This cheesy, comforting vegan broccoli casserole is easy to make and topped with a crispy breadcrumb topping. It makes for a delicious fall/winter side dish (especially for the holidays) and it will definitely fulfill your comfort food cravings!
This vegan cheesy broccoli casserole may not be the most aesthetically pleasing dish you'll ever make, but it sure is good! A creamy, cheesy sauce, broccoli, onions and garlic and a crispy, buttery breadcrumb topping...what's not to love?
As a young millennial (almost Gen Z 🤫), casseroles aren't really in my wheelhouse. Though they feel a bit...outdated...there's certainly something to be said for the simplicity of a casserole. They're basically the OG one-pan meal!
This broccoli casserole is what comfort food dreams are made of. Plus, hey, it's broccoli! So basically a salad, right? 😉
All jokes aside, consider adding this to your Thanksgiving or holiday menu as a side dish this year! Even your non-vegan family members might go back for seconds.
Ingredients
- Broccoli: fresh is best for this recipe. Cut into small, evenly-sized florets to ensure even cooking.
- If using frozen: most frozen vegetables are pre-cooked. You don't want to overcook the broccoli, so just blanch it in hot water for a minute or two until completely defrosted.
- Vegan butter
- All purpose flour: use gluten free if needed.
- Onion & garlic
- Nondairy milk: make sure to look for a plain, unsweetened nondairy milk. We prefer oat or cashew in this recipe.
- Salt & pepper
- Vegan cheddar cheese: shredded parmesan or mozzarella will work, too.
- Italian style breadcrumbs: use gluten free if needed.
Instructions
Blanch the broccoli. Bring 8 cups of water and 2 teaspoon of salt to a boil, add broccoli, then reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Immediately transfer broccoli to an ice bath to stop cooking process and let sit for a minute or two until cooled.
Make the sauce. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, then add onion and sauté for 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional few minutes. Stir in flour, then slowly pour in the milk, whisking well to prevent the flour from clumping.
Once all of the milk is added, whisk in salt, pepper, and cheese. Simmer until cheese is completely melted and sauce is thickened.
Assemble and bake. Add broccoli to a large casserole dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the broccoli and stir well to coat. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 15 minutes at 375˚F.
While the casserole is baking, make topping. Stir together the melted butter and breadcrumbs. After 15 minutes of baking, remove casserole from oven and top evenly with breadcrumbs and cheese.
Return to oven for 10-15 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown. Serve hot!
Recipe variations
- Substitute broccoli with cauliflower, or use half broccoli/half cauliflower.
- Add cooked quinoa or brown or white rice for a more filling casserole.
- Sub breadcrumbs with buttery Ritz-style crackers.
- Add in a batch of tofu bacon bits for extra salty, umami deliciousness.
More vegan comfort food recipes
- Scalloped Potatoes
- The Best Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Mac & Cheese
- Creamy Cauliflower Potato Soup
- Cheesy Sausage Breakfast Casserole
- Mushroom Stew over Mashed Potatoes
If you make this cheesy vegan broccoli casserole, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.
Print📖 Recipe
Vegan Broccoli Casserole
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 6
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This cheesy, comforting vegan broccoli casserole is easy to make and topped with a crispy breadcrumb topping. It makes for a delicious fall/winter side dish (especially for the holidays) and it will definitely fulfill your comfort food cravings!
Ingredients
- 8 cups broccoli florets
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour (use gluten free if needed)
- 1 yellow onion, diced (1 ½ cups)
- 1 tbsp finely minced garlic
- 1 ½ cup nondairy milk
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 cups vegan cheddar cheese
Topping:
- ½ cup Italian style breadcrumbs (use gluten free if needed)
- 1 tbsp melted vegan butter
- ½ cup vegan cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- Bring 10 cups of water to a boil in salted water. (We usually add 1 teaspoon of salt for every 4 cups of water) Once boiling, add broccoli and blanch for 3 minutes. Immediately transfer to a bowl filled with ice water to stop cooking process. After 2-3 minutes, strain and set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, then add onion and sauté for 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional few minutes. Stir in flour, then slowly pour in the milk, whisking well to prevent the flour from clumping. Once all of the milk is added, whisk in salt, pepper, and cheese. Simmer until cheese is completely melted and sauce is thickened.
- Add broccoli to a large casserole dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the broccoli and stir well to coat. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 15 minutes.
- While the casserole is baking, make topping. Stir together the melted butter and breadcrumbs. After 15 minutes of baking, remove casserole from oven and top evenly with breadcrumbs and cheese. Return to oven for 10-15 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown. Serve hot.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 324
- Sugar: 3.8 g
- Sodium: 707.4 mg
- Fat: 20.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 12.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.9 g
- Fiber: 5.8 g
- Protein: 5.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Fran says
If you add rice- how much - cooked rice when added to mixture or raw?
Samantha says
Can you make the sauce, assemble, and bake the next day? How would you go about it?
Lexi says
Yes! You can make the sauce and assemble in the pan, but wait to add the topping until the next day so it doesn't get soggy. You can still mix together the topping - just store in a separate bowl until ready to bake.
Linda says
If assembling for tomorrow do you bake at all today or just put in fridge and do all baking and topping tomorrow?
Kylie says
I'm not a vegan but I made this for a vegan friend and we all loved it! I will definitely be making this again.
Lexi says
These are the best kinds of comments – so glad you and your friend enjoyed!
Kat says
This is one of my favorite new recipes! I’d like to make it at my (non-vegan) in-laws’ and am curious if it would freeze well? Maybe freeze it after it’s all mixed in the casserole dish but before it’s baked? Thanks in advance for any tips!
Lexi says
I'm so glad you love this recipe! I haven't tried freezing it before baking, but I can't see why it wouldn't work. I would definitely defrost it overnight in the fridge before baking. Let me know how it turns out!