Vegan Mushroom Parmigiana

Eggplant has always been one of my favorite foods, and perhaps my favorite dish of all-time is eggplant parmigiana. I love the way that the flavors and textures melt together in a good parmigiana. Since I transitioned to a mostly raw, vegan lifestyle last month, I’ve given up my beloved traditional parmigiana for the most part.

I purchased some mushrooms recently, so I decided to put together a simple, mostly raw, vegan “parmigiana.” And while — full disclosure — it’s absolutely nothing like the real thing, it was still delicious in its own right. I love dishes that are savory and contain different textures, and this one fits that bill beautifully.

I was in a bit of a hurry when I threw this together. I wasn’t planning on sharing it here, but it came out so good I felt the need to. Also, I’ve been posting a lot of what I’ve been eating on my Instagram stories and since going raw/vegan it sometimes seems like I eat nothing but spring rolls, salads, and smoothies every day. But I definitely eat more variety than that, and this is just one example. I want to point out that I used a very basic “cashew cheese” here, but there is a much more delicious one over on Drea’s blog, here. If you have the time and the ingredients, I highly recommend giving hers a try.

You’ll need:

• a pint of mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
• 3 medium tomatoes
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• fresh sage
• raw, whole cashews
• salt and pepper to taste
• extra virgin olive oil (EVO)

What to do:
First soak your cashews in water for as long as possible.

Next sauté your mushrooms in a bit of EVO. As mushrooms soften, add a small dash of salt and let them sauté until they are cooked through but firm.

Now add your cleaned tomatoes, garlic, and sage to a blender. (I purchased this Vitamix a few months ago and it was one of the best purchases I’ve ever made in my life.) Pulse it a few times until your mixture becomes like a sauce. I prefer a thick sauce, but you can blend more if you prefer something thinner. Empty your mixer and now add your cashews and water to the mixer. Pulse until you have a slightly creamy cheese mixture.

Now, pile your mushrooms on your plate. Pour your sauce all over of them. And finally, scoop a generous helping of cashew cheese on the top. Season with salt & pepper, and add a sage garnish for a pretty touch.

This is such a versatile recipe. You can replace the mushrooms with basically anything. I’m dying to try this with eggplant. YOu can add as many spices or herbs as you like. There are really no limits here. It’s super healthy and best of all it’s so good. I hope that you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. For some more of my favorite raw recipes, check out this post, and for other general (cooked) recipes, check these out.

Happy healthy eating, friends! I love you all. xo