Try this vegan broccoli cheese soup for a cosy dinner that's savoury, flavourful and rich. You won't believe how cheesy this tastes, without the addition of cheese! Gluten-free, oil-free, made in less than 30 minutes.
I'm quite ashamed of how long it took me to try the magic that is broccoli cheese soup. In fact, I'm disappointed at the fact that I don't make rich, thick, creamy soups more often. When I do, it pretty much makes my day. No matter how bad of a mood I'm in, soup is always there for me.
I definitely suggest you guys try this one out! In particular if you're like me and craving healthier comfort food 24/7. I feel like my blog has evolved a lot since the time I started, but what deffo hasn't changed is my love for rich comfort food that's packed full of flavour and wholesome ingredients ...
Vegan broccoli cheese soup
... and that's precisely what you're getting yourself into here. It'll be hard to have any leftovers left because it's the sort of dish you'll want to have all to yourself, at once. And of course, with no one stopping you, you can go ahead and tuck right in!
The magic ingredient here is cashews, paired with potatoes and carrots. They work together to create a really deep, intensely cheesy flavour and a silky smooth texture. To get the texture as smooth as possible, be sure to soak the cashews properly beforehand and/or use a high-speed blender.
Another key to getting the cheesiness on point is, of course, nutritional yeast. Every vegan's secret ingredient, and the best thing since sliced bread. Plus, it's pretty much impossible to overdo nutritional yeast - after all, the cheesier, the better!
This soup is also very versatile: if you have any veggies sitting in the fridge that the recipe doesn't mention, feel free to add them in! I also love adding a tin or so of beans for extra plant protein.
What you'll need
- White potatoes. Any white/gold potato variety will work here.
- Carrots.
- White onion. Red onion works too.
- Cabbage. Either red or white cabbage works great.
- Mushrooms. Use either ordinary button mushrooms or chestnut mushrooms.
- Broccoli - of course!
- Water.
- Plant based milk. Any unsweetened variety works in this recipe.
- Tamari. Use soy sauce if not avoiding gluten, or coconut aminos for a soy-free version.
- Cashews. If using a high speed blender soak them for at least an hour or boil in a saucepan for 15 minutes. If not using a high speed blender, soak for at least 4 hours.
- Nutritional yeast.
- Turmeric.
- Pink Himalayan salt.
- Lemon juice.
- Kale.
That's it! You can also customise this recipe by adding any other vegetables of your choice to the soup.
How to make the best dairy-free cheese soup
STEP 1: Start by boiling the carrot and potatoes in a saucepan for 12-15 minutes, until fork tender.
STEP 2: Meanwhile, add the onion and cabbage to a different saucepan and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until they start to soften. Then, add the mushrooms and sauté for a further 2 minutes.
STEP 3: Add the broccoli, water, 1 cup of the plant based milk and tamari. Stir together and leave to simmer for 5-7 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green and soft.
STEP 4: Once the potatoes and carrots are cooked, drain them, but retain and set aside ½ cup of the cooking water. Transfer the vegetables to a blender or food processor together with the rest of the plant based milk, cashews, nutritional yeast, turmeric, salt, lemon juice, and the cooking water. Blend until very smooth.
STEP 5: Stir the 'cheese' sauce into the saucepan with the broccoli. Simmer for a further 5 or so minutes to allow the soup to thicken, adding the kale around half way through to allow it to wilt.
Storing and freezing broccoli cheese soup
This soup makes delicious leftovers! Store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheat as needed. It's also freezer-friendly.
You'll love this recipe!
This broccoli cheese soup is:
- Creamy and smooth
- Savoury
- Full of bold flavours
- Very cheesy, with no cheese
- Ridiculously easy
- Great for batch-cooking
- Made with wholesome ingredients
- Ideal for meal prep
- Gluten-free
- Oil-free
Loved this? You might enjoy the following vegan soup recipes:
- Wild rice soup with jackfruit
- French onion soup
- Curry soup with tofu
- Noodle soup with roasted chickpeas
Let me know: what's your favourite plant based substitute for cheese? If you give this vegan broccoli cheese soup a go, be sure to tag me on Instagram (earthofmariaa) so I can see your creations, and leave your feedback with a star rating in the comments below.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 ½ cups cabbage, chopped
- 1 ½ cups button mushrooms, chopped
- 3 cups broccoli
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ cups plant based milk
- 2 tablespoon tamari
- 1 cup cashews, (see recipe notes on soaking)
- 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
- 1 lemon , juice of
- 1 ½ cups kale, de-stemmed and chopped
Instructions
- Start by boiling the carrot and potatoes in a saucepan for 12-15 minutes, until fork tender.
- Meanwhile, add the onion and cabbage to a different saucepan and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until they start to soften. Then, add the mushrooms and sauté for a further 2 minutes.
- Add the broccoli, water, 1 cup of the plant based milk and tamari. Stir together and leave to simmer for 5-7 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green and soft.
- Once the potatoes and carrots are cooked, drain them, but retain and set aside ½ cup of the cooking water. Transfer the vegetables to a blender or food processor together with the cashews, nutritional yeast, turmeric, salt, the rest of the plant based milk, lemon juice, and the cooking water. Blend until very smooth.
- Stir the 'cheese' sauce into the saucepan with the broccoli. Simmer for a further 5 or so minutes to allow the soup to thicken, adding the kale around half way through to allow it to wilt.
Video
Nutrition (estimated per serving)
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