Noodle Kugel

Noodle kugel is the quintessential Jewish food. A rich noodle casserole typically made with egg noodles, you can make it savory or sweet. Aaron's mom makes a savory one and since it's loaded with egg and dairy products, I've never tasted it. But everyone loves it so I took it upon myself to veganize it. Aaron's verdict was that it was very good and that the biggest difference between this one and his mom's was the noodles. So score for the vegan dairy/egg substitutions! Make it sweet if you want by adding sugar, raisins, and cinnamon before baking it.

Noodle Kugel (serves 6-8)

For the noodles:
1 lb. rombi pasta (you can use any kind you want, but this is the closest in shape to egg noodles)
1/4 cup vegan butter, melted
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
Extra solid vegan butter for buttering the pan

For the "cottage cheese":
1/2 block firm or extra firm tofu, pressed
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbls. agave nectar

For the "eggs" and "sour cream":*
2 tsp. unsweetened soy milk
1 Tbls. + 1 tsp. cold water
1/2 vegetable bouillon cube (I use Edward & Sons)
1/2 cup tofu (use silken if you have it, otherwise just use what's leftover from your block of tofu you used for the cottage cheese)
1/4 tsp. turmeric
Heaping 1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbls. nutritional yeast
1/4 cup cashews, soaked in water for several hours
3/8 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 Tbls. fresh lemon juice

*Because you need to blend ingredients to mimic both the eggs and the sour cream, when doing it vegan it's easiest just to make them together. They're added at the same time to the recipe, which is fortunate for minimizing the blender work you have to do!

To start, get the tofu pressing for the cottage cheese ONLY, don't press what you will use for the eggs and sour cream. While it is pressing, make the "eggs and sour cream." Heat the soy milk and water in a small bowl and stir in the vegetable bouillon to dissolve. It's okay if it doesn't dissolve completely, but do the best you can.

Blend together the soy milk mixture with the tofu until creamy. Then blend in the rest of the ingredients, draining and rinsing the cashews before using. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and start boiling the pasta water. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. While the pasta is cooking, make the "cottage cheese" by crumbling the tofu into a bowl and mixing in the other ingredients with your hands. Set aside.

Combine the melted butter, applesauce, and 1/4 tsp. of sea salt together. Drain the noodles and toss with the mixture. Stir in the "eggs and sour cream" and "cottage cheese."

Butter a large baking dish and pour in the noodle mixture. Pour the soy milk over the top. Cover in foil and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for 30 more minutes. Slice and serve.