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    Home » All Recipes

    Chickpea Brown Rice Spinach Artichoke Casserole (Vegan)

    Updated: Mar 14, 2022 · Published: Sep 13, 2020 by Allison · This post may contain affiliate links · 55 Comments

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    This vegan, gluten-free chickpea brown rice spinach artichoke casserole incorporates the beloved spinach-artichoke combination into a grounding, nourishing vegan casserole that sticks to your ribs and is guaranteed to warm you right up.

    straight on shot of the brown rice chickpea casserole in a pan

    Hope your weekend is going well so far! Figured I’d drop a recipe early on Sunday so that you’ll be able to try it this evening if you so desire. 🙂 This chickpea brown rice casserole is exactly the kind of meal that I make regularly once the mercury starts to dip below a certain temperature, which, where I live, was last night, when the low was 3 degrees C!

    I feel as though casseroles are coming back into vogue, don’t you? They’re so practical, wholesome, and grounding, not to mention economical! A casserole such as this one is made primarily with affordable chickpeas and brown rice, and seasoned with artichokes, onion, garlic, herbs, and lemon juice. Topped with cashew or sunflower seed parmesan for some extra flavour and nutrients and then baked, this is one casserole that I have a hard time passing up!

    overhead shot of a serving of the casserole on a blue plate with herb aioli on top

    INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED

    • FOR THE CASSEROLE: Olive oil, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, chili flakes, artichokes in brine, spinach, brown rice, chickpeas, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and vegan parmesan cheese, for topping.
    • FOR THE HERB AIOLI: Vegan mayonnaise, garlic, herbs, and lemon juice.

    STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Start by cooking the brown rice: To a medium saucepan, add 2 ½ cups of water. Rinse and drain brown rice through a fine mesh sieve. Add to the pot along with a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to low, cover, and cook for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and lightly fluff with a fork.
    2. Meanwhile, warm the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, about 8 minutes. Add the pepper, rosemary, thyme, chili flakes, artichokes, spinach, chickpeas, cooked brown rice, balsamic, and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
    3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil and scoop the rice and chickpea mixture into it. Top with ½ cup of vegan parmesan cheese.
    4. Bake for 20 minutes.
    5. Meanwhile, make the aioli by blending together vegan mayonnaise, garlic, herbs, and lemon juice. Alternatively, make the Magic Green Avocado Sauce from this recipe if mayo isn’t your thing.
    6. Serve the casserole warm, with extra parmesan and aioli on top.

    overhead shot of the spinach, chickpeas, onion, and garlic in a cast iron skillet

    overhead shot of the brown rice and the spinach chickpea mixture in separate pans

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    overhead shot of the prepared casserole ready to go into the oven

    overhead shot of the brown rice chickpea casserole in a rectangular baking dish with the jar of herb aioli beside

    straight on shot of a serving of the casserole on a blue plate

    MORE COZY VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE DINNER IDEAS

    • Cheesy Vegan Broccoli, Quinoa, and White Bean Bake
    • Thai Chickpea Sweet Potato Burgers with Almond Butter Sauce
    • Southwestern White Bean, Quinoa, and Sweet Potato Soup

    I hope you love this Chickpea Brown Rice Spinach Artichoke Casserole! If you make it, let me know how you enjoyed it by leaving a comment or rating below the post. And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen.

    Enjoy!

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    overhead shot of a serving of the casserole on a blue plate with herb aioli on top

    Chickpea Brown Rice Spinach Artichoke Casserole (Vegan)


    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    4.9 from 22 reviews

    • Author: Allison
    • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    • Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
    • Diet: Vegan
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    Description

    This chickpea brown rice spinach artichoke casserole incorporates the beloved spinach-artichoke combination into a grounding, nourishing vegan casserole that sticks to your ribs and is guaranteed to warm you right up.


    Ingredients

    Scale

    CASSEROLE

    • 1 ½ cups long grain or basmati brown rice
    • 2 ½ cups water
    • ¼ tsp fine sea salt
    • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced
    • ½ tsp fine sea salt
    • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • ½ tsp chili flakes
    • 1 ½ tsp dried rosemary
    • 1 ½ tsp dried thyme
    • 1 cup artichokes in brine (drained before measuring, chopped)
    • 6 packed cups spinach, chopped
    • 3 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 14-oz cans, drained and rinsed)
    • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
    • 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • ½ cup vegan parmesan*

    HERB AIOLI

    • ½ cup vegan mayonnaise (such as Chosen Foods vegan mayonnaise)
    • ½ cup fresh herbs (I like basil or parsley)
    • 1 medium garlic clove, minced
    • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

    Instructions

    1. Start by cooking the brown rice: To a medium saucepan, add 2 ½ cups of water. Rinse and drain brown rice through a fine mesh sieve. Add to the pot along with a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to low, cover, and cook for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and lightly fluff with a fork.
    2. Meanwhile, warm the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, about 8 minutes. Add the pepper, rosemary, thyme, chili flakes, artichokes, spinach, chickpeas, cooked brown rice, balsamic, and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
    3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil and scoop the rice and chickpea mixture into it. Top with ½ cup of vegan parmesan cheese.
    4. Bake for 20 minutes.
    5. Meanwhile, make the aioli by blending together vegan mayonnaise, garlic, herbs, and lemon juice. Alternatively, make the Magic Green Avocado Sauce from this recipe if mayo isn’t your thing.
    6. Serve the casserole warm, with extra parmesan and aioli on top.

    Notes

    *Make the hemp cashew parmesan according to the directions in that recipe, but omit the hemp and use an additional ½ cup of cashews instead.

    I sometimes add a handful of sliced pitted Kalamata olives to the mix for extra flavour.

    • Prep Time: 45 minutes
    • Cook Time: 20 minutes
    • Category: Lunch, Supper
    • Cuisine: North American

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @upbeet.kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #upbeetkitchen

    PIN THIS FOR LATER: 

    Pinterest image with a close up shot of the casserole and the recipe title in bold

    Comments

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      Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    1. Joyce says

      October 02, 2020 at 12:19 pm

      Really delicious. My teenage kids and husband liked it as well. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

      Reply
      • Allison says

        October 04, 2020 at 5:59 pm

        I’m so glad to hear that!

        Reply
    2. Cheryl says

      November 18, 2021 at 10:19 pm

      Delicious and healthy! My husband and all three kids enjoyed this one! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Allison says

        November 19, 2021 at 10:22 pm

        Thank you very much! I’m happy to hear that it’s a hit in your household!

        Reply
    3. Laurie says

      January 08, 2022 at 10:38 pm

      So yummy! I used kale instead of spinach and added mushrooms. Thank you for sharing this delicious vegan dinner with us!

      Reply
      • Allison says

        January 10, 2022 at 3:28 pm

        So glad you enjoyed it, Laurie!

        Reply
    4. Dominique says

      January 26, 2022 at 7:58 pm

      Lovely casserole!

      Reply
      • Allison says

        January 26, 2022 at 8:06 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
      • Elizabeth says

        September 13, 2023 at 6:50 pm

        Delicious! I used lime I instead of lemon because my husband doesn’t like lemon. Everyone loved it.

        Reply
    5. Donna Fields says

      February 13, 2022 at 2:02 am

      This is a wonderful recipe Allison. Really different and delicious! Thank you so much for sharing!

      Reply
      • Allison says

        February 13, 2022 at 10:57 pm

        Hi Donna! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a comment! It means a lot to me, and I’m really happy to hear that you enjoyed this casserole. ?

        Reply
    6. Kirsten says

      February 22, 2022 at 10:04 am

      This was SO good. Even my non vegan husband was impressed. To make things easier I cooked the rice in my instant pot. I also crushed some potato chips and mixed them with the vegan Parmesan for the topping and broiled for the last 5 minutes. It made the dish slightly less healthy but it was yummy!

      Reply
      • Allison says

        February 22, 2022 at 4:38 pm

        Hi Kirsten! I’m so happy to hear how much you enjoyed this! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment. Have a great day! -Allison 🙂

        Reply
    7. Barbara says

      March 11, 2022 at 8:02 pm

      Great recipe! The whole family loved it (even my picky kids)! I wonder if it would freeze well?

      Reply
      • Allison says

        March 11, 2022 at 8:05 pm

        Hi Barbara, I’m so glad that you and your family loved it! That’s great to hear. 🙂 Hmmm, I haven’t tried freezing it yet, but I have a feeling that it would freeze well. Have a great weekend!

        Reply
      • Abby says

        December 17, 2023 at 12:37 pm

        Did you ever try freezing it? I want to make it for a family member to prep for postpartum, but I’m not sure how long it would need to thaw or cook from that temperature.

        Reply
    8. Stacy says

      March 14, 2022 at 6:36 am

      I added a cup of dried cranberries. Great flavors!! Do you have the nutritional information?

      Reply
      • Allison says

        March 14, 2022 at 10:39 am

        Hi Stacy! The addition of cranberries is a great idea. I will calculate the nutritional information and update the recipe card with a label. Thanks for your comment!

        Reply
        • Tara says

          April 16, 2022 at 9:13 pm

          Does the nutritional info include the vegan parm and aioli? Or just the casserole? This looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it!

        • Allison says

          April 18, 2022 at 9:35 am

          Hi Tara, the nutritional info includes the aioli and vegan parm as well. I hope that you enjoy this recipe!

    9. Zola says

      May 09, 2022 at 7:37 pm

      I love this recipe. Totally comfort food and so delicious. Your photos are amazing too!

      Reply
      • Allison says

        May 10, 2022 at 9:20 pm

        Hi Zola, thank you so much!

        Reply
    10. Sheilad says

      June 21, 2022 at 9:48 am

      Excited to try this recipes!

      Reply
      • Allison says

        June 21, 2022 at 8:29 pm

        Hi Sheilad, that’s wonderful! I hope you enjoy it! ?

        Reply
    11. Liz says

      August 10, 2022 at 1:01 pm

      Absolutely fabulous casserole. A great family meal too!

      Reply
    12. TJ says

      August 23, 2022 at 7:20 pm

      Add artichoke brine to the aioli and thank me later.

      Reply
      • Allison says

        August 23, 2022 at 9:13 pm

        Great idea!

        Reply
    13. Andy says

      September 02, 2022 at 8:22 am

      5 stars for this!!

      Reply
    14. Sandra cini says

      September 07, 2022 at 7:41 pm

      I hate to be the one lone voice of dissent, but this was horrible. It was not like any casserole I’ve ever had, the best you could say is that it’s a warm salad. It might have been better without the rosemary but I’ll never know as I won’t be trying it again.

      Reply
      • Allison says

        September 07, 2022 at 8:26 pm

        Sorry to hear that!

        Reply
    15. Jonathan Boyer says

      November 16, 2022 at 6:50 am

      This recipe looks delicious. How do I measure packed spinach?
      Thanks,
      Jonathan

      Reply
      • Allison says

        November 20, 2022 at 8:07 pm

        Hi Jonathan, I apologize for the late response! You can measure the packed spinach by firmly compressing raw baby spinach in your measuring cup.
        Enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
        • Jonathan Boyer says

          November 21, 2022 at 8:43 am

          This dish was delicious! Hard to believe it is actually healthful.

        • Allison says

          December 24, 2022 at 8:40 am

          Wonderful! Thank you!

    16. Christine Star says

      November 24, 2022 at 10:44 am

      This was a tasty and filling meal. I love artichokes and chick peas so this was yummy in my tummy! I didn’t have enough spinach so I will double up next time and definitely add mushrooms like someone suggested. Instead of the Parmesan and aioli I added vegan feta. I also drizzled sriracha for an added kick. Thanks again!

      Reply
      • Allison says

        December 01, 2022 at 9:52 pm

        Hi Christine, I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed this! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! ?

        Reply
    17. Lindsay says

      January 19, 2023 at 1:34 pm

      Wow this was amazingly delicious! Thank you!! Only thing I did different was I ended up making my own rendition of the magic green sauce.

      Reply
      • Allison says

        January 27, 2023 at 9:02 pm

        Hi Lindsay, thanks so much for making this recipe! I’m glad that you enjoyed it, and thanks for taking the time to leave a review!

        Reply
    18. Amanda says

      February 05, 2023 at 1:11 pm

      Really enjoyed this! I made it exactly as stated. Will def make again!

      Reply
      • Allison says

        May 15, 2023 at 9:13 pm

        Thanks, Amanda! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this casserole!

        Reply
    19. Linda Hau says

      April 30, 2023 at 8:01 pm

      This is a perfect vegan dinner! My husband said it’s the best he’s ever tasted. Whoever said it was horrible needs their taste buds examined.

      Reply
      • Allison says

        May 15, 2023 at 9:06 pm

        Hi Linda, I’m so happy to hear that you and your husband enjoyed this casserole! Thanks so much for your nice comment!

        Reply
    20. P says

      July 10, 2023 at 4:07 pm

      Make a video for this recipe so we can see the two different sauces you created. I’m unable to decide which to make because I can’t see how it looks with either being made.

      Reply
    21. Kariss says

      October 27, 2023 at 10:56 am

      This was really delicious! I will definitely make it again soon, thank you for this recipe!

      Reply
    22. Lisa says

      December 04, 2023 at 11:01 am

      This was a great find for my vegan daughter and the addition of Kalamata olives drew my non vegan husband to the table. I still have one picky eater who won’t eat chickpeas, any ideas for a good substitution?

      Reply
    23. Suzanne says

      December 22, 2023 at 1:57 pm

      Can you make this in advance and bake the next day?

      Reply
    24. Sherri says

      April 18, 2024 at 6:23 pm

      Made this yesterday. Very tasty. My husband and I are not chick pea fans so I used a can of hominy in place of chick peas. Only cooked 1_cup of brown rice so we would not have quite so much left overs. Also added vegan feta morsels to the casserole. Very good. Will make again.

      Reply
    25. Bonnie says

      February 25, 2025 at 8:42 am

      Hi,I made this recipe this weekend. Absolutely delicious! It was great without the aioli , in fact I almost didn’t make it but it was so simple to make, I did make it and glad I did. The aioli definitely added such great flavor. My dtr who is not so much into healthy eating loved it so much that she requested to take a container full back to college with her and she requested I make another batch of the herb aioli to take also.Ty so much for the recipe, very easy and quick to make.

      Reply
      • Allison says

        February 25, 2025 at 10:17 am

        Hi Bonnie, that’s wonderful to hear! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed comment and rating- it means a lot!

        Reply
    26. Mindy Alvey says

      March 11, 2025 at 5:04 pm

      Very tasty even though I forgot the aioli.

      Reply
      • Allison says

        March 28, 2025 at 5:53 pm

        Glad you enjoyed it, Mindy!

        Reply
    27. Pam says

      May 22, 2025 at 12:00 pm

      Do you mean 1 cup chopped artichokes?

      Reply
      • Allison says

        May 27, 2025 at 10:19 pm

        Hi Pam, sorry for the late reply. I drain and measure out 1 cup of artichokes, then chop them. Enjoy!

        Reply
    28. marcy says

      June 16, 2025 at 8:37 am

      sounds delicious, I like all the ingredients, thanks for the recipe!!!!

      Reply
      • Allison says

        June 17, 2025 at 11:40 am

        Hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    About image for Up Beet Kitchen

    Hi, I'm Allison! Welcome to Up Beet Kitchen, a food blog with wholesome, nutrient-dense recipes designed to unearth vibrant health and wellness.

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