You will LOVE this Creamy Vegan Broccoli Wild Rice Casserole! I switch it up a bit and add crumbled crispy fried onions to the top a la green bean casserole. SO good.
How to make Creamy Vegan Broccoli Wild Rice Casserole
The first step is to dice onions. I prefer these finely diced. Even though we’ll be sauteeing them, no one wants to bite into a big piece of onion!
I also finely diced carrots and celery, sauteeing them in a bit of oil until they become tender.
The type of mushroom you use is up to you. I just used a button or cremini mushroom, stems removed, cleaned and diced.
Add the mushrooms to the sauteeing vegetables and cook until tender. The mushrooms will release some moisture and you’ll want to cook that off.
AFTER the mushrooms are cooked, add salt…
and pepper, to taste.
Two tablespoons of flour are added to the vegetables and cooked for 1-2 minutes. This will cook off that raw flour taste.
A word about vegetable broth…
Add your broth. This is a good time to reiterate why I love Imagine brand broth. This is NOT and look how pale it is. If you can find the Imagine brand, it is rich, dark and very flavorful. I wasn’t able to find it this day ;(
After the broth is added, it’s time for the “cream”. You have several options here. I used a vegan almondmilk creamer, but you could just use almondmilk or even canned coconut milk.
Pre-cook the wild rice blend…
I bought a wild and long grain rice mix. I prefer it to an all wild rice casserole, but I’ll leave that up to you. Add the COOKED rice to the cream and bring to a boil.
At this point, you’ll want to boil the sauce until it thickens.
While that is happening, I cooked up some frozen broccoli florets until they were just barely tender. They’ll continue cooking in the oven.
I scatter them evenly over the casserole and then press them into the sauce. The reason I do it this way is so that every bite gets broccoli in it.
The last step is to top the casserole with something crunchy. I used fried onions because they are simply delicious. My favorite! But you could also mix some panko bread crumbs together with melted vegan margarine and use that as your topping.
The casserole is better as it sets and even better the next day. Be sure to give it at least 10 minutes before serving. This allows everything to bind together and be less fluid.
NOTE: If you prefer a thicker casserole, cut back on the creamer by a few tablespoons and/or reduce the cream in the saute pan further than I did. I thought it turned out great and can’t wait to enjoy the leftovers tomorrow!
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Creamy Vegan Broccoli Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 c Cooked Wild & Long Grain Rice Blend
- 2-1/2 c Vegetable Broth
- 2 c Frozen Broccoli par-cooked
- 8 oz Button or Cremini Mushrooms diced
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 c Onion finely diced
- 1 medium Carrot peeled and finely diced
- 2 stalks Celery finely diced
- 2 tbsp Flour
- 1 cup Vegan Almondmilk Creamer
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/8 tsp Pepper
- 1 cup French Fried Onions OR Panko Breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Precook the wild rice blend and the frozen broccoli. Set aside.
- To a large saute pan, add oil (or vegan margarine), onions, carrots and celery. Cook until tender.
- Add the diced mushrooms to the sauteed vegetables.
- Sprinkle the flour on the vegetables and stir to incorporate it, then cook for about a minute.
- Add the broth and bring to a boil.
- Add the cooked rice to the broth. You could also do this after the creamer, but it really makes little difference in the end result.
- Add in the almondmilk or almondmilk creamer, stirring to combine. Allow to cook until it thickens and season with salt and pepper. (If you prefer a thicker sauce, allow to cook down further).
- Top with crushed fried onions. You could alternately use something like panko breadcrumbs that you have mixed with a few tablespoons of melted vegan margarine. I prefer the fried onions personally 🙂
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes. It continues to set as it cools.
- This casserole is even better the next day and reheats well. A great make-ahead dish!
Pamela says
This is delicious, a real hit. Thank you for the recipe.
I did add some chopped garlic and dried thyme. I also did the Frenc friend onions.
Blair says
Best veggie casserole I’ve ever made! I added extra broccoli & carrots because I don’t like mushrooms and it was superb! It made enough for me to have meals for 3 days, lunch & dinner. The only thing I would change is to add the French fried onions as I eat the leftovers instead of on the whole thing because they get soggy but that’s a given with those & I love them crunchy.
aimee says
That’s a great tip about the fried onions! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Curvy Shadows says
You said to use AlmondMilk Creamer… as in the coffee type creamer? The one they sell at the store has a bit of sugar in it. Would that mess up the flavors?
Veg Life Staff says
You could use unsweetened almondmilk with the same result. So Delicious is a brand that carries the creamer, but the small amount of sweetness it would add wouldn’t affect the overall flavor. Either way, you’ll end up with a delicious casserole 🙂
Jana says
Very good casserole! One of the best vegan recipes I have tried so far! I topped it with crumbled wheat crackers.
Veg Life Staff says
I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Rinn says
Hi!
I just made this tonight and it was delicious! I added a couple of potatoes. I didn’t have Panko or fried onions on hand, but I did have a bag of stuffing. I mixed that up and put it on top. So good! It tasted like Thanksgiving. 🙂 thanks for a great recipe
Jill says
I want to make this as a make ahead dish for a dinner. Do you think it would work well if I did all the steps up to the baking and kept it for an hour or two chilled and then brought it to the party and baked it right before? Or do you think it’s better to make and bake the whole thing say the day before and then just bring it to reheat the night of? Thanks so much. I look forward to trying this.
Emilia says
Hi – I just stumbled upon this recipe and would like to make ahead and take to the party like you mentioned above. Did you try the reheat option or all steps up to baking and keep chilled then bake at party? We need to arrive at the party at 4 but are not eating until 6 so want to keep warm.
Thanks in advance! Looks so good!
Jacqueline says
I think the recipe is missing a few steps. When does the broccoli get added after it is set aside? How long should it take to thicken after adding the creamer? And what size casserole dish is necessary?
Nikki says
Yes, I agree! Steps are missing. The broccoli info is only included in the summary above the recipe.
Sarah says
Hello! Excited to try this recipe this week : ) Do you think it would matter if I only used wild rice instead of the blend? It is all I have on hand. Thank!
Emily says
Made this for a friendsgiving dinner and everyone (non- vegans) loved it! HUGE hit
Jen says
What size casserole dish did you use, and what are the reheating instructions if we make it a day ahead?
-Thanks
Leah says
This sounds great! But what size casserole dish?? Please let me know! Thanks!
Jessica says
This is fantastic – a huge hit at Thanksgiving! I used oat flour and coconut creamer and skipped the onion/breadcrumb topping.
India Wardell says
Great Casserole! It really hit the spot. Next time I will try a gluten free thickener.
Lindsay says
I’ve read and reread the steps half a dozen times to find when exactly I add the broccoli…? It only mentions to precook it and that’s it
Rachel B says
I added extra broccoli and omitted the topping. So yummy. It has a risotto type texture. Agree that it does not say when to add broccoli so I just threw it in with cream. I don’t think it really matters. What size casserole people asked… whatever size it fits in! 😉
Jennifer says
I bought almond milk creamer for the first time for this recipe. First, I tried a little bit in coffee (I usually use a splash of unsweetened almond milk). Well, I do not like the taste of creamer! But, I still used it in this recipe. I could taste the creamer, and I would use unsweetened almond milk next time. I still ate a ton of this! I could taste the creamer less when I ate this as leftovers. The leftovers were even better. Except, like someone else mentioned, the fried onions get soggy.
Colleen says
I didn’t like this at all. Bland glop with overcooked vegetables. The final product has a very unappetizing grey appearance and a bad texture and lack of flavor to match. I’ve been vegan for years and this is one of the most disappointing vegan recipes I’ve ever attempted. If you do make it, use fresh broccoli and add it just before baking, so at least you have some nice baked broccoli to enjoy.
Miranda says
I really enjoyed this! I added some nutritional yeast and other seasoning to give it some more flavor. Really hit the spot for a warm comfort meal.
Drew says
I ate the whole dish! The broccoli is still set aside as directed, so hopefully a future recipe will instruct me on what to do with it.
Meagan says
this is a great recipe for a vegan in an area with very little available vegan products in grocery stores, as you can almost always find these. I made it when i was visiting my grandmother in law in the UP of Michigan. make sure you buy a seasoned rice blend or add seasonings to this casserole or you will be very disappointed. i prefer using unsweet almond milk over creamer, a little extra flour to make it thicker, and adding the topping as i go so it doesn’t get soggy.
Kate says
I added some garlic and nutritional yeast prior to moving it into the casserole dish for the oven. Delish meal everyone loved.
Kimberlynn says
This recipe looks really delicious, i am the only vegan in my family, im 12, my family often doesnt think that vegan food can taste delicious but i have here to prove them wrong. I look forward to making this recipe. This reminds me of a casserole that my grandma makes that is chiken and wild rice casserole. But i cant eat it so i want to try this. When i do make this recipe i will post a review and how my family liked it.
Lacey says
Seriously one of the best vegan recipes I have made so far. I just made my second batch. I added roasted pumpkin seeds in for extra protein and texture. I also used ALOT more broccoli. I make this for meal preps. One casserole yields 6-7 meal servings.
Kimberlynn says
This recipe was delicious! It did take me an hour and a half to make this but it was worth it! I added a little more mushrooms than the recipe called for and i just sliced them to give the casserole more texture. I will deffinitly be making this casserole again.
Jill Cortright says
This is my moms favorite casserole recipe that I cook for her. I was wondering if it freezes ok? Thanks!
Briana C says
Made this tonight for dinner for my husband and I, it was delicious! Can’t wait to have the rest tomorrow for dinner. We both loved it. This will go on our rotation list for sure!