VEGAN TORTILLA CASSEROLE

Vegan Tortilla Casserole image

Provided by Whitney English

Time 45m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 21

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Two 15-ounce cans beans, rinsed and drained (I use black and kidney beans)
2 cups roasted diced butternut squash (or frozen cooked butternut squash, thawed)
1 can diced tomatoes with their juices
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped (about 3 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Eight 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas (or corn tortillas, if gluten-free)
1 cup vegan shredded cheese or Cashew Cheese Sauce (recipe follows)
Chopped cilantro, for serving
Vegan sour cream, for serving
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and cumin and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the beans, squash, tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste and kale; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Set the vegetable filling aside.
In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, layer 2 of the tortillas, 1/4 of the vegetable filling and 1/4 cup of the vegan cheese or cashew cheese sauce. Repeat the layers 3 times, ending with the cheese or cheese sauce.
Bake uncovered until the cheese is bubbly and the casserole is hot all the way through, about 20 minutes. Serve with cilantro and vegan sour cream.
Soak the cashews in a bowl with cold water for 8 to 12 hours. (Alternatively, "flash soak" them in a heatproof bowl with boiling water for 10 minutes.) Drain then transfer to a food processor or high-powered blender. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.