Vegan Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Bake

Are you tired of pasta bakes but not quite ready to let go of that winter comfort food? Want to trade out some carbs with some nutritious veggies? How about a rich, creamy, vegan roasted broccoli and cauliflower cheese bake?

Is this the shortest dinner or side dish you can make? No probably not, but our recipe does have a simple ingredients list, it requires hardly any kitchen equipment, and although you need to spend 10 minutes making the delicious cheese sauce, the other 40 minutes you can have all to yourself while everything bakes in the oven. 

So grab yourself a head of fresh broccoli, a fresh cauliflower, your favourite plant-based cheese, and a few essentials and seasonings from the cupboard and you’ll have a classic British dish to tuck into for your next dinner. If this isn’t to be the main dish though you serve this up as a perfect side dish, with perhaps some portobello mushroom steaks (as cauliflower steaks should probably be off the menu this time), or even a couple of roasted sweet potatoes.

This bake keeps well in the fridge too, it’s best fresh so if you’re eating it the next day or want to keep it for a couple of days in an airtight container before putting it back into the oven for 15 minutes is fine. You could even add some fresh grated cheese back on top and stick it under the grill after warming it through in the oven first, this will add back a little texture and some extra flavour.

The base for the flavoursome cheese sauce we’ve used in this dish is a bechamel sauce, we created a dedicated post just for this, in case you want to bookmark it. It works well as a white sauce for a plant-based lasagne, or add some cheese and some seasoning and make a smooth, rich vegan mac and cheese.

But for this recipe, we are going to keep it all about the veggies. This is a broccoli and cauliflower recipe after all, so hold the pasta this time and benefit from the plant-based diet and all the goodness that these cruciferous vegetables have to offer. From vitamin C and minerals to fibre and antioxidants, this duo is worth putting on your plate. On a cold winter day or not, this warming and hearty dish is a favourite with the whole family any time of year with good reason.

Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Ingredients

1 head of broccoli

1 head of cauliflower

480 ml unsweetened soy milk

4 Tbsp plain flour

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

Black pepper (ground to taste)

1/2 Tbsp English mustard

1/2 Tbsp wholegrain mustard

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

150 g grated vegan cheese (Cathedral City’s plant-based mature cheddar cheese melts well and has a strong tangy flavour)

How to Make a Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Bake

No high temperatures are needed here, but you should get started by preheating your oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 390°F / Gas Mark 6, that way you can get your veggies roasting as soon as you’ve chopped them, and get straight onto making the rich, creamy sauce. 

The first step to making yourself a delicious roasted broccoli and cauliflower cheese bake is to prepare the vegetables. Take your whole head of broccoli and cauliflower cut the florets from the trunk at the base of their stems and just set them aside in a large bowl while you are trimming and chopping them all. You’re only going to dispose of the trunk of the broccoli and cauliflower. You don’t even have to do that, take this broccoli stalk dairy-free soup recipe for example, a neat way of using more than just the broccoli florets (and better than a broccoli salad in our opinion).

Continue by throwing all the florets into your large baking dish (not a baking tray) and toss them in a bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Then place this into your preheated oven for 20 minutes to roast enough that the broccoli and cauliflower are tender and almost cooked, you are not trying to make crispy broccoli and cauliflower just yet.

While the vegetables are roasting, take the opportunity to measure the ingredients needed for your cheese sauce. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have the precise weights of each ingredient prepared and ready on the side. Combine the plant-based cheese and seasonings in one bowl, measure the soya milk in a jug, and have the flour ready to be added to the olive oil to create the roux for your cheesy sauce.

Place a medium-sized pan, spacious enough to accommodate the 480 ml of soya milk (with cheese and flour), over medium heat. Add 3 Tbsp of olive oil, followed by 4 Tbsp of plain flour, and whisk quickly and consistently until the roux transforms into a smooth golden brown paste.

Now, pour the soya milk into the pan and continue stirring, though not as vigorously. Keep mixing until the sauce begins to thicken, and if you find yourself waiting for a few minutes, you can briefly turn up your stove to a high heat to speed up the process, but avoid bringing it to a boil – a simmer at most.

Once you’re satisfied with the thickness of your white sauce, add 75 g of mature plant-based cheddar (half of the 150 g you pre-grated), along with all your seasonings. Blend everything into the sauce until all the cheese has melted, leaving you with a rich, creamy, and delicious cheese sauce.

Now it’s time to take the broccoli and roasted cauliflower florets out of the oven and cover them in the cheese sauce you’ve made. Using a wooden spoon, turn over the vegetables in the sauce until everything is evenly coated. 

Finally, sprinkle the remaining 75 g of grated cheese you have over the top of the cheesy veggies and then place the baking dish into the oven for 20-25 minutes until the tops of your bake start to turn golden brown.

VEGAN ROASTED BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER CHEESE BAKE

Indulge in the savory bliss of our Vegan Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Bake! A delectable, easy-to-make plant-based delight. Elevate your meals effortlessly!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

0 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine British

Servings 4 people

Equipment

• 1 Saucepan
• 1 Large oven dish
• 1 Cheese grater
• 1 Set of measuring spoons
• 1 Set of kitchen scales

Ingredients

  

• 1 head of broccoli
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 480 ml unsweetened soy milk
• 4 Tbsp plain flour
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Peppercorn ground to taste
• 1/2 Tbsp English mustard
• 1/2 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 150 g grated vegan cheese Cathedral City’s plant-based mature cheddar cheese melts well and has a strong tangy flavour

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 390°F / Gas Mark 6.
• Prepare the vegetables. Take the heads of broccoli and cauliflower and cut the florets from the trunk. You’re only going to dispose of the trunk of the broccoli and cauliflower.
• Throw all the florets into your large baking dish and toss them in a dashing of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place into the oven for 20 minutes to roast until the broccoli and cauliflower are tender.
• Now measure out the ingredients needed for your cheese sauce. Combine the plant-based cheese and seasonings in one bowl, measure the soya milk, and have the flour ready to be added to the olive oil to create the roux for your sauce.
• Place a medium-sized pan, spacious enough to accommodate the 480 ml of soya milk (with cheese and flour), over medium heat. Add 3 Tbsp of olive oil, followed by 4 Tbsp of plain flour, and whisk quickly and consistently until the roux transforms into a smooth golden brown paste.
• Now, pour the soya milk into the pan and continue stirring, Keep mixing until the sauce begins to thicken, don’t let the sauce boil but you can increase the heat if you are struggling to thicken your creamy sauce, you can even add a dash more flour if needed.
• Next, add 75 g of mature plant-based cheddar (half of what you’ve grated) along with all your seasonings. Stir everything into the sauce until all the cheese has melted into a creamy cheese sauce.
• Now it’s time to take the broccoli and cauliflower florets out of the oven and cover them in the cheese sauce you’ve made. Using a wooden spoon, turn over the vegetables in the sauce until everything is evenly coated.
• Finally, sprinkle the remaining 75 g of grated cheese over the top of the veggies and then place the baking dish into the oven for 25 minutes until the tops of your bake start to turn golden brown.

Keyword bake, broccoli, cauliflower, vegan, vegan cheese