I remember the dishes I used to eat before I started eating a plant-based diet and some of those were pretty tasty! Like Tetrazzini… all creamy and gooey with peas, mushrooms, and noodles.
But now I can enjoy it again without the guilt with this Vegan Tetrazzini with Soy Curls. I have to admit, this dish also reminds me of tuna casserole.
It’s easier than the ingredients and prep look although there are a few steps. This is a great dish to serve to a crowd because it makes at least 8 servings.
If you don’t know about soy curls from Butler Foods you can read about them on their website. Basically, they’re just made from non-GMO soy that has been dehydrated. It’s as simple as soaking them for 10 minutes to begin using them in dishes as a substitute for meat.
Add these plant-based recipes to your meal plan:
- Homemade Soy Yogurt
- Moroccan Chickpea Vegetable Tagine
- Spring Asparagus, Pea, Zucchini Soup with Pesto
- Easy Chana Masala With Chickpeas & Yams
As an aside, I have a list of uncommon ingredients that you might find useful and a downloadable list for where to purchase them if you can’t find them in the store. Soy Curls are found at the Butler Foods website or in some stores (you can locate a store near you at their site).
This vegan cream sauce is made with cauliflower and vegetable broth and it does take some spicing up to give it flavor without using too much salt.
Traditional tetrazzini is made with white wine and I have put it into this recipe. You can leave it out if our prefer. I’ve even tried it with tequila when I didn’t have any wine and it worked well.
We also pump up the flavor with plenty of garlic, some mustard powder, lemon juice and some other herbs and spices.
Then the other thing that makes it jazzier is the breadcrumb topping which also has the flavors of garlic, nutritional yeast, onion, and parsley. Be sure to give your sauce a taste before you add it to the spaghetti.
Which by the way, can all be thrown right back into the pan that you cook the spaghetti in after you’ve whirred it in the blender. Though, you will need to saute the mushrooms in a separate pan because raw mushroom would cause too much moisture to be released.
Serve this satisfying vegan version of traditional tetrazzini with some crusty whole-grain bread and a large salad for a complete and satisfying meal.
I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Vegan Tetrazzini with Soy Curls Recipe! If you have a photo, post it on my Instagram page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking in your caption, and I won’t miss it!
Vegan Tetrazzini with Soy Curls
Equipment
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
Topping
- 3 slices whole-grain bread torn into pieces
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp onion granules
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbl nutritional yeast
- 1/3 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
FILLING
- 2 cups dehydrated soy curls
- 1-2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth Trader Joe's brand (or 1-2 cups homemade)
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 16 oz package whole wheat spaghetti
- 1 10 oz bag frozen green peas
- 8 oz white button or baby Bella mushrooms cleaned and sliced
- 5 cloves garlic peeled and rough chopped
SAUCE
- 1 16 oz bag frozen cauliflower thawed in warm water
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup white wine or tequila (optional)
- 1/3 cup cashews
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp mustard powder or 1 Tbl prepared yellow mustard
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3-4 drops liquid smoke
- 1 Tbl low-sodium tamari
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Topping
- For the topping, process bread, dried parsley, onion granules, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper in a food processor until you have medium bread crumbs. Set aside.
Filling
- Preheat oven to 400ºF degrees. In a medium-size bowl, cover dehydrated soy curls with a mixture of vegetable broth, tamari, and liquid smoke and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes. Drain, and squeeze dry. You don't have to squeeze all of the water out of them.
- Shred the rehydrated soy curls in a food processor set on the lowest speed for a few seconds until they resemble shredded chicken. Be careful not to overprocess. Set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package directions, throwing in the peas for the last 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
- Saute the mushrooms and garlic over medium heat until the mushrooms have released their water and just start to brown. There’s no need to use oil, but you can add a little water if they start to stick.
Sauce
- In another saucepan (or you can use the same pan as you sauteed the mushrooms) combine cauliflower, vegetable broth, wine, cashews, nutritional yeast, mustard powder, liquid smoke, tamari, lemon juice, oregano, and thyme. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-8 minutes until cauliflower is tender.
- Carefully transfer cauliflower mix to a blender and blend until smooth. Be careful because hot sauces can splatter.
To Assemble
- To the cooked pasta and peas, add the shredded soy curls, cauliflower sauce and mushrooms. Stir until well combined.
- Transfer to 13-inch by 9-inch casserole dish. Top with seasoned breadcrumbs.
- Bake casserole for 20-25 minutes, or until top is golden brown.
Thanks so much. I love old favourites and am so happy to not to feel deprived.
I remembered the first vegetarian cook book I came across in the 70’s, Diet for a Small Planet and loved the Walnut Cheddar Loaf. So I made it recently and used flax for the eggs and Miyoko’s cheddar cheese recipe for the cheese and it was just like I remembered.I tell my Grandaughter who lives with us and has been a total meat eater that when it comes to a lot of food that you can have your cake and eat it too!
Live all your efforts and talents to help us all to enjoy the best of health
Maggie
Hey Maggie, You’re welcome. I read and used recipes from “Diet for a Small Planet,” too. And the Walnut Cheddar Loaf sound delish. I’d like to try more cheese recipes!
I made this last night. It took awhile but oh my was it worth it! Family loved it so much. Non-vegan husband had two helpings and went on and on about it. Hi didn’t know what to do with the second lot of nutritional yeast or the garlic, I may have missed in the directions where to put it so I just threw them in the cauliflower mixture when I was cooking that. I think the dish could’ve done with a little more sauce but my husband said it was perfect as is. Will def make this again. I’m sure it will be requested. Thanks again!!
Hey Trish, thanks so much for the feedback and I’m glad you and your family enjoyed the dish. I updated the recipe to add where the garlic and nutritional yeast go. I’m hoping next time I make it I’ll find some shortcuts. I love having it on hand for leftovers, though. Cheers.
I can’t wait to make this recipe! It looks fabulous!
What do you mean by wet mustard?
Ha, that doesn’t sound quite right, does it? I really meant “prepared mustard” that you’d find in a jar/container. I’ll update that on the recipe. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Can’t wait to try this. Chicken tetrazzini was my all time favorite dish growing up! Couple of questions… when the recipe says two cups of soy curls, is the measurement taken before or after they’re rehydrated? Recipe calls for rehydrating with tamari and liquid smoke, but no measurements for these items are included. Can you please provide? Thank you!!
Hey Dyan, thanks for bringing that to my attention. For the soy curls, it’s 2 cups before they are rehydrated and for the tamari, it’s 1 tablespoon and 3-4 drops of liquid smoke. I’ve updated the recipe. I hope you enjoy it. I’d point out that it won’t taste just like the tetrazzini you remember, of course, since there’s no cheese or chicken.
Thanks for the update! My lentil loaf doesn’t taste like the meatloaf I grew up with either, but I love it anyway. Really looking forward to giving this a try!
Do you know if I can do all of the initial cooking and then take the casserole to a party and finish the final baking there? It might have to sit in a fridge until the party. Thanks!
Hey Coreen, I haven’t tried that but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. The only thing I would caution is that you don’t overcook the pasta or maybe only cook it al dente because it will probably absorb more liquid as it sits. It probably won’t be sitting that long before you pop it in the oven. The cooking time might vary if the casserole cools off too much so check the temp in the middle when you think it’s ready. Good luck 🙂
Do you add tamari and liquid smoke to both the soy curl soaking liquid and the sauce? The filling ingredients list liquid smoke but not tamari, but the instructions say to add both to the soaking liquid. Tamari and liquid smoke are both listed as sauce ingredients but are not mentioned in the sauce instructions. I made this tonight and put both in both places. Will make again! It seems like it will be a good leftover, which is good because there are only two of us and this makes a lot! Thank you!
Hey Marsha, I’ve updated the recipe to clarify that you add the tamari and liquid smoke to the sauce as well as the soaking liquid. Plus I reorganized the ingredients and instructions a bit too, hopefully, make it more clear. There’s quite a few steps and I think this helps. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe and you’re right, it does make a lot!