Vegan Broccoli Casserole
This vegan broccoli casserole is rich, creamy, and packed with flavor, making it a perfect comfort dish that’s also healthy and plant-based. Loaded with fresh broccoli and a homemade dairy-free cheese sauce, it’s a satisfying and nutritious meal everyone will love.
This broccoli casserole with rice was inspired by a recipe I came across from Susan Voisin with Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen. Since I have my own Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce, I used it and tweaked a few of the spices to make this delicious, broccoli rice recipe that keeps the whole family happy.
We have more delicious broccoli recipes on this website like my dairy-free broccoli cheddar soup, this vegan broccoli salad, and our tofu broccoli oil-free teriyaki stir-fry.
Reasons you will love this recipe
- Rich and creamy – This vegan broccoli casserole delivers a satisfying, cheesy flavor without any dairy.
- Loaded with veggies – Packed with fresh broccoli, it’s a delicious way to get your greens.
- Perfect for meal prep – This vegan casserole stores well and is ideal for leftovers or make-ahead meals.
Ingredients you will need
- Broccoli- Adds a nutritious, fiber-rich base packed with vitamins like C and K. Its firm texture holds up well during baking, and its mild flavor pairs wonderfully with creamy sauces and seasonings, making it a delicious and healthy ingredient for casseroles.
- Veggies- Red bell pepper, onions, garlic, and celery add texture, flavor, and nutrients to this veggie-packed casserole.
- Rice- Adding brown rice to broccoli casserole boosts its nutritional value by providing fiber, protein, and essential minerals like magnesium. It also adds a hearty texture and helps make the dish more filling and satisfying, turning it into a complete meal that’s both healthy and delicious.
- Chickpeas- Enhances its protein and fiber content, making the dish more filling and nutritious. Chickpeas also add a slightly nutty flavor and a hearty texture that complements the broccoli and other ingredients, creating a well-rounded and satisfying meal.
- Seasonings- Thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, and smoked paprika create a robust flavor profile for this casserole.
- Cheese sauce- Using my homemade vegan cheese sauce to make this casserole enhances the flavor and texture, providing a rich, creamy, and cheesy taste without dairy. It allows you to control the ingredients and customize the sauce to your taste preferences, ensuring a smooth, satisfying consistency.
Tips & Suggestions
- Make ahead- Assemble this vegan broccoli casserole ahead of time and refrigerate for baking later. I love to do this on Saturdays because it makes Sunday lunch after church a breeze to pull together.
- Cheese sauce- Use any leftover cheese sauce on baked potatoes, steamed veggies, pizza, and anything else you can think of.
How to make vegan broccoli casserole
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
You will want to make the cheese sauce first thing. It’s really easy to make and even freezes well. I usually already have some on hand in my freezer which shortens the steps to making any of my recipes that require cheese such as vegan bean nachos, hash brown casserole, and dairy-free scalloped potatoes.
STEP #1: Making the cheese sauce is as simple as boiling a pot of potatoes, onions, and carrots, adding them to a blender with spices, and blending until smooth.
I have a Vitamix blender and so don’t take the time to soak my cashews. That thing is powerful and everything that goes into it comes out creamy. However, if your blender isn’t jet engine speed, soaking the cashews in warm water for at least 30 minutes before adding to this recipe will help this recipe come out more creamy.
This recipe makes a little more sauce than you actually need for the casserole, so you’ll have some leftovers to try with other recipes. Once the cheese sauce is complete, set it to the side.
STEP #2: Fully cook the brown rice according to the package instructions. You can use your rice cooker or stovetop, but I have a terrific recipe for flawless Instant Pot brown rice that is quick and ideal for this casserole.
You will also need to go ahead and drain and rinse the chickpeas. I do this by pouring them into a colander in my sink and running cool water over them.
I also have a recipe for Instant Pot chickpeas if you would like to cook your own from dry. They don’t even need to be soaked before cooking.
STEP #3: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with parchment paper. If making in a crockpot, select low heat.
Dice the veggies that you’re going to need for this recipe.
STEP #4: In a medium-sized saucepan, saute the onion, garlic, red bell pepper, and celery in veggie broth. Cook until slightly tender, approximately 3 minutes.
Add the broccoli florets and cook for another 3 minutes.
STEP #5: Stir in cooked chickpeas, brown rice, 2 cups of cheese sauce, almonds (if using), and spices. Save the remaining 1 cup of cheese sauce for topping.
Mix thoroughly and remove from heat.
STEP #6: Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, pressing in with a spoon to fill the pan. Drizzle the remaining 1 cup of cheese sauce over the top. I like to sprinkle a little more smoked paprika on top.
STEP #7: Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes. If making in a slow cooker, set it to low and allow it to cook for approximately 1-1/2 hours.
STEP #8: Once completely cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool a bit. Serve warm and enjoy!
*Originally published November 29, 2017.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use brown rice for added fiber and nutrients, or white rice for a lighter texture. Quinoa or other grains can also be used as alternatives.
es, you can prepare the casserole up to 24 hours in advance. Assemble it, cover, and refrigerate. Bake it before serving, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time if needed.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.
Yes, you can freeze vegan broccoli casserole with rice. Allow it to cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container. Reheat thoroughly before serving.
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Vegan Broccoli Casserole
Ingredients
Casserole
- 4 cups broccoli cut into small florets
- 3/4 cup onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper diced
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 3-4 tablespoons veggie broth
- 1 cup chickpeas cooked
- 3 cups brown rice cooked
- 3 cups Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce (recipe below)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dry steak seasoning
- 2 tablespoons slivered almonds optional
- salt & pepper to taste
Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup potatoes peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup carrots diced
- 1/4 cup onions diced
- 1 cup broth from veggies
- 1/2 cup raw cashews or 1/2 cup white beans
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pinch paprika
- 1/2 pinch cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
Casserole
- Make the Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce first using directions below.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9 x 13 baking dish with parchment paper. If making in a crockpot, select low heat.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, saute onion, garlic, red bell pepper, and celery in veggie broth. Cook until slightly tender, approximately 3 minutes.
- Add the broccoli florets and cook another 3 minutes.
- Stir in chickpeas, brown rice, 2 cups of the cheese sauce, almonds (if using), and spices. Save the remaining 1 cup of cheese sauce for topping.
- Mix thoroughly and remove from heat.
- Pour mixture into a prepared baking dish, pressing in with a spoon to fill the pan. Drizzle the remaining 1 cup of cheese sauce over the top. I like to sprinkle a little more smoked paprika on top. Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes. If making in a slow cooker, set to low and allow to cook for approximately 1-1/2 hours.
- Once completely cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce
- In a medium pot, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in pot and allow to cook until veggies are tender, approximately 15 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on how small the veggies are diced.
- When veggies are tender, drain and place them in a blender. NOTE: reserve 1 cup of the broth, and add to blender. Add all the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
- Now, it's ready to use in this casserole or anything else you need a creamy, cheesy sauce in. It makes approximately 1 quart and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Video
Notes
- Rice- Use brown rice for added fiber and nutrients, or white rice for a lighter texture. Quinoa or other grains can also be used as alternatives.
- Make ahead- Assemble this vegan broccoli casserole ahead of time and refrigerate for baking later. I love to do this on Saturdays because it makes Sunday lunch after church a breeze to pull together.
- Cheese sauce- Use any leftover cheese sauce on baked potatoes, steamed veggies, pizza, and anything else you can think of.
- Storage- Cheese sauce keeps in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 7+ days.
- Freezing- Allow it to cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container. Reheat thoroughly before serving.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
Can portions of this recipe be frozen? Thank you.
Joyce- I have not frozen it before but think it should do pretty well.
Made the casserole, it was good! How long will it keep in the refrigerator?
Hi Gray- I’m so glad that you liked the casserole. I should keep in the refrigerator for about 3 days if it’s covered well.
Would it work to substitute half of the rice for riced cauliflower, do you think?
Hi Amelia- Though I haven’t tried that sub myself, I do believe it should work just fine. Good luck!
Can you tell me what a dry steak seasoning is and where to get that?
Hi Tess- It’s a mixture of different dry seasonings that are often used as a steak ruf. It can usually be found as a blend in the spice section of many grocery stores.
Amazing recipe!! Turned out absolutely phenomenal. The spices and flavors were just great. I found I needed more liquid when blending my cheez sauce (partially because I used more cashews than the recipe called for, cause I didn’t want leftover cashews) but I didn’t have enough cook water from the veggies, so I used store-bought veg stock instead, still tasted great. I also needed more broth to cook the veggies that go in the casserole, but that might be because I used a really big pan and it evaporated fast. I topped it with some Daiya cheddar shreds in the last ~10 minutes of baking for a little extra cheeziness! It’s so good! Mom and I demolished over half the pan for dinner. Thanks for this!
Hi Jack- Thanks so much for the great feedback! This is one of my personal favorites too. 🙂
This is probably the best casserole recipe I’ve found. It’s delicious and has a lot of great flavor!
Should I salt my rice? Making this right now for Thanksgiving!!
Hi Alex- I don’t specifically salt the rice but do add it to the casserole mix while combining it before baking.
Just made this today and it is REALLY good. I followed the instructions exactly for both the casserole and the cheese sauce (which is awesome BtW) but I only ended up with a bit over two cups of the sauce, enough for the recipe and a tiny bit to drizzle on the top. I kept reading and re-reading the list of ingredients and I did not leave anything out or under measure so I’m not sure what happened. Next time I’ll double the sauce ingredients. 🤷🏻♀️
Hi,
We were confused on the rice. Do we cook 3 cups of raw rice to make the recipe? Or do we cook enough raw rice to yield 3 cups of cooked rice?
Same with the chick peas. I bought a can, so do I just measure out 1 cup of the chickpeas?
Thank you so much!!
Hi Sue- For this recipe, the rice and chickpea ingredients do need to be cooked before adding them to this casserole. That would be 3 cups cooked rice (which should be about 1.5 cups before cooked) and 1 cup cooked chickpeas. Since you are using canned chickpeas, they are already cooked and ready to measure out and add.
I have been making this casserole about once a month for the past year. It is by far my favorite vegan recipe that I have found! It is filling, healthy and most of all it is 10 star delicious!!! Thank you for so many great recipes Terri!!
Hi Judy- I LOVE this so much! Thank you for the great feedback and for letting me know how much this casserole has meant to you.
Hi Terri i to stumbled upon your recipe boy am i glad i did, could not stop eating it the grand kids also loved it. I will keep this recipeThanks so much
Hi Carol- I’m so glad you stumbled your way to my site, and I LOVE that your grandchildren love the casserole recipe. Thanks so much for letting me know!