Perfect for a special occasion or weeknight dinner, this Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Casserole is plant-based comfort food at its best! The flavors are so tasty, even non-vegans will love this yummy dish.
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When I think of the holidays with my family, my memories usually involve stuffing ourselves full of heavy foods, chatting politics over coffee and cheesecake (my Uncle's favorite), then falling asleep on the couch with football playing in the background. It's quite the event.
I'm the only one who eats a vegetarian diet, which can make things challenging sometimes. My grandmother usually prepares a tray of stuffed shells alongside the turkey or ham, depending on the holiday. The shells are delicious but I've always wanted to see if I can sneak in a vegan thanksgiving version of a classic dish without anyone noticing.
As soon as I tasted this wild rice mushroom casserole, I knew it was the one.
About the Recipe
Made from a base of cashews, almond milk and arrowroot starch, it's just as rich and creamy as it's dairy-laden cousin, minus the heavy feeling that makes you want to pass out on the couch-although you are still welcome to do that.
Cooking the mushrooms with tamari (or soy sauce) and using vegan chicken broth helps to give it plenty of umami flavor, so no one will miss the meat. The whole thing is a plant-based comfort food dream come true.
This Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Casserole recipe is...
- Festive
- Vegan
- Absolutely delicious
- Easily made gluten- and nut-free
- Plant-based comfort food
If you're here planning your holiday menu, don't miss our new Vegan Christmas and Vegan Thanksgiving cookbooks. They're packed with all my favorite holiday-worthy recipes for a plant-based feast.
How to Make Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Casserole
- Boil and soak cashews to make sauce.
- Cook rice in vegetable broth.
- Preheat oven and grease a large casserole dish.
- In a large pot, melt butter and cook onion.
- Add mushrooms, garlic, carrot, and celery, stirring to combine.
- Continuing to cook, add tamari, thyme, and parsley.
- Finish making the cashew cheese sauce.
- Add sauce to veggie mixture, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add rice.
- Transfer casserole mixture to dish, top with breadcrumbs, and bake.
Full directions for how to make Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Casserole are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Variations to Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Casserole
Allergy-Free Options
If you're concerned about allergies, this can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free breadcrumbs. You can also make it nut-free by leaving out the cashews and substituting plain soy milk for the almond milk. I prefer it with the cashews for that extra luxurious creamy texture, but they're not completely necessary.
Different Rice
You don't have to use wild rice for this vegan casserole recipe. Use whatever kind of rice you have on hand-or a mixture of different varieties of rice!
Different Mushrooms
I used white button mushrooms for my vegan wild rice casserole, but you can use any kind of mushrooms you want! Shiitake, cremini, portobello, oyster... the list goes on. As long as you have mushrooms, you can make this casserole!
Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Casserole FAQs
Can you prep this wild rice casserole ahead of time?
Ave yourself some hassle at your next dinner party and prep this casserole ahead of time. You can assemble the casserole up to 3 days before you plan to serve it.
Wait to add the breadcrumb topping and bake until you're ready to serve your casserole. And voila-you have an easy yet delicious dish!
Can you freeze this vegan wild rice casserole?
If you have leftover casserole, you can easily store it in the freezer for up to 1 month. This is a great option if you don't plan to eat your casserole leftovers within a week or if you want to have an easy dinner ready!
Just go ahead and make the casserole recipe like normal. After baking your casserole, let it cool down before storing in a freezer-friendly bag or container.
When you're ready to eat it, simply reheat the casserole in the oven or microwave until warmed through.
While you're here, be sure to check out our Vegetarian Freezer Cooking Cookbook. We take the guesswork out of freezer cooking with these meatless recipes that were specifically developed to be prepared, frozen, and reheated later. Talk about easy dinners!
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 2 cups almond milk, unsweetened
- 3 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- salt, to taste
For the casserole:
- 3 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups wild rice
- 4 tablespoon vegan butter, or olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped, about 2 cups
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 16 oz white button mushrooms, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced, about 1 tablespoon
- 3 carrots, finely chopped, about ¾ cup
- 3 celery stalks, finely chopped, about ¾ cup
- 3 tablespoon tamari, or soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoon fresh parsley
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- fresh parsley, for topping
Instructions
- In a medium pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Place the raw cashews into a small bowl and pour the boiling water over them, so the cashews are fully covered. Allow the cashews to soak for at least 30 minutes.
- While the cashews soak, begin working on the casserole. Place the vegetable broth into the same pot that you used to boil the water for the cashews, and bring it to a boil.
- Add the wild rice, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid and allow to sit for 15 minutes. While you're waiting for the cashews to soak and the rice to cook, you can start prepping your vegetables.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a large (about 4-QT) casserole dish.
- In a large pot, warm 4 tablespoons vegan butter over medium heat. Add the onion, salt and pepper, then cook for 3 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
- Next, add the mushrooms, garlic, carrot, and celery, then stir to combine. Cook for a few minutes, then add the tamari, thyme, and parsley. Stir again while continuing to cook for about 5 minutes.
- Once the cashews are done soaking, place them in a high speed blender. Add the almond milk, nutritional yeast, and arrowroot powder, then blend on high for 30 seconds, until smooth. Season with salt to taste.
- Pour the cashew sauce mixture into the pot with the vegetables and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Turn the heat off, then add the cooked rice to the pot. Stir together until combined. Season with salt to taste. Transfer the mixture to the casserole dish then smooth down with the back of a spoon so that the surface is even.
- Top with breadcrumbs, cover with foil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove casserole from the oven, uncover and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Top with fresh parsley, serve and enjoy!
marcy youker says
love you recipes, I like to try them all, and I will do it,even if I have to reduce the amount, I cook for one, thanks a lot,keep them coming.
Sarah Cook says
Thanks Marcy!
Shari says
His sounds delicious. Question. Can you Oreo this the night before and cool it the day of?
Jan Saunders says
This looks lovely! Im going to adapt it to cook in my Thermomix and use in my vegan B&B and cooking classes! Many thanks!!!
Riana says
What is arrowroot powder? Where can I buy it??
Sarah Cook says
Arrowroot is just a starch! You can buy it at most grocery stores in the baking aisle. You could also use cornstarch.
Sara says
This sounds and looks amazing! Two questions; can I use cornstarch instead of arrowroot powder (don't have that) and, how much would it affect the taste without onion and garlic? My husband cannot eat onion or garlic or any variation of the two and I"m having trouble finding recipes that don't include one or both. My last resort is making recipes and leaving those two things out . . .
Sarah Cook says
Hi Sara! Sorry I am just seeing this comment now. Cornstarch should work fine but I think leaving out the onion and garlic would alter the flavor quite a bit. It's certainly worth a try though!
Sarah says
I realized I was out of bread crumbs after I started making this, and substituted corn meal. It's delish! 🙂
Ra says
So this was absolutely amazing! I couldn't stop tasting the sauce before I'd even put it in the oven! haha. This is definitely a keeper recipe, and SO simple to make! I'd love to share this with my non-veg family members; I think anyone would like this. You really wouldn't know it-s dairy-free, the flavors are so rich and creamy.
Molly says
Would leaving out the cashews in the sauce alter the flavor or texture/thickness?
jragland says
Think this can be frozen, then reheated a few days later? I need to make a dish for a communal dinner 2 days later during a retreat
Jess says
I decided to make this for my family Thanksgiving (I’m vegan and my sister-in-law doesn’t eat dairy or gluten). I made it in advance and couldn’t help but eat a bowl as soon as it came out of the oven. This recipe is fantastic. I have every intention of tweaking the sauce to make a vegan cream of mushroom soup soon. Thank you so much for sharing. I know it’s going to be a hit with everyone.
Katie Trant says
We're so glad to hear it, Jess! I hope your family loves it as much as we do.
Jill Tinsley says
I just made this tonight for a potluck. I didn't get a picture of it before it was all gone! It was delicious comfort food, perfect for a chilly winter night! I even had someone ask for the recipe! Thanks so much! This recipe will definitely go on my keep list!
Katie Trant says
Glad this worked out for you, Jill! It's one of our favourites as well.
Judy Griffiths says
Is that 1 cup wild rice after cooking or 1 cup uncooked?
Judy Griffiths says
Forget my previous question - I didn't read the recipe closely enough
Diane says
I made this for the first time and it smells delicious! Will serve it at church but I can’t wait to dig in myself. For those of you who can not locate arrowroot powder, it is the same as arrowroot flour. Should be able to find it in most stores.
Maria says
I made this for Thanksgiving and Christmas last year and it was such a hit among my non-vegan family and friends! I had to look it up today because I think it's going to be a yearly staple for me around the holidays.
Nikki says
Thanks for this recipe. My mom used to make a similar amazing recipe for thanksgiving using a lot of cream, mushrooms, carrots and I don’t remember all the details but this one will be my substitute, as, when the holidays come, all I want is wild rice I love what you have done with this recipe and it will be my Xmas special dish! I am really looking forward to making it! I also will remember this site for more veggie oriented dishes!