Name: Vegan Potato Casserole (Frittata-Style)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup red lentils; 14 ounces canned coconut milk; 1/2 cup chickpea flour; 2 tablespoons curry powder; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon pepper; 1 yellow onion; 6 medium potatoes; Olive oil; Salt (to taste)

This easy vegan potato casserole has a texture similar to a Spanish frittata. It's loaded with potatoes, firm, yet tender. It’s also really easy to cut and holds its shape when you’re serving it—no need to worry about it falling apart. The vegan filling comes together in the whizz of a high-speed blender and is made from protein-dense lentils and chickpea flour (22g protein/serving).

This egg-free potato casserole makes the perfect breakfast dish, on-the-go lunch, or family dinner. It is meal-prep friendly, and all the ingredients are readily available at any good old grocery store.

You’ll love that it’s mildly flavored with curry powder and garlic. It has such a yummy, savory taste. For an extra serving of veggies, you can pair it with a bright, fresh salad like this green salad without lettuce.

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Key ingredients and substitutions
Elo’s tips
Step-by-step instructions
Elo's meal prep tip
Serving suggestions
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The recipe

Key ingredients and substitutions

Here is what you’ll need to make this high-protein vegan casserole:

Red lentils: You can also use yellow lentils (moong lentils) as they work just as well. Make sure to wash them thoroughly. The lentils add body and texture to this recipe.
Chickpea flour: This is the binder in the filling, which happens to also be gluten-free!
Full-fat coconut milk: The fat in the coconut milk is an integral part of the filling. I don’t recommend switching it out for another plant-based milk or vegetable broth. The recipe needs the fat from the coconut milk that you can’t get from oat milk or almond milk.
Curry and garlic powder: These are the key flavorants. You can use a mild, medium, or fiery curry powder – it’s totally up to you.
Yellow onion: Adds sweetness to the vegan potato casserole when it caramelizes. It’s typical for a Spanish frittata to include caramelized onion.
Potatoes: Use firm potatoes like Yukon gold potatoes so they hold their structure in the dish.

Elo’s tips

As you can see, this is a super simple recipe. Having said that here are a couple of tips to make it next-level good:

Slice the potatoes thinly. This helps them to cook quickly and evenly.
Load up the veggies. Add baby spinach to the filling for an extra serving of veggies. You could also add other vegetables like green onions, sweet potatoes, cooked green beans, or sautéed red bell peppers.
Vary the seasoning. Skip the curry and simply add a little garlic powder for a more traditional flavor. You can also add a little nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan for a cheesy flavor.
Make a topping: Add a layer of chopped vegan bacon or a thin layer of grated potato topping to the baking dish. This gives the casserole a golden brown crunch.
Black salt. Replace the salt with kala namak (black salt) as a great way to add eggy flavor.
Alternative to a high-speed blender. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, use an immersion blender. A good food processor will do the job, too.
Serve it warm. I suggest serving this warm, not hot, but you can also serve it at room temperature.

Step-by-step instructions

STEP 1: Soak the lentils. Remember to rinse them well first to remove dust or debris. Soak them for as long as it takes to prep the other ingredients or up 2 hours. They should double in size.

STEP 2: Slice the potatoes. Cut them in half and into thin (⅛“, 3mm thick) slices.

STEP 3: Sauté the onion and potatoes in a large frying pan. Start with the onions – cook them in olive oil over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook them over medium heat for up to 12 minutes. Stir them as they cook. It's okay if they aren’t completely cooked through. Fold in the spinach at this point (if you’re using spinach).

STEP 4: Blend your batter ingredients until perfectly smooth. Start on low speed and gradually increase it. I found that you have to let the blender run for 1-2 minutes for a smooth result.

STEP 5: Build the casserole. Add the tender potatoes to a baking dish. Pour the lentil mixture on top

STEP 6: Cook. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Turn on the fan mode of your oven if it has one. It evenly distributes the heat throughout the oven and promotes even baking of the casserole.

Elo's meal prep tip

You can easily make this vegan potato casserole ahead of time for the week. It makes a great breakfast and packs easily in a lunch box.

Storage: The casserole will keep beautifully in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can keep it in its baking dish (covered with plastic film or beeswax wraps) or transfer individual servings to different airtight containers.
Reheating: I recommend reheating it in the microwave or the oven at 350°F (150°C) for 10-15 minutes as it tends to dry out a little as it cools.
Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing any leftovers. The freeze and thaw process affects the texture.

Serving suggestions

This vegan frittata is pretty filling on its own and can totally be eaten as a main dish. If you want to add to it, here’s what I recommend you pair it with:

A dollop of creamy sauce like vegan sour cream or unsweetened soy yogurt mixed with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and garlic powder. If time allows, I highly recommend making this roasted garlic sauce.
A simple side green salad.
A tomato gazpacho. It's light on the stomach and super refreshing.
Roasted Mediterranean vegetables drizzled with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

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