Both the boy and I miss tuna noodle casserole from our omnivorous days, so I decided to try veganizing it. I replaced the cream of mushroom soup with vegan alfredo + mushrooms and used Daiya pepper jack shreds for the cheesy top. The result was an unqualified success: creamy, salty, baked noodly deliciousness.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish.
1 lb. noodles of choice (I used Kalona tomato noodles)
4 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
Boil the salted water. Drop the noodles in and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and add to casserole dish.
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
8 oz. mushrooms, chopped (I used oyster mushrooms from the farmers' market)
1/4 tsp smoked salt (sea salt will do just fine)
1 package veggie tuna, chopped finely
Heat oil over medium heat. Add the onions, mushrooms and salt. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the onions are starting to get translucent. Add the chopped veggie tuna and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Transfer the mixture to the casserole dish, mixing with the noodles.
Vegan Alfredo
1/3 cup raw cashews, preferably soaked for an hour or so (if not, just blend longer)
2/3 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp white miso
2 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine
2 tsp stone ground mustard
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp hummus
4 cloves roasted garlic (optional)
1 tsp nori or dulse (seaweed) flakes
Combine in a blender and blend for 3 minutes, or until completely smooth.
Pour the alfredo over the noodle mixture and mix well. Top with Daiya shreds. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melty. Consume!
Ingredient Notes: I got the veggie tuna and nori flakes at Campbell's. The noodles and Daiya shreds came from Gateway Market. The mushrooms and mustard came from the downtown farmers' market. I get my miso, nutritional yeast and Earth Balance at New City Market. The smoked salt came from Trader Joe's.
