Satisfy your craving for comfort food with this super creamy and ultra cheesy vegan broccoli cheddar soup! This soup is made with all plant-based ingredients, it's ready in less than 1 hour, and it can be made in the slow cooker.
This delicious vegan soup is rich, loaded with broccoli, and it has the best cheesy cheddar flavor! It’s super creamy without using any butter, processed vegan cheddar 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 recipe a try!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This broccoli cheddar soup 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. Cauliflower can be used for a low-carb option.
- Carrots - This ingredient is used for flavor and for color to make it look like cheddar cheese. You can substitute red bell peppers.
- Cashews - These buttery nuts make the soup taste so rich and creamy. You can substitute raw sunflower seeds for a similar texture.
- Nutritional Yeast - This is what gives broccoli soup its cheesy cheddar flavor!
- Almond Milk - Nut milk adds to the creaminess of the soup. You can use any nut milk that you have, as long as it's unsweetened and not vanilla-flavored.
- Broccoli - You can use fresh or frozen broccoli to make this soup.
- Turmeric - A little bit of turmeric gives this soup the perfect yellow cheddar cheese color!
How to Make It
In a large dutch oven, saute the diced onion and garlic. (Photo 1) Add the potatoes, carrots, 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, apple cider vinegar, and almond milk to a high-speed blender and blend it on high until it’s smooth and creamy (Photos 3 & 4). It should look like melted cheddar cheese.
Pour the "cheddar 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 lemon juice and let it cook until the broccoli is tender but not mushy (Photo 6).
Serving Suggestions
I usually serve the vegan broccoli cheddar soup with a couple slices of toasted crusty bread to dip or in a bread bowl with a side of avocado arugula tomato salad. Any of the following side dishes would be great with it too!
- Maple Dijon Brussel Sprouts
- Lemon Garlic Asparagus
- Roasted Beetroot and Feta Salad
- Lemon Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower
If you have any leftovers, I like to drizzle the broccoli and cheddar cheese soup over baked potatoes or rice with extra broccoli and great northern beans or chickpeas. Trust me, it's delicious!
Success Tips
- You don't need to pre-soak the cashews because they'll soften when they're cooking with the potatoes and carrots.
- You can also use an immersion stick to blend the soup, but it might take a little bit longer to get a smooth texture.
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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.
The vegan cheddar cheese sauce in this soup is made with veggies! You can add shredded vegan cheddar cheese if you want, but it's not necessary. It really won't add anything to the flavor or texture of this soup.
How To Store It
Store the leftover soup in the fridge for 2-3 days. You could also freeze leftover soup. Put the soup in an airtight and freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer for 2-3 months.
When you're ready to eat it, take the broccoli and cheddar cheese 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.
Want More Creamy Vegan Recipes?
- Vegan Cashew Ranch Dressing
- Vegan Cream Cheese (Made with sunflower seeds!)
- Zesty Vegan Cauliflower Cheese Sauce
- Vegan Cheddar Macaroni Cheese
- Vegan Zuppa Toscana
Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Equipment
- Large Stock Pot or 6-Qt Dutch Oven
- Blender
Ingredients
- ½ cup 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
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp chili pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 2 lbs broccoli (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
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.
- Let the veggie and cashew mixture cool a little bit before you transfer it to the blender. Depending on the size of your blender cup, you may need to work in batches if it isn't big enough.
- Carefully transfer the cooked vegetable and cashew mixture to a large blender cup along with 1 cup almond milk, ½ cup nutritional yeast, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp turmeric, ¼ tsp chili pepper flakes, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp black pepper. Blend on high until it’s smooth and creamy.
- 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.
- Finish with 2 tbsp of lemon juice and add more salt and pepper to taste. Add more broth or water if the soup is too thick.
Where does the apple cider vinegar get added in? I don't show it noted in the instructions
Thank you!
Hi Erin! Sorry about that, you add it with the rest of the ingredients when pureeing the vegetable mixture in the blender.
Hi I know I’ve made this several times before but I don’t remember it calling for almond milk. Did you update/change the recipe?
Hello! Yes, I did update the recipe because I made it recently with almond milk instead of vegetable broth and I thought the almond milk made it so much creamier. You could definitely use broth if you prefer.
I just made this soup for the first time today! I had 6 of us together and they all absolutely loved it! It is gone so I will be making more very soon! Thank you for a great recipe!!!! 🙂
Thank you, Venita! I'm so happy you all enjoyed it!
Your delicious recipe looks so much healthier AND tastier than Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup which we all loved years ago! I love how you updated it and made it even more nutritious without skimping on flavor! Can't wait to make this for my family! Thank you -- You make it seem easy to do too!
Thank you!
Why wouldn't you just use an immersion blender? 5 minute prep time, eh? I guess Jesus was helping you
Hi, KJ! I don't use an immersion blender to blend the soup because I don't think it makes the soup as smooth as a regular blender does. Plus, it takes longer to blend with an immersion blender rather than a quick blitz in the blender. You can definitely use an immersion blender if you prefer, but it will take you a lot longer.
I'm sorry that it took you longer than 5 minutes to chop the veggies for the soup, maybe Jesus was helping me chop quickly LOL
Really yummy. This is my first vegan 'cheese' soup and it turned out really well. If using fresh broccoli it would be best to steam it first. Would add 1/4t cayenne next go round too. Took me 45-55 minutes to prepare start to finish.
I'm so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, Heather! Thank you for the feedback!
I made this on a snowy night recently and it was absolutely delcious! I added a few cloves of garlic and extra nutritional yeast to taste and used an immersion blender. Great comfort food on a cold, snowy night!!
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it =)
Anyone ever make an Instant Pot Version, then blend with immersion blender after everything is cooked?
Could cashew milk be substituted for cashews? I can’t find any raw unsalted cashews where I live.
Hello! Unfortunately, the soup won't turn out the same if you sub cashew milk for raw cashews. The blended raw cashews give it a very thick and creamy texture. Could you order the cashews online, I've bought them from Amazon before. Hope that helps!
Stacey, I just made this soup for lunch and it’s Amazing! The one thing I miss is Cheese and haven’t found any brands that are a good replacement. Thanks for your creative ideas. This recipe is one I plan to repeat often.
Thank you so much for the feedback, I'm so happy that you enjoyed the recipe! As far as store-bought vegan cheese goes, have you tried Follow Your Heart or Chao? Those are my two favorites, hope that helps!
Hi Stacey,
This soup sounds really good and nutritious. What I really want to know is where you got those gorgeous blue bowls/casserole dishes?
Hi! Thank you, I love them too! I found them at Home Goods last a few years ago, they probably don't have the same ones now but they always have pretty plates and bowls to choose from!
Thanks for sharing! Where can I buy nutritional yeast? How long does it last?
Hi Suzanne! You can buy nutritional yeast on Amazon or any health food stores like Whole Foods will have it! I buy it from the bulk section at my local organic market and I've kept it for a few months with no issues.
Yum ! This looks so good! I haven't gone in to soaking cashews yet in my vegan journey, but think I will for this recipe!
It's so worth it, cashews make the soup so creamy!! Enjoy!!