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    Home » Recipes » Soups

    Vegan Jalapeno Popper Soup

    Published: May 27, 2020 · Modified: Jan 13, 2023 by Rosa · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

    3.2K shares
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    Jalapeno popper soup pin
    Jalapeno popper soup pin

    A vegan jalapeno popper soup for a fun and wholesome twist on a classic appetizer. A bowl of veggies, an incredibly delicious vegan cheddar sauce, and spicy jalapenos make a winning combo! It’s wholesome, filling, satisfying, and ready in 35 minutes.

    close up of white handled bowl with jalapeno popper soup in it
    This recipe was originally published in November 2018. It has been updated for content and photos.

    Just like my healthy jalapeno popper dip, this jalapeno popper soup is made using a cauliflower base, it’s spicy, and it’s delicious.

    And yes, you’re going to love it!

    Jump to:
    • Why you’ll love this
    • How to make it
    • Storage
    • Substitutions + Variations
    • Expert Tips
    • More delicious vegan soup recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why you’ll love this

    • It’s the most wholesome jalapeno popper soup you’ll ever come across, using cauliflower for the bulk of the soup.
    • Flavoured in a rich and creamy cheese sauce made using cashews, nutritional yeast, and seasoning.
    • It’s low in calories for a generous portion at around 270 calories a bowl, including 11g of protein!
    • Do you want something actually spicy? You got it! This soup is the real deal, there’s nothing mild about the spice level here. (That said, feel free to decrease the jalapenos for less spice, if preferred!)
    • This jalapeno popper soup is hearty, filling, satisfying, and totally delicious!

    How to make it

    (This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)

    Gather the soup ingredients, peel your garlic, quarter your onion and peppers and break the cauliflower into florets.

    ingredients to make vegan jalapeno popper soup: cauliflower, red pepper, jalapenos, corn, broth, onion, garlic, butter

    To your food processor, add the onion, garlic, red pepper, and jalapenos and process until finely chopped. (photos 1-2)

    onion, garlic and peppers being processed in food processor

    Melt the butter (if using) in a large pot and add the processed ingredients. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened and reduced. (photos 3-4)

    sauteing onion, garlic and peppers to make jalapeno popper soup

    Meanwhile, process your cauliflower into crumbly, but chunky pieces. Do not over-process. You don’t want to puree the cauliflower, so keep it chunky, and work in batches, as needed. (photos 5-6)

    processing cauliflower in food processor

    Now add the cauliflower, corn, and broth to your pot and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. (photos 7-8)

    pot of soup with corn, cauliflower, red pepper and jalapeno

    While the soup is cooking, gather your vegan cheese sauce ingredients.

    ingredients to make vegan cheese sauce: cashews, broth, seasoning, nutritional yeast, vinegar and tamari

    Add them all to a high-speed blender and process until smooth. (photos 9-10)

    NOTE: If you don’t have a high-speed blender, be sure to soak your cashews in hot water for at least 30 minutes first.

    making vegan cheese sauce in blender with cashews and seasoning

    When the soup is cooked, turn off the heat and pour in your cheese sauce and mix well. (photos 11-12)

    pouring vegan cheese sauce into pot of soup

    Serve garnished with extra jalapeno slices, and enjoy.

    hand holding white mug filled with jalapeno popper soup

    Storage

    Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

    I haven’t tried freezing this one yet, but I suspect it would freeze well. Freeze in an airtight container, and remember to leave a little room to allow for expansion.

    Substitutions + Variations

    • Adjust the spice level to your preference. We like ours very spicy, but if you want a more subtle spice, use fewer jalapenos, and remove the seeds for an even milder level of spiciness.
    • Adjust the seasoning. Always season to your taste. Just because a recipe calls for half a teaspoon of salt, feel free to adjust. If you want added smoky flavour, up the smoked paprika as well.
    • Make it oil free. Omit the butter or margarine and sauté using water or broth instead.
    • For nut free. You may sub the cashews with sunflower seeds, with similar results. Cashews provide a little more richness, but if you can’t have cashews, sunflower seeds make a good substitution.
    • For corn free. You may simply omit the corn or replace it with some diced carrots to add some colour and a touch of sweetness.

    Expert Tips

    1. Soak the cashews. If you don’t have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, soak your cashews first. Boil some water in a kettle or on the stovetop and soak the cashews for 30 minutes. Then drain and use. Soaking the cashews makes them soften up and allows a less powerful blender to process them.
    2. Do not over-process the cauliflower. Work in batches if needed to prevent the cauliflower from turning to mush. You want some nice hearty texture here.
    3. Want a smooth soup instead? Don’t bother with your food processor, just roughly chop everything. Cook as directed, and then use an immersion or stick blender to puree your soup before adding in the vegan cheese sauce.

    More delicious vegan soup recipes

    • close up of bowl of broccoli potato soup
      Healthy Broccoli Potato Soup
    • Two bowls of vegetable soup with lemon slice on top.
      Healthy Vegan Zuppa Toscana
    • bowl of tomato soup with basil garnish on top
      Vegan Tomato Bisque [with fresh tomatoes!]
    • Bowl of soup with sweet potato, mushrooms, zucchini, chickpeas and crushed peanuts and cilantro on top.
      Instant Pot Peanut Soup w/ Chickpeas

    If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.

    Buon appetito

    Rosa

    📖 Recipe

    white soup mug with vegan jalapeno popper soup inside

    Vegan Jalapeno Popper Soup

    Jalapeno popper soup combines vegan cheese sauce and jalapenos for a spicy, delicious bite! It's wholesome, filling, satisfying, and ready in 35 minutes!
    5 from 28 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Add to Collection Go to Collections
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American, Canadian
    Servings: 6 Servings
    Calories: 271kcal

    Equipment

    Food Processor
    Picture of blender on white background.
    Vitamix Blender

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon vegan butter or margarine use water or broth for oil free
    • 1 yellow or red onion quartered
    • 2 cloves garlic peeled
    • 1 red bell pepper quartered
    • 3-4 jalapenos halved, seeds removed for less spice
    • 1 cauliflower broken into large florets
    • 1 cup corn frozen or canned
    • 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth

    Vegan Cheese Sauce

    • 1.5 cups raw cashews
    • 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
    • 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
    • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
    • 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce if not avoiding gluten
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Add the onion, garlic, red pepper and jalapenos to your food processor and pulse until very finely chopped.
    • In a large sauce pot, add the butter or margarine if using, and melt over medium heat. (Or use water or broth if avoiding oil.) Then add the finely chopped veggies you just processed to the pot and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until softened and reduced.
    • Meanwhile, add the cauliflower to the same processor and pulse until broken down, without over processing or pureeing. You want some chunkier pieces. Work in batches if needed.
    • Add the processed cauliflower, along with the broth and corn to the pot and mix well. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes.
    • While the soup is simmering, prepare your vegan cheese sauce. Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender and process until smooth.
    • Turn off the heat, pour in the cheese sauce and mix well. Taste for salt and pepper and add more if necessary. Then serve garnished with jalapeno slices, if desired.

    Notes

    Adjust the spice level to your preference. We like ours very spicy, but if you want a more subtle spice, use less jalapenos, and remove the seeds for an even milder level of spiciness.
    Adjust the seasoning. Always season to your taste. Just because a recipe calls for half a teaspoon of salt, feel free to adjust. If you want added smoky flavour, up the smoked paprika as well.
    Make it oil free. Omit the butter or margarine and sauté using water or broth instead.
    For nut free. You may sub the cashews with sunflower seeds, with similar results. Cashews provide a little more richness, but if you can’t have cashews, sunflower seeds make a good substitution.
    For corn free. You may simply omit the corn or replace it with some diced carrots to add some colour and a touch of sweetness.
    Soak the cashews. If you don’t have a high speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, soak your cashews first. Soak them in boiling hot water from a kettle or on stove top and soak them for 30 minutes. Then drain and use. Soaking the cashews makes them soften up and allows a less powerful blender to process them.
    Do not over process the cauliflower. Work in batches if needed to prevent the cauliflower from turning to mush. You want some nice hearty texture here.
    Want a smooth soup instead? Don’t bother with your food processor, just roughly chop everything. Cook as directed, and then use an immersion or stick blender to puree your soup before adding in the vegan cheese sauce.
    Leftovers keep refrigerated for 3-4 days, just store in an airtight container, then reheat and enjoy.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 657mg | Potassium: 692mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 962IU | Vitamin C: 82mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 4mg
    DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE?Mention @this.healthy.kitchen on IG and tag #thishealthykitchen!
    *Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools and does not include optional ingredients unless otherwise indicated.
    3.2K shares

    Reader Interactions

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    1. Cindy

      March 13, 2023 at 11:34 pm

      5 stars
      This was easy to make and really delicious! My husband can’t do nooch, so I added it to my bowl afterwards and it was great. That “ cheese” sauce was so good, I could make it and use it in other things too! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Rosa

        March 14, 2023 at 9:34 am

        You’re welcome, Cindy. So glad you enjoyed it. 🙂

        Reply
    2. LaVon Lockner

      December 21, 2022 at 5:30 pm

      5 stars
      This is a winner! so easy and fast to have a meal on the table in no time.. truly comfort food.. I will be making this again and again..Thank you

      Reply
      • Rosa

        December 22, 2022 at 8:18 am

        You’re so very welcome LaVon! Thrilled you enjoyed it. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Pamela

      December 09, 2022 at 10:59 pm

      5 stars
      This was a huge hit with my family, vegan and omnivore alike! I didn’t have any smoked paprika so I used chipotle powder; other than that, I followed the recipe to the letter.

      Reply
      • Rosa

        December 14, 2022 at 11:25 am

        So glad you enjoyed it Pamela. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Robin

      November 09, 2022 at 7:12 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! Will definitely make again! Thank you for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Rosa

        November 11, 2022 at 8:18 am

        You’re welcome Robin!

        Reply
    5. Lisa

      April 26, 2022 at 7:37 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this. It’s so good! I love soups and this will go into my regular rotation. I’m trying to lose weight, so I did sub about a cup of cooked potatoes for 1 cup of the cashews like someone suggested, and sauteed the veggies without oil. Thank you for a great recipe!

      Reply
      • Rosa

        April 27, 2022 at 11:11 am

        Thrilled you enjoyed Lisa! Thanks for the review.

        Reply
    6. Colleen

      January 26, 2022 at 5:44 pm

      5 stars
      This was quite good! I didn’t need any butter or oil as I accidentally over processed the onions/peppers/garlic into what looked like salsa but it didn’t hurt the overall product (made it a bit “liquidy” so no broth or oil needed in the first cooking step). I used 1C cashews and 1/2C sunflower seeds, both raw, to cut back on the fat a little. I used 2.5 jalapeños (kept the last half for the garnish), seeded and deveined one completely and partially on the second one. Next time I’d leave one with the seeds as I’d prefer spicier. The cheese sauce was really simple/easy and tasty. I will make again.

      Reply
      • Rosa

        January 27, 2022 at 9:27 am

        Thrilled you enjoyed Colleen and thank you for sharing your process with us. 🙂

        Reply
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    Hi, I'm Rosa! Welcome to This Healthy Kitchen where you'll find tasty and nutritious, plant-based recipes. I'm an avid home cook who believes food is medicine. Each recipe is made using wholesome ingredients, and under 400 calories per serving with several gluten-free and oil-free options! Occasional cheat days included. 😉

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