Satisfy your craving for comfort food with this super creamy and ultra cheesy vegan broccoli cheese soup! This soup is made with all plant-based ingredients, it's ready in less than 1 hour, and it's free of dairy, gluten, and oil. Slow cooker instructions are included.
This vegan broccoli cheese soup is rich, loaded with broccoli, and it has the best cheesy flavor! It’s super creamy without using any butter, processed cheese, or heavy cream. If you love satisfying, plant-based, comfort food meals that are easy to make and are ready in less than one hour, you should definitely give this delicious vegan broccoli cheddar soup recipe a try!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This recipe is easy to make with a combination of fresh vegetables and pantry staples. Let's go over the most important ingredients and substitutions if you need them.
- Potatoes - These starchy root veggies make the texture of the soup so thick and creamy! I like to use russet potatoes, but you could also use Yukon gold potatoes.
- Carrots - This ingredient is used for flavor and for color. You can substitute red bell peppers.
- Cashews - These creamy nuts make the soup taste rich and buttery. Make sure to use raw nuts. You can substitute raw sunflower seeds for a similar texture.
- Almond Milk - Nut milk adds to the creaminess of the soup. You can use any plant milk that you have, as long as it's unsweetened and not vanilla-flavored.
Instructions
In a large dutch oven, saute the diced onion and garlic. (Photo 1) Add the potatoes, carrots, raw cashews, salt, and water (Photo 2). Bring it to a simmer and then reduce the heat and let it cook until everything is soft and tender.
Add all of the cooked vegetables, dry seasonings, and almond milk to a high-speed blender (this is the Vitamix blender that I use) and blend it on high until it’s smooth and creamy (Photo 3 & 4).
Pour the cheese sauce back into the pan along with the rest of the almond milk and increase the heat until it's bubbling a little bit (Photo 5). Add the broccoli and let it cook until the broccoli is tender but not mushy (Photo 6).
Recipe Notes
- You don't need to pre-soak the cashews because they'll soften when they're cooking with the potatoes and carrots.
- Depending on how large your blender is, you may need to blend the soup in batches.
- If your blender cup has a vent on the top, remove it before you blend the hot vegetables so the steam can escape. If your blender does not have a vent, you should wait for the hot vegetables to cool completely before blending them.
- Cut the broccoli florets into small, bite-sized pieces so the soup is easier to eat.
- Don't discard the broccoli stems, they are 100% edible! You can cut them into small pieces and add them to the soup along with the rest of the florets. If you only want the florets for this recipe, you can freeze the diced stems and use them to make vegetable barley soup.
Serving Suggestions
I usually serve the vegan broccoli cheddar soup with a couple of slices of toasted crusty bread to dip (or in a bread bowl!) with a side of avocado arugula tomato salad, but you could also serve it drizzled over baked potatoes. If you're in the mood for super comfort food, serve it over rice. Trust me, it's delicious. Any of the following side dishes would be delicious with it too!
- Maple Dijon Brussel Sprouts
- Lemon Garlic Asparagus
- Roasted Beetroot and Feta Salad
- Lemon Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower
How to Store It
Store the leftover vegan broccoli cheddar soup in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You could also freeze leftovers. Put the soup in an airtight and freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer for 2-3 months.
How To Reheat It
Take the soup out of the freezer and let it defrost in the fridge for 24 hours. Then you can reheat the soup in the microwave or in a pot over medium heat on the stovetop. You may need to add a little bit of broth or water to the soup if it's too thick.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
You can make this recipe lower in carbs by substituting cauliflower for the potatoes.
Sure! I often use frozen vegetables instead of fresh and it tastes just as good. You can add the frozen broccoli directly to the soup or you can let it defrost in the fridge overnight if you want to cut it into smaller pieces.
I like to use russet potatoes because they make the soup so creamy once they're cooked and blended with the rest of the ingredients. You could also use Yukon gold potatoes.
Sure! Put all of the ingredients (except for the broccoli) into a large slow cooker and set it to cook on High for 3 hours. Then puree the soup in a blender and pour it back into the slow cooker. Stir in the broccoli, replace the lid, and let it cook for an additional 30 minutes or until the broccoli is tender.
Cut 1 ½ - 2 inches off the bottom because it's tough and fibrous. You can dice the rest of the stems and then add them to the soup or you can freeze them to use for another recipe.
Want more Creamy Soup Recipes?
Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
Equipment
- Large Soup Pot or 6-Qt Dutch Oven
- Blender
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable broth or water (to saute)
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced
- 5 medium garlic cloves minced
- 3 ½ cups russet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 ½ cups carrots sliced
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 3 cups water
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 2 lbs broccoli (fresh or frozen)
Instructions
- In a large 6-qt dutch oven over medium heat, sauté the diced onion in ½ cup of broth or water until it's soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add a little bit more liquid if it gets too dry.
- Next, add the potatoes, carrots, cashews, ½ tsp salt, and 3 cups of water to the pot. Bring it to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium and cover it. Let it cook for 20 minutes or until everything is soft.
- While the vegetables and cashews are cooking, prep the broccoli. If you use the whole broccoli crown, cut 1 ½ - 2 inches off the bottom of the stem (it's really tough and fibrous) and then dice the rest of the stem. You don't need to peel it first. Cut the florets into small, bite-sized pieces.
- Carefully transfer the vegetable and cashew mixture to a large blender cup along with 1 cup almond milk, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, paprika, turmeric, ½ tsp salt, and black pepper. Blend on high until it’s smooth and creamy. You may need to work in batches if your blender cup isn't big enough.
- Pour the puree back into the pot and stir in the remaining 3 cups of almond milk. Increase the heat to medium and bring the soup to a low simmer. Chop the broccoli into small pieces and put it into the pot. Let it cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the broccoli is tender but not mushy.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or you can freeze it for 2-3 months.
Notes
- You don't need to soak the cashews because they'll soften while they're cooking with the potatoes and carrots.
- If your blender cup has a vent on the top, remove it before you blend the hot vegetables so the steam can escape. If your blender does not have a vent, you should wait for the hot vegetables to cool completely before blending them.
- If you prefer your broccoli to be on the softer/mushier side, you should steam it first before adding it to the soup.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally posted on 5/2/17 but I updated it on 2/23/21.
