Frida’s co-owner Natasha Kwan shares her Broccoli Casserole recipe

On nights when Natasha Kwan is trying to simply cobble together a meal from odds and ends found in her kitchen, she often turns to her Broccoli Casserole recipe. Kwan, who co-owns the health-forward University City restaurant Frida’s, along with other local eateries like Diego’s, Station No. 3, and Bonito Bar, calls this one of the easiest, most flexible dishes in her personal recipe book.

“I’ve made it with pretty much any ingredient I’ve had in the house, including pasta,” Kwan says.

Not only is it simple to prepare, the recipe is plant-based and made without oil and gluten. 

Ingredients

• 2 red potatoes, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup broccoli, chopped
• 1/4 yellow onion, diced 
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp dried marjoram
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme or Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 cup water or stock
• 1/2 cup spinach, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup soy curls (optional)
• 1/4 tsp red chili flake (optional)
• 1/4 cup basmati rice (optional)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375º
2. Heat skillet to medium heat.
3. Add all vegetables (except for spinach) and seasoning, and sauté. If vegetables are sticking, add 1 Tbsp of water or stock. Continue to stir until cooked al dente.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Blend cashews, nutritional yeast and water in blender until smooth. You can substitute white beans if you don’t have cashews, but since they are more starchy, you will need to add more liquid. The consistency should be slightly thinner than pancake batter.
6. Add cashew blend and spinach to your vegetables mixture.
7. Pour into 9×13 casserole dish and place in oven for approximately 40 minutes until lightly brown.
8. Let sit 5 minutes before serving. Salt and pepper to taste.

Chef’s notes

• Soy Curls can be used to mimic chicken. As Kwan says: “They have a great texture and can fit in almost any recipe. They are not easy to come by, so they are optional in the recipe. You can also choose to use chicken. It will still be oil-free and delicious.”
• The cashew blend creates the creaminess that you would otherwise get from using dairy. Meanwhile, the nutritional yeast acts as a cheese substitute to make the dish flavorful and provide a boost of Vitamin B.
• With this recipe, Kwan encourages experimentation. “The best thing about this recipe is you can use any vegetables, as well as the seasonings of your choice,” she says. “It’s perfect when you have leftover veggies in the fridge.”