This thick and creamy vegan broccoli cheese soup recipe is loaded with “cheesy” goodness that will quench your craving for comfort food any night of the week. Kid-friendly, vegan, gluten-free plus there is a nut-free option.
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Giving up cheese was one of the hardest parts for me while transitioning to being 100% vegan.
The only way that I’ve found to stop the cravings is by “veganizing” my favorite cheesy recipes. That means to still make macaroni and cheese or loaded cheesy broccoli stuffed potatoes when you’re craving it but to just make it without dairy cheese.
There’s no reason to give up your favorite comfort foods, you just need to switch up the ingredients. It can be done, I promise. If it’s done right, even the most experienced cheese lover won’t be able to tell that the dish is completely dairy-free.
Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup Without Milk?
Is it possible? Can it be done? Yes, it sure can be done. This soup is proof!
I used to love Panera’s broccoli cheese soup, I would get the large bowl every single time I went. I loved dunking the warm crusty baguette in the hot cheese soup. However, I’m 100% sure that that Panera’s vegetarian broccoli cheddar soup is loaded with heavy cream and dairy cheese– all things that I don’t eat anymore. When I started craving that vegetarian broccoli cheddar soup I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to recreate it without the milk and heavy cream but I did it and it’s delicious. Now, whenever I get that familiar craving, I whip up this vegan broccoli cheese soup and it hits the spot every time.
This soup doesn’t have any faux cheeses, it’s all vegetable based. I like faux cheese shreds for pizza night on quinoa crust pizzas or sprinkled on top of spinach artichoke lasagna but you won’t find it in this vegan broccoli cheese soup.
If you’re craving something cheesy, you need to make this simple vegan broccoli cheese soup ASAP!
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How Do You Make Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup?
This vegan broccoli cheese soup is naturally thick and creamy and it’s all from wholesome plant-based ingredients! I used potatoes and cashews to make it taste super creamy and carrots for the natural yellow color of the broth that we all know and love. Plus a pinch of turmeric to give it an extra yellow color boost.
If you can boil vegetables and use a blender then you can make this vegan broccoli cheese soup!
You can customize this simple vegan broccoli cheese soup recipe however you like– I loaded our soup with tons of broccoli because we love it. You could cut the broccoli in half and add shredded carrots or cauliflower bites, or use up whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. Pretty much anything swimming in “cheese sauce” is sure to be delicious and gobbled up by everyone in the family.
What Can I Serve This Soup WIth?
Travis and I both love this dairy-free cheese soup, it’s one of those meals that makes you feel like you’re getting a big warm hug. Normally, I serve baked or roasted potatoes on the side when we have soup for dinner but since this soup already has potatoes in it, I would go with a lighter option like this zucchini tomato pesto bake or avocado arugula salad.
Other Vegan Soup Recipes that You Might Enjoy
30-Minute Garden Veggie Barley Soup
If you tried this vegan broccoli cheese soup, please remember to post a picture of it on Instagram and let me know what you thought of it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious vegan recipes + our monthly trips to Disney World!
Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1/3 cup raw cashews
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric (For color)
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast (Or more to taste)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup water (Add more if needed)
- 6 cups broccoli florets, chopped small
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Red pepper flakes/cayenne pepper/parsley (Garnish)
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a dutch oven pot and saute the diced onions over medium heat until softened. Add cubed potatoes, carrots, cashews, a pinch of salt and 2 cups of water. Bring it to a low simmer and then cover it and let it cook for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Almost all of the water should be absorbed by now.
- Let the mixture cool slightly before adding it to a blender. Add the vegetable broth, water, paprika, garlic powder, turmeric, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper to the food processor. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Pour the soup back into the original pot and bring it to a boil.
- Chop the broccoli up into bite-size chunks and add it to the blended soup. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover, and let it cook for 5-10 minutes or until the broccoli is soft.
- Garnish each bowl with red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or parsley.
Notes
- You can substitute chickpeas, great northern beans or cannelloni beans for the cashews if you want this recipe to be nut-free.
- You can use frozen broccoli in this recipe but you'll need to cook it first and then just add it to the soup at the end. You can skip bringing the soup to a boil and then letting it simmer for 10 minutes because that step is just to cook the broccoli.
- Feel free to add grated carrots or other vegetables to the soup when you add the broccoli.
Nutrition
What’s your favorite vegan comfort food? Let me know in the comments!
