Creamy and comforting Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup! This simple soup is decadent, rich, creamy, and packed with vegetables. It comes together in a few simple steps and takes less than 1 hour from start to finish.
This is by far the best vegan broccoli cheddar soup that I've had! Super rich, decadent, flavor-packed and it's made with whole food ingredients. Plus, it's easy to make.
This plant-based copycat of Panera's broccoli cheddar soup will be a hit with the whole family!
Serve with homemade croutons or your favorite crusty bread. Perfect for chilly autumn days but can be enjoyed year-round.
Main Ingredients
This vegan broccoli cheese soup is made with a base of vegetable broth, cashew cream, and tons of vegetables! It's creamy and satisfying. You'll never guess it's dairy-free.
- Yellow Onion
- Shredded Carrots
- White Potatoes
- Broccoli
- Vegetable Broth
- Vegan Cheese
- Cashews
- Nutritional Yeast
Ingredient Notes
- Yellow Onion & Garlic Cloves: Flavor! These ingredients are a staple when it comes to making soups.
- All-Purpose Flour: Just a touch to help thicken the soup.
- Shredded Carrots: Shredded is preferred over diced unless you want big chunks of carrots.
- White Potatoes: Potatoes add a creamy, nice texture. It also helps bulk up the soup and makes it super filling and wonderful. Everything is better with potatoes! Am I wrong?
- Broccoli: The star of the show! I prefer fresh over frozen.
- Vegetable Broth: The liquid base of our soup! I used Better than Bouillon vegetable base.
- Seasonings: I used seasonings such as Paprika, Ground Mustard, Salt, Black Pepper, and Pinch of Cayenne Pepper!
- Vegan Cheese: Just a bit to get an extra cheesy flavor. You can omit it if you don't have or want it.
Cashew Cream:
The creamy base of our dairy-free broccoli cheddar soup is cashews. When blended, cashews become extra creamy and delicious!
Soak the cashews ahead of time to save time and get this soup on the table in under 40 minutes!
- Cashews: Cashews are my favorite ingredient to blend into sauces- so creamy and rich in flavor!
- Water: Water will create a creamy cashew sauce.
- Nutritional Yeast: Our broccoli cheese soup gets its cheesy flavor from nutritional yeast! The added vegan cheese is simply a bonus- do not omit the nutritional yeast.
How to Make This Recipe
This creamy cheesy broccoli soup is easy to whip up and makes for great leftovers!
Bring a cup of water to a boil. Add the cashews to a heat-safe bowl and pour the hot water over the cashews- allow to soak for 30 minutes.
To a large pot on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and finely diced onions. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until onions are soft and translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in the all-purpose flour until the oil has absorbed the flour.
Stir in the shredded carrots, potatoes, broccoli, vegetable broth, paprika, ground mustard, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Blend the soaked cashews with the nutritional yeast and two cups of water- I used just water but you could use 1 cup of water and 1 cup of non-dairy milk. Blend until smooth.
Add the cashew cream to the soup and stir to combine.
Bring the soup to a boil then reduce to a simmer over medium-low for 20 to 25 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. Stir in the vegan cheese!
Divide into serving bowls and top with extra vegan cheese, fresh parsley, and croutons!
Tips & Tricks
Prep the vegetables! Preparing ahead and chopping the onions, garlic, potatoes, carrots, and broccoli ahead of time will make the soup-making process go a lot smoother. Highly recommend always prepping and measuring out all your ingredients before cooking.
Soak the cashews! We want the soup to be extra smooth and creamy. If we don't soak the cashews, we risk the soup being gritty. Soak the cashews ahead of time to save time and get this soup on the table in under 40 minutes!
Substitutions & Additions
Make it with frozen broccoli: You can use frozen broccoli in replace fresh broccoli. Just keep in mind the end result will be mushier.
Make it thinner: Add a splash of vegetable broth or water.
Make it gluten-free: Simply swap the all-purpose flour with gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Omit the vegan cheese: Don't have vegan cheese? No worries! The nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor so omitting the vegan cheese will not alter the flavor.
Make it nut-free: The creamy base of this soup is made with cashews and I haven't tested it without. You could try coconut milk but it would be thinner in consistency.
Serving Ideas
Top it with something crunchy: Roast broccoli and add to the top or make fresh croutons!
As a side: Serve with a salad or sandwich!
As a main: Serve this broccoli cheese soup as a main with a piece of your favorite crusty bread.
Storage
Storage: Allow to cool completely and then store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Reheating: Simply reheat in the microwave or stovetop until warmed through.
Freezing: Allow to cool completely and freeze for up to 2 months- allow to thaw before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Keep in mind that the broccoli will end up mushier and will probably break apart but will still be delicious.
I haven't personally tried to make this broccoli cheddar soup without cashews but you could try canned coconut milk.
I used Whole Foods Brand Cheddar Shreds but Violife, Follow Your Heart, and Daiya are good options.
More Soup Recipes You’ll Love
If You Make This Recipe:
I would greatly appreciate it if you share your review in the comments below and leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating. I really appreciate it- it helps me out so much! Don’t forget to add if you made any fun substitutions. Thank you!
Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
Broccoli Cheese Soup:
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion finely diced
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves
- 2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Shredded Carrots
- 2 cups White Potatoes diced
- 4 cups Broccoli
- 4 cups Vegetable Broth
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Ground Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Salt more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
- ¾ cup Vegan Cheddar Cheese more for garnish
Cashew Cheese Sauce:
- 1 cup Cashews softened
- 2 cups Water
- ½ cup Nutritional Yeast
Instructions
- Bring a cup of water to a boil. Add the cashews to a heat-safe bowl and pour the hot water over the cashews- allow to soak for 30 minutes.
- To a large pot on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and finely diced onions. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until onions are soft and translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir in the all-purpose flour until the oil has absorbed the flour.
- Stir in the shredded carrots, potatoes, broccoli, vegetable broth, paprika, ground mustard, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Blend the soaked cashews with the nutritional yeast and the two cups of water. Blend until smooth.
- Add the cashew cream to the soup and stir to combine.
- Bring the soup to a boil then reduce to a simmer over medium-low for 20 to 25 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.
- Stir in the vegan cheese- keep a little for the top! Taste and adjust the salt to your preference.
- Divide into serving bowls and top with extra vegan cheese, fresh parsley, and croutons!
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