Cheesy Vegan Crab Dip

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375F and set a small 9×13″ or similar pan aside.

Step 2

Use a knife to cut off the mushroom cap from the stem. Use your fingers to peel of the darker “cap” of the mushroom (just a thin layer), and then break it up into small “lumps”. Slice the stem into thin “sheets”, then use a fork to shred each piece against a cutting board. Moving in a slightly random pattern will produce shreds of different sizes. Finally, use a knife to roughly chop the shredded mushrooms into smaller, random pieces and combine with the mushroom caps. (See blog post photos for more visual help).

Step 3

Heat the avocado oil in a medium nonstick pan; once warm, add the shredded mushrooms and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have released some moisture and their volume is smaller. In the meantime, blend the soaked cashews, tofu, water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, mustard, and sea salt together on high until a thick, smooth, and creamy sauce forms. Add this sauce to the pan with the mushrooms; turn the heat off, and stir until well-combined. Transfer the dip into an oven-safe baking dish, then smooth out the top with a spatula.

Step 4

place the dish on the top of your oven rack and bake for 13 to 15 minutes. If you’d like to brown the top, broil the dish for an additional 2-4 minutes after baking, but be careful that it doesn’t burn!

Step 5

warm with crackers, bread, and celery, or as desired! Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days and are best reheated on the stovetop with a splash of plant-based milk.