This Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe is comfort food at it's best. There's lots of broccoli and grated carrot for extra flavor. Only 30 minutes to a fantastic broccoli cheese soup vegan style.
Are you looking for a comforting soup that has more heft to it than other cream soups? Well, this vegan soup is just that recipe.
It's a creamy vegan broccoli soup that is filled with texture. It's not hard to make and you only need about 30 minutes.
Blended vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, and cashews make a thick and cheesy flavor that is stirred into the base.
Unsweetened almond milk makes it creamy too. You can substitute coconut milk or coconut cream if you prefer those dairy free flavors. They are both equally delicious. Just make sure you buy the unsweetened varieties.
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Broccoli cheddar soup is extremely popular and I like the addition of 'cashew cheese' instead of store-bought vegan cheese. It really makes the soup creamy and the broccoli florets add to the texture,
Broccoli cheese soup vegan ingredients
- Raw cashews make a creamy cheese base.
- Nutritional yeast turns the cashews into a cheesy flavor.
- Vegetable broth thins out the cheese and the soup.
- Dairy-free butter is best for making the roux.
- Yellow onion is best for the flavor of this soup.
- All-purpose flour thickens the dairy-free butter so the creamy soup can be created,
- Unsweetened dairy-free milk adds more creaminess. You can switch out half of this for the thicker canned coconut milk/cream.
- Broccoli florets add a delicious and healthy texture.
- Carrots add a mildly sweetened texture that balances perfectly with the 'cheesy' flavor.
- Paprika, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt, and pepper adds flavor, flavor, and more flavor.
How to make broccoli cheese soup
- Place the raw cashews, nutritional yeast, and 2 cups of the vegetable broth in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Melt the dairy-free butter at medium-high heat in a large stockpot and add the diced onion. Sauté until soft and translucent. About 4 to 5 minutes. Stirring frequently.
- Add the flour and stir and cook over medium heat for about a minute. This cooks out the raw taste of the flour.
- Slowly whisk in the dairy free milk and then the remaining vegetable broth. It will thicken as it heats up.
- Cook stirring constantly until it thickens and add all of the spices. If it seems too thick you can add a touch more liquid.
- Stir in the broccoli, grated carrot, and the blended 'cashew cheese'.
- Continue to cook over medium heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the broccoli is fork tender.
- Serve hot.
FAQ's
Yes! That is often done. After the soup is done let it cool quite a bit and then blend it in a blender until smooth. If it is hot it may 'explode' up out of the top when starting to blend. This probably has to be done in two or three batches. Then reheat.
Yes, but this will take a little more time. Pare the stems and chop small. Steam or sauté about 10 minutes until partially cooked. Then they can be added in the soup when the florets are added.
I really wouldn't. It may not melt and the flavor may not be up to par for a soup. If you have a vegan cheddar cheese that you love then you can try it. An immersion blender will probably make it smooth if it doesn't melt.
Yes, if you didn't use coconut milk as the dairy free milk. Not the one in the can but carton coconut milk. It tends to get grainy when frozen in soups.
Chefs tips
- Dice the onion small so that there aren't any large pieces. You want the onion but not in chunks.
- If you'd like to have the complete recipe creamy you can use an immersion blender when everything is done.
- You can see the size of the chopped broccoli in the photos. Chop it small like this so it will cook quickly and evenly.
How to store & reheat homemade broccoli soup
- Refrigerator any leftovers for up to 3 days.
- In the microwave, you can put it in a small bowl and cover it loosely with a paper towel. Heat on high 2 minutes and stir. Continue at 30 second increments until the soup is hot.
- If you are heating on the stovetop then pour the soup into a saucepan. Heat over medium high heat stirring occasionally.
More vegan recipes with broccoli
- Roasted Balsamic Broccoli is easy and a very nice side dish.
- A very popular recipe is this Vegan Broccoli Rice Casserole.
- You may have already seen this vegan Apple Broccoli Salad because it's the first one to show up on Pinterest and in Google search. It's that good.
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📋 Recipe
Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 4 tablespoons dairy free butter
- 1 cup Yellow onion - diced small
- ½ cup All-purpose flour
- 4 cups dairy-free milk - unsweetened
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups carrots - grated
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the cashews, nutritional yeast, and 2 cups of the vegetable broth in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Melt the dairy-free butter to medium-high heat in a stockpot and add the diced onion. Sauté until soft and translucent.
- Add the flour and stir and cook over medium heat for about a minute.
- Pour in about half of the broth, whisking as you go. Add in remaining broth, as well as the dairy-free milk, slowly whisking as you pour.
- Cook for about 2-3 minutes, whisking often to get out all the lumps,
- Add in paprika, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt. and pepper.
- Add in the broccoli florets and grated carrots. Cook over medium heat about 10 minutes until the broccoli is fork tender. Stir occasionally.
- Add the blended 'cashew cheese' and heat through.
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Toni
Wow! This is my first time making a vegan 'cheese' soup and it was amazing! I was worried I would do it wrong but your instructions are so easy. Delicious!
Julia
I always imagined cheese to be necessary for this soup but your vegan version is just as tasty. Thank you!
Beth
This looks so delicious and yummy! My family is going to love this recipe! Can't wait to give this a try!
Katie F.
Delicious! I made the soup last night for dinner. The nutritional yeast/cashew cream is healthy and tasty. My husband said "this soup is good." That is very high praise from him. I will be making this soup every week.
Katie F.
I should mention, I used frozen broccoli florets for this recipe and they worked very well. They are great for saving time on weeknights.
Ginny McMeans
That is wonderful Katie! I'm so glad your husband likes it too.
Sue Miles
Didn’t take a long time to prep and good. Turned out delicious! Will make again
Annette
Oh wow! This was great! Thanks for sharing!
Alison
This soup is sooooo good! It will definitely become a regular in my menu rotation. Thank you!