Healthy broccoli quinoa casserole recipe! A delicious soufflé which is vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, easy to make and ready in less than 45 minutes. This broccoli bake contains many vitamins and minerals, as well as healthy carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Ready to up your dinner game?!
Quinoa Casserole
I thought it was time to publish a recipe with quinoa on my blog. Until today, I’ve created some tasty vegan recipes with rice, potatoes, and pasta. However, in my opinion, quinoa deserves to be used more often. This pseudo-grain is very healthy, delicious and protein-rich, furthermore, it’s not a real grain.
Quinoa is also gluten-free and can, therefore, be eaten by people suffering from celiac disease. I also love the fact that quinoa contains plenty of healthy, plant-based protein. Read more about the health benefits of quinoa in this amazing article.
Since I adore casseroles, I decided to make a broccoli quinoa casserole with vegan cheese. This savory broccoli soufflé can be prepared in less than 45 minutes and it tastes amazing. Especially in the evening, when you want to enjoy a hearty comfort meal, there is nothing better than a cheesy broccoli casserole. Don’t you think so?
Quinoa Or Rice?
Of course, you can also prepare this easy broccoli casserole with rice instead of quinoa. So if you don’t have quinoa in your pantry or doesn’t like the taste of it, no problem! You can just cook rice and use it instead of quinoa in the recipe.
I am sure a broccoli rice casserole will taste delicious as well! Another alternative would be to use potatoes to enjoy a delicious broccoli potato gratin!
Ingredients Of This Healthy Broccoli Casserole
Instead of cheddar, I used my easy vegan cheese sauce because it only takes 3 minutes to prepare it. Of course, you can also use store-bought cheese from the supermarket. You can make this quinoa broccoli casserole with any kind of plant-based milk.
For example, you could use almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, etc., depending on your taste. The higher the fat content of the milk, the better the casserole will taste!
In addition, I also added chickpeas, because they are another great source of plant-based protein and taste very delicious!
I topped the broccoli quinoa bake with homemade “breadcrumbs“. The ingredients are oats, nutritional yeast flakes, and a few spices. In my opinion, breadcrumbs make a gratin even more delicious.
How To Make A Broccoli Quinoa Casserole?
It really isn’t complicated to make this cheesy broccoli casserole. First, prepare the quinoa by rinsing it under running water for about a minute. Then cook the quinoa in salted water or vegetable broth for about 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, you can already roast the broccoli in the oven.
Once both quinoa and broccoli are done, mix the quinoa with plant-based milk, chickpeas, vegan cheese, and spices. Pour the quinoa mixture into a greased casserole dish, add the roasted broccoli. Finally, put vegan cheese and breadcrumbs on top of the broccoli, and bake the gratin in the oven for about 20 minutes.
How To Store Leftovers?
This broccoli bake tastes best when it’s still warm. You can put leftovers in the refrigerator and enjoy them either cold the next day, or reheat in the microwave or in the oven.
It is also possible to freeze leftovers in zip-lock bags. Simply defrost at room temperature or in the fridge and reheat either in the oven or in the microwave.
This Quinoa Broccoli Cheese Casserole Is:
- Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
- Gluten-Free
- Grain-Free
- Flavorful
- Hearty
- Comforting
- Healthy
- Easy to make
- A delicious dinner
Should you recreate this creamy broccoli quinoa casserole, please leave a comment below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see how your broccoli gratin turned out!
If you want to try out more vegan casseroles, definitely also check out the following recipes:
Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
Ingredients
Quinoa
- 1 cup (170 g) quinoa
- 2 cups (480 ml) vegetable broth or water (with salt)
- 1 cup (240 ml) dairy-free milk
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 3/4 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Black pepper to taste
Homemade "breadcrumbs":
- 3 tbsp oats (gluten-free if needed)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- A pinch of turmeric
- 1 tsp soy sauce (gluten-free if needed)
- A pinch of smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp oil
Vegan Cheese
- 1 batch (200 g) vegan cheese sauce or 7 oz (200 g) of store-bought vegan cheese
Instructions
Prepare quinoa
- Bring a pot with 2 cups of vegetable broth to a boil and preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
- Rinse quinoa thoroughly under running water and put it into the water/broth as soon as it boils. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until no water is left and the quinoa is cooked.
Prepare broccoli
- Cut the broccoli into florets, spread on a baking tray (lined with parchment paper) and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and a little salt. Toss with your hands and roast the broccoli in the oven for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the vegan cheese sauce according to the recipe (click on the link). Skip this step if you use store-bought vegan cheese).
"Breadcrumbs"
- Put all ingredients for the "breadcrumbs" (except the oil) into a small bowl and stir with a spoon.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add "breadcrumbs" and fry on low/medium heat for about 30-60 seconds.
Assemble Casserole
- Add 1 cup of dairy-free milk, all spices, the chickpeas and half of the cheese sauce (or store-bought cheese) to the quinoa and stir.
- Transfer the quinoa mixture into a lightly greased casserole dish, add the broccoli florets and spread the rest of the cheese on top. Sprinkle with the "breadcrumbs".
- Reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) and bake the casserole for about 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you love casseroles, you might also enjoy my vegan Rice And Bean Casserole my Vegan Scalloped Potatoes, and my Vegan Green Bean Casserole.
- Recipe serves 4. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
Yum!!! We loved this! I didn’t have any quinoa, so I used a mixture of quick cook brown rice and white rice. That worked fine Also used some pepper jack vegan cheese in place of the cheese sauce. I made a double batch, and put it in a huge lasagna pan. This one is a keeper!
Thanks for your great feedback, Tammy. 🙂
Ela, this was really delicious. Very original and very tasty. Thank you so much for sharing.
You are very welcome, Donna! 🙂
Just made this and was sooo delicious! Definitely will be making again. So easy too.
Hi Chaya, I am so glad you liked it! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Made ur recipe & it was very good. Can I freeze this? Tku
I am glad you liked it! Yes, it should be no problem to freeze it. 🙂