Mock Chicken Casserole | Soy Curls
This warm and cozy Mock Chicken Vegan Casserole is loaded with wholesome ingredients and perfect for family dinners, potlucks, and holidays!
While traditional casseroles often contain some type of meat, this amazing vegan casserole tastes every bit as good without animal protein, cholesterol, and saturated fat. It’s made with soy curls!
Healthy vegetable casseroles are warm and comforting and great for feeding a crowd. The leftovers also freeze well for those that like to batch cook.
You’ll love this healthy vegetable casserole because it’s…
- Filling
- Hearty
- Wholesome
- Veggie-loaded
- Perfect for holidays and potlucks
- Terrific for leftovers & batch cooking
- Delicious!
What’s in this vegetable bake recipe?
In addition to having lots of vegetables and warm spices, this vegan casserole also contains what I call a mock chicken that is created with soy curls.
Have you heard of soy curls? When I first heard about them, I assumed they would be highly processed, but I was wrong.
Soy curls are simply non-GMO soybeans that have been cooked to the point where the soy breaks apart into strands. Then they are dried and packaged. That’s really it! I have an Amazon link for purchasing them listed below.
Soy curls are terrific in stir-fries, and if you haven’t tried my BBQ Soy Curl Sandwich, it’s time to change that! We even have a recipe for Garlic Ginger Vegan Chicken made from soy curls!
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
How to make vegan chicken casserole
You’ll want to begin preparing this recipe by rehydrating the soy curls. To do this place them in a bowl of veggie broth with 1 teaspoon of soy sauce. Allow them to soak for at least 30 minutes.
Using veggie broth rather than just water to rehydrate soy curls adds a lot of flavor no matter what recipe you plan to use them in.
While the soy curls are soaking, go ahead and prepare the Cheese Sauce.
Making the cheese sauce is as simple as boiling a pot of potatoes, onions, and carrots, adding them to a blender with spices, and blending until smooth. Set it to the side until it’s time to add it to the casserole.
The cheese sauce recipe will make just under a quart, which is more than you will need for this casserole. You’ll find that the leftovers are terrific on pizza, nachos, baked potatoes, and so much more.
Next, prepare the Tofu Sour Cream by adding the 5 ingredients to a blender or food processor and processing until nice and smooth. Set it to the side for now.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9 x 13 baking dish with parchment paper.
In a large saucepan, saute onion in 1 Tbsp water or veggie broth. I suggest borrowing this from the soaking soy curls because they won’t miss it at this point.
Sautee until slightly tender, approximately 3 minutes. Then add the garlic, mushrooms, and broccoli and cook for another 3 minutes.
Drain the soy curls and slice them into bite-sized pieces. By the way, I like to save the broth from the soy curls rather than toss it out. It’s great for seasoning beans and other dishes, so I don’t like to waste it. Just store in the refrigerator for other uses.
If your pan of sauteed veggies is large enough, you can add these next ingredients to it. Otherwise, you’ll need to find a large mixing bowl.
Add the cooked brown rice, rehydrated and sliced soy curls, sauteed veggies, 1 cup of the cheese sauce (or more if desired), sour cream, and spices to the large bowl or pan. Save the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese sauce for topping.
Mix thoroughly and then pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, pressing in with a spoon to fill the pan.
Drizzle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese sauce over the top and sprinkle the breadcrumbs to cover. If you are using the vegan parmesan cheese, sprinkle it over as well.
I like to sprinkle a little more smoked paprika. Place in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.
Once it’s done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. Some side dishes that are great with this vegan casserole are corn on the cob, baked potato, baked sweet potato, and salad.
Tips for making this casserole
- One of the seasonings suggested in this recipe is my Homemade Vegetable Bouillon Powder, and I highly recommend making it, because it can be used in so many other recipes like soups, stews, and beans.
- If you decide not to make the bouillon powder, it can be subbed out for poultry seasoning.
- Prepare yourself because the cheese sauce for this recipe is going to knock your socks off! This recipe makes about a quart, so you’ll have some leftovers for other dishes too.
- Keep casserole in the refrigerator for up to 7 days in an airtight container. Freezes well too.
Other great vegan casseroles to try
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Green Bean Casserole
- Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Hash Brown Casserole
- Quiche Casserole
- Healthy Vegan Casseroles
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from EatPlant-Based
Vegan ‘Chicken’ Casserole | Soy Curls
Ingredients
Casserole
- 3 oz dried soy curls 1/3 of bag
- 1 cup veggie broth
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce or amino acids
- 3/4 cup onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup broccoli cut into small florets
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1-1/2 cups Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce (recipe below)
- 1/2 cup tofu sour cream recipe below
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon poutry seasoning OR veggie bouillon powder recipe link
- salt & pepper to taste optional
- 1/2 cup oil-free bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup vegan Parmesan optional, recipe linked
Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup potatoes peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup carrots diced
- 1/4 cup onions diced
- 1 cup broth from veggies
- 1/2 cup raw cashews or 1/2 cup white beans
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pinch paprika
- 1/2 pinch cayenne pepper optional
Tofu Sour Cream
- 1 package of 12 to 15 oz firm silken tofu
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Casserole
- Place the soy curls in a bowl with the veggie broth and soy sauce. Allow to soak for at least 30 minutes or more.
- Make the cheese sauce using directions below and set it to the side.
- Make tofu sour cream by blending all of its ingredients in a blender and set to the side.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9 x 13 baking dish with parchment paper. If making in a crockpot, select low heat.
- In a large saucepan, saute onion in 1 Tbsp water or veggie broth (you can borrow this from the soaking soy curls). Cook until slightly tender, approximately 3 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and broccoli florets and cook another 3 minutes.
- When the soy curls are rehydrated, slice them into bite-sized pieces.
- If your pan of sauteed veggies is large enough, you can add these next ingredients to it. Otherwise, you’ll need to find a large mixing bowl.
- Add the cooked brown rice, rehydrated and sliced soy curls, sauteed veggies, 1 cup of the cheese sauce (or more if desired), sour cream, and spices to the large bowl or pan. Save the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese sauce for topping.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish, pressing in with a spoon to fill the pan.
- Drizzle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese sauce over the top and sprinkle the breadcrumbs to cover. If you are using the vegan parmesan cheese, sprinkle it over as well.
- I like to sprinkle a little more smoked paprika. Place in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. If making in a slow cooker, set to low and allow to cook for approximately 1-1/2 hours.
- Once completely cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce
- In a medium pot, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in the pot and allow to cook until veggies are tender– approximately 15 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on how small the veggies are diced.
- When veggies are tender, drain and place them in a blender. NOTE: reserve 1 cup of the broth, and add to blender. Add all the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
- Now, it’s ready to use in this casserole or anything else you need a creamy, cheesy sauce in. This makes approximately 1 quart and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It can also be frozen.
Video
Notes
- One of the seasonings suggested in this recipe is my Homemade Vegetable Bouillon Powder, and I highly recommend making it, because it can be used in so many other recipes like soups, stews, and beans.
- If you decide not to make the bouillon powder, it can be subbed out for poultry seasoning.
- Prepare yourself because the cheese sauce for this recipe is going to knock your socks off! This recipe makes about a quart, so you’ll have some leftovers for other dishes too.
- Keep casserole in the refrigerator for up to 7 days in an airtight container. Freezes well too.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
Delicious! I simply had to make more. The recipe serving size is for 8, but that is assuming the portion sizes are very small.
Hi Lisa- I’m so glad that you liked it. I seriously think meat-eaters could even be fooled with the soy curls in this one.
So…I accidentally put in ALL of the tofu sour cream instead of just 1/2 cup. I followed the rest of the recipe exactly, just putting a little more of the spices and no paprika (allergy). Still, it was AMAZING! four of us ate almost the whole thing in one sitting lol. I was testing this recipe for thanksgiving, and I am definitely doing it (correctly next time haha). THANK YOU!!!
Hi Magy- Ah, that’s too funny, but I LOVE that it still turned out well enough to be a WINNER! You made me laugh this morning. 😀
Delicious! My husband thought this casserole has been the best Vegan dish he has ever eaten. Thank you for this tasty recipe.
Hi Teresa- That’s awesome! Thanks so much for the terrific feedback.
Hi Terri!
Do the two cloves of minced garlic get sautéed after the onion but before the broccoli and mushrooms?
Sharon- I add the garlic at the same time as the broccoli and mushrooms.