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CREAMY KALE + MUSHROOM GRATIN (VEGAN)

Vegan Mushroom Gratin with kale is a favorite creamy comfort food dish! Delicious side or main meal filled with tender mushrooms, kale, vegan cream and topped with almond parmesan!

side angle view of vegan mushroom gratin with kale over a bed of farro.

This vegan Kale Mushroom Gratin is truly comfort food at its finest! The creaminess and flavors of this dish will have you oohing and aahing with delight. It’s a meal that’s perfect for the cooler winter days and nights.

This recipe is inspired from Food 52 entitled, Spinach, Mushrooms and Cream for Dinner, which is adapted from Nigel Slater’s, Tender. I decided to veganize it and it’s definitely one of those dishes I will come back to again and again!

This Kale & Mushroom Gratin recipe is simple, easy to prepare and just about fool proof. You will not miss any of the standard dairy products typically used in dishes like this. And that I promise you!

I served my kale & mushroom casserole over a bed of farro but you can use whatever grain you like that fits into your dietary guidelines. Even mashed potatoes or pasta would be great!

top down view of ingredients used to make kale and mushroom gratin.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Onion, mushrooms and kale are cooked until tender with wine and vegan cream and then baked until bubbly creating a simple, yet delicious, plant-based mushroom casserole that is perfect for both casual and elegant dining!

Here is everything you will need:

  • Mushrooms – brown mushrooms are best, and yield the most nutrients
  • Kale – use curly or flat kale, and for ease use pre-cut (also can sub with spinach)
  • Onion – small onion or large shallot
  • White wine – any vegan dry white wine will do
  • Vegan Cream – make homemade vegan cream or use store bought
  • Plant milk – use your favorite plain and unsweetened, I used cashew milk here
  • Salt + pepper – to taste

Can I add herbs or other flavors?

Yes, this recipe is very simple, but would do well with 1 teaspoon thyme or garlic powder for another layer of flavor.

side by side photos showing the process of cooking mushrooms and adding wine to make vegan mushroom gratin.

How To Make Vegan Mushroom Gratin with Kale

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Heat oil over medium heat, add onion and saute for 3 – 4 minutes, and mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until some of mushroom liquid cooks away and they start to brown.
  • Add the white wine and boil for a couple minutes.

side by side photos showing the process of adding kale and cream to pot when making mushroom gratin recipe.

  • Add kale, and continue cooking until soft, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the cream and milk, let simmer for several more minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Turn off heat. Tip: If you have time, leave this mixture to steep; the cream and milk will get wonderfully mushroomy.
  • Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish. Place in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Let cool a few minutes before serving.

And now your creamy gratin is ready!

top down view of freshly cooked kale and mushroom gratin cooked and add to a rectangular white baking dish.

How To Store Leftovers

  • Refrigerator: Leftovers will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator, stored in a covered container.
  • Freezer: This mushroom gratin is freezer friendly and freezes well for up to 2 – 3 months. To freeze, let cool completely and store in freezer safe containers (affiliate link), leaving 1/2 inch head space for expansion. Let thaw before reheating. You can also freeze larger portions in large ziplock bags.
  • Reheat: Simply re-warm on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through, adding a little plant milk for moisture as needed. Alternately, reheat in the microwave using 30 – 60 second intervals, stirring after each, until warm.

Can I Make This Mushroom Gratin Ahead?

Yes, you can make this vegan gratin ahead of time. It will be even better as the flavors will have time to steep together. To make ahead, simply prepare as directed, cover and keep in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to bake.

Serving Suggestions

This savory and creamy gratin can be served in a variety of ways for a hearty plant-based main meal. Here are a few of my favorite options:

  • Grain: Serve on a bed of Farro, quinoa, white rice, brown rice, or even black rice.
  • Pasta: Serve over pasta such as orzo, couscous, bowtie, penne, linguine, fettuccini, and more.
  • Bread: This would be great served over toasted and lightly buttered homemade Artisan Bread!
  • Vegetable: Serve topped on a baked potato, Mashed Potatoes or Oven Roasted Red Potatoes. Or with a side of Green Beans Almondine.

top down view of freshly baked vegan mushroom gratin with kale with a sprinkle of almond parmesan.

More Vegan Dinner Recipes

If you try this vegan mushroom gratin recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

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KALE & MUSHROOM GRATIN

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 10 reviews

This vegan kale and mushroom gratin is creamy and delicious! Serve over farro, quinoa, barley, pasta, or whole grain toast.

  • Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 35 min
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4 - 6 1x
  • Category: Dinner, Side
  • Method: saute, bake
  • Cuisine: Vegan, French

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or water for water saute
  • 1 small onion (or large shallot), diced
  • 1 lb. (16 oz.) mushrooms, sliced or quartered, cremini or baby bella’s
  • 1 1b. (16 oz. or 2 large bunches) kale, stems removed and chopped (or use pre-cut for ease)
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 cup vegan heavy cream (recipe in notes)
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, more as needed
  • himalayan salt & cracked pepper to taste

To serve

  • Almond Parmesan (a pantry staple)
  • Grain or pasta (farro, quinoa, rice, barley, bowtie, couscous, penne)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil over medium heat, add onion and saute for 3 – 4 minutes, and mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until some of mushroom liquid cooks away and they start to brown.

Add the white wine and boil for a couple minutes. Add kale, and continue cooking until soft, about 4 minutes.

Add the cream and milk, let simmer for several more minutes. Turn off heat. (If you have time, leave this mixture to steep; the cream and milk will get wonderfully mushroomy.) Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish. Place in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Top with a light dusting of almond parmesan.

Serve over a bed of farro, barley, white or brown rice, pasta or pasta of choice. Top with a tad more almond parmesan and salt & pepper to taste. Enjoy with the rest of the wine or a nice glass of lemon water.

Notes

Feel free to sub the kale with 16 oz. fresh spinach.

This recipe is super simple, but feel free to add 1 teaspoon thyme and/or garlic powder when cooking the mushrooms.

Heavy Cashew Cream:

Make your own heavy cashew cream with this simple recipe:

  • 3/4 cup cashews (soaked at in hot water for 10 minutes or cool water for 2 hours)
  • 3/4 cup water, slightly more as needed
  • juice of 1/2 lemon

Cashews should be soaked in water, covering them with 2 inches of water. Soak in hot water for 10 minutes, or 2 – 3 hours in cool water. Rinse cashews well. Place cashews, water and lemon juice into the blender/food processor and blend until smooth and creamy scraping down the sides as needed (the NutriBullet (affiliate link) is a perfect size blender for this job.). Can be made a day or two ahead and kept in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Updated: Kale + Mushroom Gratin was originally published in February 2013. It has been updated with new photos and helpful tips in January 2020.

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38 Comments

  1. This was fantastic and so tasty. I didn’t add anything extra. I did make the vegan parmesan cheese and the heavy cream the day before and I am glad I did because it was a time saver. I will be adding this to holiday meals because it was so amazing. Thank you.






  2. This was excellent! I added 2 minced garlic cloves, lots of fresh thyme and some dried thyme. This was so flavorful! It was hard to stop eating!! Thank you!






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