This is one of Josh’s favorite comfort food meals, which is easy to veganize, but to make it healthy? Turns out it was easy! I used my broccoli Cheeze soup recipe and then mix it with brown rice, chickpeas, then top with panko breadcrumbs, a sprinkle of vegan cheddar shreds and bake until bubbly. It’s seriously so delicious! No one would ever be able to tell that the majority of this dish is vegetables and whole grains. Healthy, hearty, and delicious!

Ingredients-

2 large gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

10 baby carrots

1/2 yellow onion

2 tbsp raw cashews

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

Dash of garlic powder

2 crowns of broccoli, chopped in small pieces

1 tbsp Vegetarian better than bouillon no chicken base

1 tsp chickenless seasoning from Trader Joe’s

2 bags of frozen brown rice from TJ’s or 6 cups of brown rice cups

Can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/4 c panko breadcrumbs

1/4 c vegan cheddar shreds

Directions-

Preheat your oven to 375*

Add potatoes, carrots, cashews, and onions, to boiling water and boil until soft, about 15 minutes. minutes. Drain and add to a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Add nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and salt and pepper and blend another few seconds.

Add 2 cups of water to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add broccoli and bouillon and boil another 5 minutes. Then add the cheeze sauce from the blender to the pot and mix together. Add the chickenless seasoning and stir.

Add the rice and chickpeas to the broccoli cheeze soup and stir to combine.

Pour into a sprayed 9″ x 13″ casserole dish and then sprinkle the panko and shreds to the top and bake for 30-35 minutes until bubbly and browned.