Description
A layered vegan eggplant casserole with potatoes, tomatoes, caramelized onions, and cashew “ricotta”. Trust me – it’s worth the effort!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Ricotta* (see note below)
- 1 1/4 cups raw cashews*
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons white miso
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1/3 cup water
For the Vegetables
- About 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
- 3 large vine tomatoes, sliced
- 4 small or 3 medium russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and very thinly sliced
- 2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Start the ricotta. Place 1 1/4 cups cashews in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for about 30 minutes to soften.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Roast the eggplant. Arrange eggplant in a single layer on a large baking sheet. (If it doesn’t all fit, divide among 2 sheets.) Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Roast until golden brown, about 35 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
- Cook the onions. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add about 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onions with 1 teaspoon thyme and pinches of salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
- Finish the ricotta. Drain the cashews and place in a food processor or Vitamix. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoons miso, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a small garlic clove. Pulse until everything is broken down. Add 1/3 cup water and puree until creamy.
- Reduce the oven temp to 375ºF.
- Assemble the casserole. Grease the bottom of a 9×13” casserole dish with oil and arrange a third of the potatoes in a single layer across the bottom. Scatter half of the onions on top. Arrange half of the eggplant on top and dollop half of the ricotta across the eggplant; try to spread it as evenly as you can but don’t drive yourself crazy. Top with half of the tomatoes, all the garlic slices, and season with salt and pepper. Repeat the layers again – the final layer will be the remaining third of the potatoes. Press down on the potatoes to flatten the layers a bit. Drizzle the top with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake the casserole. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 50 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through. Then uncover, raise the heat to 400ºF, and continue baking until the potatoes are golden, about 15 minutes more.
Notes
- If you eat dairy, you can sub the cashew ricotta with goat cheese.
- If you’re allergic to nuts, sub with raw sunflower seeds.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of the recipe
- Calories: 290
- Fat: 17.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.6 g
- Fiber: 7.1 g
- Protein: 6.4 g
