This easy to make, 30-minute vegan broccoli cheese soup recipe is rich and creamy and it will quench your craving for comfort food any night of the week.
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This easy vegan broccoli cheese soup is super-rich, extra creamy, loaded with broccoli, and it has the best cheesy flavor! It’s everything that you want in a cheesy soup without using any butter, processed cheese, or dairy-based heavy cream.
If you love satisfying comfort food meals that are easy to make and are ready in 30 minutes, this delicious cheesy broccoli soup is perfect for you!
How To Make Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
Begin by sautéing the diced onion in 2-3 tbsps of low-sodium vegetable broth until translucent, about 5 minutes or until soft (Photo 1).
Add the diced potatoes, sliced carrots, raw cashews, minced garlic, and two cups of water (Photo 2). Bring it to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover it. Let it cook for 20 minutes or until everything is soft and tender (Photo 3).
Add all of the cooked ingredients, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and vegetable broth 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 4 & 5).
Pour the cheese sauce back into the pan and bring it to a low simmer (Photo 6). Add the fresh or frozen broccoli florets (Photo 7) and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes or until it’s cooked to your desired preference (Photo 8). Don’t let the broccoli overcook, you want it to keep its bright green color.
Taste the loaded potato broccoli cheese soup and add more salt to taste if you like. Based on your preference, you might want to add more vegetable broth. I prefer a thicker soup because the consistency reminds me of my favorite Panera’s dairy-based broccoli cheese soup but it’s up to you. Garnish with red pepper flakes, fresh parsley, or chives (Photo 9).
Is This Soup Low-Carb?
No, this vegan broccoli cheddar soup recipe is not low-carb but you can make it low-carb! All you have to do it replace the two potatoes with a medium head of cauliflower. It won’t turn out as thick but it will still be a creamy and delicious vegan broccoli cauliflower soup. You may also like this low-carb creamy Thai cauliflower soup.
What Goes With It?
Serve the vegan cheesy broccoli soup with crusty bread for dipping and a big avocado arugula tomato salad, or garlic roasted brussel sprouts, lemon garlic roasted asparagus, or oil-free roasted radishes for a low-carb option.
How Long Does It Last In The Refrigerator?
You can store the leftover broccoli cheddar soup in the fridge for 4-5 days, freeze the leftovers for a future meal, or make my personal childhood favorite meal…cheezy loaded baked potatoes! Simply pour the leftover cheesy soup over hot baked potatoes for a super delicious and comforting meal.
Can I Freeze It?
Put the soup in an airtight and freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer for 4-6 months. To reheat the soup, put the container in the fridge to defrost for 24 hours and then warm it up in the microwave or on the stovetop. You may need to add a little bit of water or vegetable broth if it’s too thick.
Notes & Substitutions
- Can I Use Frozen Broccoli? You can use fresh or frozen broccoli florets in this soup. If you use frozen broccoli, use two 12 oz packages of small broccoli florets.
- What Type of Potato Should I Use? Russet potatoes are the best potatoes to use for this soup. When the potatoes break down, they make the soup super creamy and thick.
- Carrot Substitute: You can use butternut squash or sweet potatoes instead of carrots.
- Fresh Garlic Substitute: You can substitute 1 tsp (more to taste) of garlic powder for the fresh cloves. This is my favorite organic garlic powder because it has an attached grinder cap so the garlic powder actually tastes like fresh garlic!
Success Tips
- The turmeric powder is for color, not flavor. 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder gives the perfect yellow tint to the soup. Don’t add any more or it will turn into a highlighter yellow colored soup. Trust me, I’ve done it!
- I usually soak cashews before cooking with them, but you don’t need to soak the cashews this time because they’re cooked with the potatoes and carrots.
- Store the leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or you can freeze it for a future meal. Add more vegetable broth when you reheat it to thin the soup out if it’s too thick.
More Healthy Vegan Soup Recipes You’ll Love
Hearty Vegetable White Bean Cabbage Soup
Chunky Jackfruit White Bean Stew
Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 medium russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp turmeric (For color)
- 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast (Or more to taste)
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (Add more if needed)
- 1 1/2 lbs small broccoli florets (Fresh or frozen - about 8 cups)
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink sea salt
- black pepper to taste
- red pepper flakes/parsley/chives (Garnish)
Instructions
- Begin by sautéing the diced onion in 2-3 tbsps of low-sodium vegetable broth in a dutch oven until translucent, for about 5 minutes.
- Add the diced potatoes, sliced carrots, raw cashews, minced garlic, and two cups of water. Bring it to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover it. Let it cook for 20 minutes or until everything is soft and tender
- Add all of the cooked ingredients, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and vegetable broth to a high-speed blender (this is the Vitamix blender that I use) and blend it on high until it’s smooth and creamy.
- Pour the cheese sauce back into the pan and bring it to a low simmer. Add the fresh or frozen broccoli florets and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes or until it's to your desired preference. Don't let the broccoli overcook, you want it to keep it's bright green color.
- Taste the soup and add more salt to taste if you like. Based on your preference, you might want to add more vegetable broth to thin it out. Garnish each bowl with red pepper flakes, fresh parsley, or chives.
Notes
- The turmeric powder is for color, not flavor. 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder gives the perfect yellow tint to the soup. Don’t add any more or it will turn into a highlighter yellow colored soup. Trust me, I've done it!
- I usually soak cashews before cooking with them, but you don't need to soak the cashews this time because they're cooked with the potatoes and carrots.
- Store the leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or you can freeze it for a future meal. Add more vegetable broth when you reheat it to thin the soup out if it’s too thick.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally posted on 5/2/17 but I updated it with new pictures and better recipe instructions on 8/11/19.
