)
 1 cup vegetable broth (unsalted, preferably homemade)
 1 tbsp organic miso (mellow white or chickpea)
 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
 1 tsp smoked paprika
 1 cup plant-based milk (plain, unsweetened)
 1 tsp salt (optional)
Vegetables
 1 cup onion (sliced into 1” chunks)
 3 cups organic broccoli (fresh or frozen, chopped into 1” florets)
 ¼ cup water (or vegetable broth, unsalted, preferably homemade)
 3 cups organic spinach (fresh or frozen, chopped)

Directions

1

Make the pasta as instructed on the packaging, run under cool water to prevent sticking, and set aside.

2

Make the sauce: Heat a large stovetop skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3–4 minutes. Add 1–2 tablespoons of water as needed to deglaze the pan.

3

Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.

4

Stir in the cauliflower, squash, turmeric, and ground black pepper, if using. Cook for an additional minute before adding the vegetable broth. Turn the heat down to medium or to simmer, cover, and cook for 7–10 minutes or until the cauliflower and squash are tender.

5

Remove from heat and transfer the cauliflower mixture to a blender or food processor (you may need to do this in two batches). Add the miso, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, plant-based milk, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt, if using (reserve the other ¼ teaspoon for later). Blend until smooth. Set aside.

6

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and set aside a 9x13” baking pan or dish.

7

Sauté the veggies: Heat the same skillet you used for the cauliflower sauce over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3–4 minutes, stirring often. Add 1–2 tablespoons of water as needed to deglaze the pan.

8

Add the broccoli and ¼ cup of water, plus the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt, if using. Cover with a lid for 3–5 minutes or until the broccoli is slightly tender (it’ll continue to cook in the oven).

9

Stir in the spinach and remove from the heat.

10

Transfer the pasta, sauce, and vegetables to a 9x13 baking dish. Stir well, until everything is combined.

11

Bake, covered with either a lid or parchment paper with foil on top, for 30 minutes.

12

Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before diving in!

Creamy Plant-Powered Kugel