Vegan Broccoli Casserole
Warm, creamy, and cheesy, this Vegan Broccoli Casserole is amazingly delicious and perfect for dinner or taking to social functions.
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 love this vegan casserole because it’s…
- Perfect for family gatherings
- Easy to make a day ahead
- Can even be made in a crockpot
- Vegetable-Packed
- Super filling
- Crowd-pleasing
- Simply delicious
Both my husband and I come from big families that get together for lunch after church on Sundays. Everyone brings a couple of dishes, and we enjoy time eating, laughing, and playing with the kids and grandkids. Casseroles are perfect for those kinds of days!
Broccoli casserole ingredients
Made with onions, garlic, broccoli, red bell pepper, celery, chickpeas, brown rice, and spices, and no-cheese sauce, this recipe has a punch of antioxidants and phytonutrients.
How to make vegan broccoli casserole
This healthy broccoli casserole takes just a little bit of time to prepare and is well worth the effort.
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
Making vegan cheese sauce
Personally, I think the magic ingredient is my Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce because it adds such a nutty, cheesy, creamy texture and taste. Not only is it combined with the actual ingredients, but it’s also drizzled over the top before baking.
You will want to make this 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 nachos, hash brown casserole, and scalloped potatoes.
Making this terrific cheese sauce is as simple as boiling a pot of potatoes, onions, and carrots, adding them to a blender with cashews (or white beans), and spices, and blending it 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 leftover to try with other recipes.
Once the cheese sauce is complete, set it to the side.
Making the broccoli casserole
Begin by fully cooking the brown rice and, if you aren’t using already cooked canned chickpeas, you will need to cook the beans as well.
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.
I am often asked which knives I use personally, and I have to say that it is Victorinox. They are the same company that makes Swiss Army Knives and the quality is excellent.
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.
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.
Pour 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.
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 a bit. Serve warm and enjoy!
Vegan casseroles
Vegan casseroles just make things easier! I can put this casserole together a day ahead and just pop it in the oven Sunday morning without all of the fuss, rushing around, and clean up. It makes the day more enjoyable, and unhurried time with family is precious!
If preferred, it can even be cooking in a crockpot. That way you can leave and go to church or do errands and come back to a fully cooked dish ready to eat.
*Originally published November 29, 2017.
Tips for making this recipe
- 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.
Other great broccoli recipes include:
- Vegan Quiche Casserole
- Vegan Cheddar Broccoli Soup
- Tempeh Broccoli Saute
- Broccoli Salad
- Healthy Vegan Casseroles
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
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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
- 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.
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…
Is that a 9×13 dish? Looks great! Thank you!
Yes it is. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy it!
Why use parchment paper? I don’t see it in any of the photos of the cooked casserole.
We use parchment paper to keep it from sticking to the pan. Some may prefer to spray with nonstick spray.
Where do you use the raw cashews? I see them listed in the item list, but not in the step by step instructions.
The cashews are used in step #2 of the cheese sauce.
Terri, I love your web site, and am wondering if there is some way that when your recipes print, there could be added a line identifying that it is from you. Credit where credit is due!
Hi Vickie, I am so glad you love the website! When the recipes print, they should have EatPlant-Based.com in small print at the very top and again at the bottom. Are you not seeing that?
No, I’m not. I just printed this recipe and the the word “Share” appears at the top and bottom where EatPlant-Based.com should be.
Hmmm. Not sure about that. When I print it, EatPlant-Based.com is across the top in the middle of page. The ‘Share’ is in the top right corner above the title. Recently, I added social share buttons for mobile users, and I am guessing that maybe it is causing problems with some printers? I will check into it to see what I can find out. Thanks for letting me know.
Terri, thanks for mentioning printers. That was my problem! I’ve had my printer several years and never realized there was an option that I should have checked for “headers and footers.” With that on, it does print your website top and bottom. I am so sorry to have bothered you! Thanks for being so nice and helpful.
Vickie, no problem at all! I am glad you found the solution. Thank you for following us!
OH MY GRACIOUS, this is incredibly delicious! Made it for a recent potluck & everyone loved it! Thank you so much. The only item I did not have was steak seasoning so used Bill’s Best Beaf Seasoning.
How wonderful to hear! Just made my evening. 😀
Could 1/2 of this be made & then frozen …pulled out later, thawed & then baked?
I haven’t tried freezing it but would think that should work just fine. Please let us know how it turns out.
Do you need to soak the cashews first? Asking just to be on the safe side ?
Aliyah, I don’t soak mine because my Vitamix blender is able to get them smooth. If you have a good high-power blender, no soaking is necessary.
Hi there, I just came across your delicious recipes, the carrot cake to be specific. Is there a cookbook of yours I can buy?
Hi Jeanne, I am so glad that you found my site! Currently, I do not have a cookbook. However, just recently I made a decision to work on a book that will include the last half as recipes. Hopefully, that is something we can work on in the very near future. Thanks so much for following!
I don’t have nutritional yeast can I substitute with anything else or can I just omit it??
Nutritional yeast is pretty important in this recipe. It might be worth waiting and picking some up at the store.
OMGosh we just had this and it is amazing. The ultimate comfort food on a Sunday afternoon. The cheese sauce was wonderful. Thank you for another great recipe!
This casserole is the Bomb!!
Can this sauce be used for Mac and cheese?
Oh yes! It definitely can. As a matter of fact there is a recipe on this site for Mac and Cheese. https://eatplant-based.com/creamy-vegan-mac-n-cheese/
This tastes great! I was confused by parchment paper? Next time I’ll just spray with olive oil. The paper comes up with the casserole.
Can this be made and frozen?
I haven’t frozen it before but think it would do just fine. Hope you enjoy!
I was about to make this, but realized it’s in American measurements? Do you have Australian measurements?
My program is only set up for American units of measure, however this chart should help. https://www.myrecipes.com/how-to/metric-conversion-charts