Vegan Broccoli Potato Soup

Comforting, cozy, and full of flavor–this creamy vegan broccoli potato soup is a dream! Hunger-crushing russet potatoes, crisp broccoli, bright tarragon, and pungent scallions swim in a velvety vegan cream-based broth. 

I have to admit, broccoli cheese soup used to be my jam. Thick and creamy soup, ladled into a bread bowl, packed with chunky veggies and savory flavor–yes, please!

In my quest to create a vegan version of that classic comfort food, this broccoli potato soup was born. Instead of dairy cream, I opted to thicken this soup using plant based milk and naturally starchy potatoes. And instead of heaps of cheese, this soup gets plenty of delicious flavor from rich vegan butter, umami-laden veggie broth, and bright citrusy tarragon! 

I still love a good bread bowl of course, but I found that a handful of crusty bread cubes sprinkled atop each bowl of soup before serving is a nice change that turns this soup into a little bit of a lighter meal.

I love how the bread starts soaking up all of the creamy broth, taking on all of those good flavors and textures! Get your spoons ready, this recipe will surely have you going back for seconds. 

Vegan Broccoli Potato Soup Ingredients

• Russet potatoes – Starchy potatoes like russets are great for making a creamy soup like this, but Yukon gold potatoes would work well too. You need about 7 cups worth of chopped potatoes, which is about 5 large potatoes. 
• Broccoli florets – I always use fresh broccoli for this soup when possible, but frozen broccoli does work too. If using frozen, there’s no need to steam the broccoli beforehand, just add it directly to the soup and simmer for 10-15 minutes until tender. 
• Vegan butter – An important ingredient for making the roux–a special butter/flour mixture which makes your soup thick and creamy. You can use any type of vegan butter you like here, salted or unsalted. If using salted, taste and adjust accordingly when adding salt later to the finished soup. 
• All-purpose flour – The other important ingredient for your roux! I recommend sticking with classic AP flour here and not trying to swap in alternatives or flour blends. 
• Dairy-free milk – When added to your roux, non-dairy milk creates an incredibly thick and velvety base in which to suspend your other soup ingredients. I like to use almond milk, but oat milk and soy milk would work well too. Make sure to choose an unsweetened plant milk and avoid any that are flavored by vanilla or other additions. 
• Vegetable broth or stock – I found that using just plant-based milk in this soup made things a little too thick, so adding a balance of vegetable stock helps to create the perfect texture. Plus, veggie broth adds a wonderful savory flavor to this vegetable soup! 
• Fresh scallions – Boasting an onion flavor that is not as sharp nor pungent as actual onions, scallions offer the perfect hit of flavor without overpowering the other ingredients. I also love the way that slices of scallion look in this soup–adding their beautiful green coloring and delicate texture to the mix. 
• Dried tarragon – The bright, lightly licorice-y flavor of tarragon adds a unique and complementary flavor to your creamy vegan broccoli soup.
• Sea salt + Ground black pepper – I add about 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper so I recommend starting with that and then adding more if desired. Use freshly ground black pepper if you have it. 
• Fresh tarragon – For the perfect pop of color on top of each bowl of soup, plus, fresh leaves of tarragon echo the flavors of the dried tarragon that are cooked into the soup itself. 
• Cubed bread or croutons – I like to serve my broccoli potato soup with cubes of crusty bread on top! By all means, skip this garnish if you’d like.

How to Make Vegan Broccoli Potato Soup

1. Prep potatoes. Scrub russet potatoes under cool, running water to remove any dust and dirt. I like to spend a few more minutes than usual here as these potatoes are going into this soup unpeeled! 
2. Dice. Cut the potatoes into chunks that are about 1-inch square, then place them in a large stock pot and add enough cold water to cover them completely. 
3. Boil. Bring the potatoes to a boil on high, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 12 minutes. The potatoes should be pierceable, but still firm, as they will continue cooking in the soup later. Drain the potatoes and set them aside.
4. Steam broccoli. Use a vegetable steamer or basket to steam the broccoli florets for 10 minutes until crisp-tender, then set them aside. 
5. Melt butter. Return your empty stock pot–the same one you used for potatoes and/or broccoli is fine to use again–to medium heat and add your vegan butter, allowing it to melt completely. 
6. Cook flour. Add the flour and stir very well until smoothly combined with the melted butter. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly as it will be prone to burning, until the mixture is bubbly. The idea here is just to cook the raw flavor out of the flour and the mixture should take on a slightly nutty smell when it’s done.

7. Add milk. Gradually stir in dairy free milk until it is well combined with the butter and flour mixture. 
8. Add broth and cook. Pour in the vegetable broth and increase the heat to high. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes. This will make the mixture thick and cohesive. If the soup becomes too thick for your preference, you can add more vegetable broth, ¼ cup at a time.
9. Add veggies and herbs. Gently stir in your cooked potatoes, cooked broccoli, chopped scallion, and dried tarragon. 
10. Finish cooking. Continue cooking the soup over low-medium heat for another 20 minutes or so, until the vegetables are cooked completely and the soup is warmed through. The potatoes and broccoli should be able to be pierced easily with a fork.
11. Season. Add salt and pepper, then taste and adjust as desired. Keep in mind the soup will taste saltier as it cools. 
12. Garnish and serve! Ladle your broccoli potato soup into serving bowls and top each with a few fresh tarragon leaves, bread or croutons, and a bit more black pepper on top if you like. 

Watch Us Make Vegan Broccoli Potato Soup

Chef Tips 

Use a wire whisk to stir your flour into melted butter when making the roux in Step 6. The whisk will help to eliminate any clumps in the flour and create a smooth, cohesive mixture. Using the whisk again in Step 7 to incorporate the non-dairy milk into the roux mixture is also useful and more easily mixes the ingredients together. 

How to Store 

Refrigerating. Allow any leftover broccoli-potato soup to partially cool, then pack it into an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this soup as the texture of the potatoes and broccoli will become unpleasant, and the thick, creamy consistency of the soup will be compromised. 

Reheating. Reheat your soup on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through, making sure to stir often so the soup doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. The soup may be extra thick after storing it, but you can thin it out a bit by adding more vegetable broth to bring it back to the original consistency. Wait until the soup is hot to do any textural adjustments though, because the thickness can be deceiving when the soup is cold.