Vegan Vegetable Casserole

Vegan Vegetable Casseroles make an excellent Christmas table main dish. We have created this casserole dish as our Holiday Dinner's centerpiece, and it is now considered a staple of our feast.

Many vegan casseroles appear in this festive season, such as green bean casserole, cornbread stuffing, vegan potato casserole, and even quinoa casserole.

We chose this combination of veggies because we are fans of eggplants and the classic Greek dish Moussaka, and you can think of this dish as a vegan moussaka. It is such a crowd-pleaser.

We love its creamy texture, and it is a pure comfort food dinner; it is budget-friendly, packed with plant protein, and the whole family enjoys it.

I promise that no one will miss the meat.

This healthy veggie casserole is full of flavor; it has the looks and makes a great holiday dish as well.

This vegan veggie bake features soft sweet potatoes and eggplants, both of which have significant health benefits. Check out our 4-ingredient Mashes Sweet potatoes recipe if you love sweet potatoes.

Jump to:

• 🧾 Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 🥢 What to serve the vegan casserole with
• 🍶 Substitutions
• 🥡 Storage
• ❓ FAQ
• 🍷 Wine Pairing
• 🍲 More vegan casseroles with potatoes
• 📋 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews and Comments

🧾 Ingredients

• Lentils: Provide a great source of protein and fiber for the casserole, making it more filling and nutritious.
• Sweet potatoes: Add natural sweetness and provide vitamins A and C, along with fiber and potassium.
• Spring onions: Add a mild onion flavor and some crunch to the dish.
• Celery: Adds a savory flavor and also provides some fiber and vitamins.
• Fennel: Provides a subtle licorice flavor and adds to the vegetable medley.
• Leek: Adds a mild onion flavor and some creaminess to the dish.
• Garlic: Adds a delicious savory flavor and can also provide some immune-boosting benefits.
• Tomato paste: Brings some acidity and depth of flavor to the dish, helping to tie everything together.
• Oregano: Adds some earthiness and herbaceous flavor to the casserole.
• Rosemary: Provides a unique flavor profile that pairs well with the other ingredients and also has some potential health benefits.
• Nutritional yeast: Brings a cheesy, umami flavor to the dish while also providing some protein and B vitamins.
• Ground cinnamon: Adds a touch of warmth and sweetness to the casserole.
• Olive oil: Provides some healthy fats and helps cook and soften the vegetables.

See quantities and complete instructions in the recipe card.

🔪 Instructions

This sweet potato casserole recipe has three parts. The layers, the feeling, and a vegan bechamel sauce as a binder make it creamier.

Step 1. Slice your sweet potatoes and eggplants (a mandoline is handy here).

Note: if you have some extra minutes, you can lay the eggplant layer in a baking dish with coarse sea salt to let it "sweat." This way, you will get rid of eggplant's bitter taste.

Step 2. Making the filling

You need to chop and sauté the filling ingredients for this vegan vegetable bake and then add the hydrated lentils. Let it cook.

Step 3. Make the vegan bechamel sauce, or use store-bought to save some time.

We like to blister some cherry tomatoes with olive oil in a small skillet to garnish the casserole.

🥣 How to make the Bechamel sauce

When making a plant-based casserole, I like it to be super creamy. So we add this super simple plant-based bechamel sauce to the next level to achieve it. Make sure you make it right before you use it, so it's at its best. Vegan Bechamel Sauce Recipe can be made with any dairy-free milk, such as almond milk or coconut milk.

If you want your Bechamel to be cheesier, you can add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast to it.

You can also use store-bought vegan bechamel sauce or cheese sauce to save time. You can also use vegan ricotta or mozzarella to top the casserole.

🥢 What to serve the vegan casserole with

We like having vegan casserole recipes with something light next to them, such as green beans (check our Green beans with toasted almonds recipe), roasted butternut squash, grilled asparagus, or roasted carrots).

We also love serving vegan casseroles with plant-based honey-roasted vegetables.

Serving it next to a fresh salad with kale, spinach, and tomato with a nice vinaigrette is also a great option.

This casserole can also be served as a side dish, next to another main course, or roasted veggies, like cauliflower, butternut squash, or broccoli, like these easy grilled cauliflower steaks. I would cut smaller portions, as a medium or large casserole portion is considered a complete meal, as per veggies, plant protein content, and fiber.

That's another reason why I love this comfort food recipe! It makes the perfect lunch or dinner!

Try out this Brussels Sprouts Sweet Potato hash; you will love it; so easy to make!

Read on: Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

🍶 Substitutions

• Eggplants - Zucchini is a good substitution for eggplants in this casserole dish. Treat the zucchini the same way to get the same results.
• Sweet potatoes - you can substitute them with butternut squash or pumpkin, as they pack about the same texture and sweetness needed for the results. In general, vegan casserole recipes are a great way to pack nutritious vegetables with lots of umami flavors and creamy textures, making them excellent options for holidays.
• Lentils - if anyone at home has lentils allergies, you can use either canned beans or black beans, to make up for the plant-based protein.
• Bechamel sauce - you can replace the dressing with mozzarella vegan cheese. Shred it in the middle layer and then top the casserole before baking it.

This casserole dish is naturally gluten-free, using chickpea flour for our bechamel sauce.

🥡 Storage

• Refrigerator - This totally vegan casserole can be easily stored on the baking sheet in the fridge for about three days. Then you need to reheat it in the oven on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, sprinkling some water on top—that way, you give back some moisture to the dish.
• Freezer - you can cut this casserole recipe in portions, the same way you would portion a lasagna or any classic casserole, and then freeze it in an airtight container. Then, let it thaw overnight and reheat as explained above.
• Microwave - we are not fans of microwave reheating; in fact, we don't have a microwave because we avoid microwave radiation. If you do, heat it as you would any other food for a couple of minutes on medium heat so the portions warm up evenly.

This casserole is one of our favorite weeknight meals; thus, having leftovers from this pure comfort food is ideal for lazy dinners.

❓ FAQ

🍷 Wine Pairing

Casseroles are baked dishes that I associate with comforting and tasty food, and they are also dishes that I share at a large table, in the company of beloved people who are often dressed for a party. This dish asks me to choose a wine because there is joy, love, and flavor.

• United States (California) - Red with barrel - Merlot (Napa Valley)
• Spain - Red wine aged in barrel - Rioja (Tempranillo, Garnacha, and others)
• France - Red aged in barrel - Burgundy (Pommard Village or Pommard Premier Cru)

🍲 More vegan casseroles with potatoes

• Sweet potato crunch casserole
• Hashbrown breakfast casserole
• Green Beans Potatoes and Sausage Casserole
• Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Potatoes casserole

Hey, if you're a fennel fan like us, you should definitely give our roasted fennel and pear salad a try! It's the perfect addition to any special occasion meal.

If you love vegan casserole dishes, don't forget to try our zucchini vegan, gluten-free lasagna.

⭐ If you try this sweet potato vegan casserole recipe, let us know! 💬 Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag us @ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!

📋 Recipe