This Cozy Chickpea and Spinach Casserole is savory, nourishing and super comforting! Roasted veggies and protein-rich chickpeas tossed with creamy cashew sauce topped with golden brown sourdough croutons. It’s giving pot pie vibes but it’s healthier and easier to make!

Chickpea and Spinach Casserole is a lot like pot pie. It has a creamy, savory filling made with chickpeas and lots of vegetables – I use a mix of roasted root veggies like potatoes and carrots and also some frozen staples like peas, corn and chopped spinach – and it’s baked beneath a crispy, golden brown crust. But instead of pie dough or puff pastry, this crust is made with a quicker, easier and healthier topping: sourdough croutons.

The croutons become golden brown and delicious in the oven and create the perfect, crunchy texture to compliment the creamy sauce and tender veggies. The result is a homemade baked casserole that is as balanced and nourishing as it is comforting and cozy.

Vegan casseroles like this one are a welcoming, homestyle dinner that I love to serve to friends and family, but they’re also ideal for meal prep! I l often bake a casserole like my Tater Tot Casserole or my Vegan Taco Casserole on a Sunday evening and then reheat the leftovers for easy lunches or dinners throughout the week. Casserole recipes are great because:

• They’re an all-in-one meal!
• They’re primarily made with pantry and freezer staples like canned beans and frozen veggies!
• They’re truly comforting and I love how homey it is to place a casserole dish in the center of the table so that everyone can serve themselves hearty portions.
• They can be made ahead of time and keep well in the fridge for several days!
• Freezer-friendly, budget-friendly and easy to make!

Ingredients

I love meals that can be made with simple ingredients and pantry staples. This casserole is definitely that, making it a dinner I keep making again and again.

• Potatoes, Carrots and Garlic – roasting the root vegetables brings out the flavor and adds so much depth to the final dish!
• Chickpeas – adds protein, fiber and minerals to help round out this meal and make it extra satisfying!
• Frozen Peas, Corn and Chopped Spinach – a budget-friendly way to add lots of nutrients to this comforting meal.
• Mushrooms, Fresh Rosemary and White Wine – well-browned mushrooms add a savory, meaty quality to this completely vegan meal.
• Cashews Sauce – I make the sauce while the veggies cook so this meal comes together in a flash. Simply blend cashews, soy milk, dried sage and nutritional yeast with a squeeze of lemon and some white miso. The result is a decadently silky-smooth sauce.
• Sourdough Bread – cut the bread into cubes, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and ta-daa! Homemade croutons. It’s a quicker, easier and more budget-friendly way to add a crispy, golden brown topping to the casserole. Bonus points if you use day-old bread to prevent food waste!

How to Make Chickpea and Spinach Casserole

Soak the cashews. Don’t worry, it’s just for 15 minutes while we prep the other components of the dish! Soft cashews are key for a silky-smooth sauce, so don’t skip this step. Start by placing the cashews in a bowl and covering them with boiling water. Set aside to soften while you prepare the veggies.

Roast the Veggies. Dice the potatoes and carrots into small bite-sized pieces. Then transfer to a lined cookie sheet along with the unpeeled, whole garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and just fork-tender in the centers. The veggies will finish cooking later so no need for them to be completely soft yet.

Make the Filling: While the veggies are baking and the cashews are soaking, chop the mushrooms and set them aside. Then cut the sourdough into 1 inch cubes and set that aside too. Add some olive oil to a large frying pan and set to medium-high. Once warm, add the mushrooms and let sit undisturbed for 3-4 minutes to brown. Reduce the heat to medium and add the rosemary and kosher salt. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with 1/3 cup white wine and simmer until all but 1 tbsp of liquid is evaporated. Next add the chickpeas, frozen peas, corn, and spinach. Sauté on low heat, stirring occasionally. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then turn off the heat and set aside. Remove the veggies from the oven and set the garlic cloves to the side, then add the potatoes carrots to the frying pan with the veggies and chickpeas.

Make the Sauce: Squeeze the reserved roasted garlic into a blender to remove the peels. Then drain the water from the cashews and add them to a blender along with the soy milk, miso, spices and lemon and blend until the sauce is silky smooth.

Assemble: Pour the sauce into the frying pan over the veggies and toss well to coat. Transfer the mixture to a 9in pie dish or 9in square baking dish. Then place the sourdough bread cubes in a large mixing bowl and drizzle olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Place the seasoned bread on top of the veggies and bake for 30 minutes.

Tips for Making the Chickpea Casserole!

Don’t stir or fuss with the mushrooms too much. It’s tempting to stir the mushrooms around in the pan, but it’s better to let them sit undisturbed in a hot sauté pan so that they can sear and become deeply golden brown. This not only improves the flavor but also the texture. Make sure the pan is nice and hot, add the mushrooms and let them set for 3-5 minutes before salting or stirring. Then salt, stir and let cook undisturbed again until they take on a nice color. This makes a world of difference (in this recipe and any mushroom recipe! )

Don’t skimp on the croutons, it’s everyone’s favorite part! Make sure the entire surface of the baking dish is covered with croutons and fill in any gaps with additional bread. This way, every bit of this cozy casserole will have a good mix of veggies, chickpeas and sourdough (aka the perfect bite! )

Opt for a dry white wine like a sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio or chennin blanc like this one from Kind of Wild Wines. I teamed up with them for this video if you’d like to learn more about this organic, vegan-friendly wine company. Code NIKKI20 will get you 20% off your order 🙌

More Vegan Dinner Recipes To Try!

• Lentil Meatball Subs
• Vegan Chicken and Spicy Street Corn Tacos
• Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
• Mini Meatloaf Muffins
• Chickpea Taco Salad