Want a nice spicy kick? This jalapeno popper soup combines vegan cheddar sauce with jalapenos for a spicy, delicious bite! It’s made using wholesome ingredients, it’s filling and satisfying, and ready in 35 minutes!
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!
Why?
- Because it’s the most wholesome jalapeno popper soup you’ll ever come across! Using veggies as the base, combined with a healthy, rich 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!
- 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 amount of jalapenos for less spice, if preferred!)
- This jalapeno popper soup is hearty, filling, satisfying and totally delicious!
How to make vegan jalapeno popper soup
(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.
To your food processor, add the onion, garlic, red pepper and jalapenos and process until finely chopped. (photos 1-2)
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)
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)
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)
While the soup is cooking, gather your vegan cheese sauce ingredients.
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 first.
When the soup is cooked, turn off the heat and pour in your cheese sauce and mix well. (photos 11-12)
Serve garnished with extra jalapeno slices, if desired.
How long does it keep?
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 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.
Expert Tips
- 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 stove top 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.
- 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.
More soup recipes
- Healthy Broccoli Potato Soup
- Vegan Tomato Bisque
- Thai Peanut Chickpea Soup Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup (with Stove Top Directions)
- Vegan Cold Pear Soup
- Broccoli Almond Soup
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
Equipment
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
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.
Silke
What a delicious soup! I did reduce the cashews to just 1/2 cup and didn’t use margarine or oil to cut back on the fat. Stuck exactly to the recipe with everything else. My husband and I both loved it!
Rosa
Thanks for sharing Silke. So glad you both enjoyed. 🙂
Chris
OMG this is so rich and good! And so easy! Another soup to put into my cooking rotation. Bravo!
Rosa
Thanks so much for the review Chris. Thrilled you enjoyed. 🙂
CJ
I’ve never left a comment on a recipe before but this soup is really great as written, thanks so much for sharing it. I swapped out the corn for sweet peas because it’s a little lower in carbs making it a low ish carb soup. I used like 4 garlic cloves in the sauteed veggie mix cuz I like garlic, and i added some cayenne and a little liquid from those jars of jalapeno to the cheese sauce, but the sauce was outstanding on it’s own i just wanted to kick up the heat for personal taste. The cheese sauce is a revelation as someone in my first year of a vegan lifetsyle. it could be used on nachos or any number of things. I’m wondering if maybe incorporating beer into the soup might work but that’ll be an experiment for the future. For the cauliflower, I riced over half of it and then chopped the rest.
Rosa
Thank you so much for the review CJ. Thrilled you enjoyed. 🙂
Beth
This soup is absolutely delicious! Definitely a keeper!
Thanks,
Beth
Rosa
Yay! Thrilled you enjoyed Beth. 🙂
Judy
Delicious and easy recipe! Can you freeze it?
Rosa
I haven’t specifically tried freezing this one, but I suspect it’d freeze just fine. Remember to leave a little space in your container for expansion. 🙂
Judy
So good!
Rosa
Thanks Judy, so happy you enjoyed!
Dawn
Thank you for this recipe! It’s satiating and delicious! I ended up tossing in some steamed red potatoes (and 2 extra cloves of garlic, minced), just because I was craving potatoes. Very easy recipe and comforting on this chilly Alaskan winter night! 🙂
Dawn
I should add, I used 4 jalapenos and did NOT seed them. Love the spice!
Rosa
Wonderful Dawn, thanks so much for the review! Thrilled you enjoyed the soup. 🙂
Jaime
This recipe is so delicious! I made it twice and the second time I did 3/4 cashews and added one small steamed whole potato. Worked perfectly!! Just wanted to share that for anyone who needs to cut down the fat a bit.
Rosa
Thrilled you enjoyed, thank you Jaime!
Linda
I have been avoiding nutritional yeast because my gut can’t handle it. Would leaving it out impact the flavor significantly? Any suggestions on what to add in place of it? A little miso or mushroom powder? Thanks!
Rosa
Hi Linda, those sound like great subs. You can also try adding a teaspoon of mustard for a little extra tang. Hope you love the soup!
Dawn
Linda, I’m curious if you substituted the nutritional yeast, and if so, what you used, how much, and how it turned out? 🙂 Have you ever tried Sari Foods Non-Fortified nutritional yeast flakes? I have heard great things about this brand as many are fortified. I haven’t tried it yet, but just placed my ordered and wanted to share, in case you wanted to experiment with a non fortified variety to see if it has a better effect on your stomach.
Judy
I use Sari brand. In fact, I just made it with Sari brand, and it’s delicious!
Jessica
I’ve made this soup about 4-5 times now. It’s my favorite soup ever! So good!!
Rosa
Glad to hear that Jessica, thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
Jess
I made this the other day and loved it!
The only thing I would do differently next time is leave some jalapeño seeds as I seeded all of mine.
I blended half of the soup smooth to try it that way and I prefer the chunkier style as it’s more like a chowder. But both versions are great. Thank you for the recipe.
Rosa
Thanks so much for the review Jess. Thrilled you enjoyed the soup! We like this one spicy and chunky too. 🙂
jessica
I was thinking about trying this in IP. Have you tried it that way? Do you think 3-5m HP would be sufficient?
rosa
Hi Jessica, I haven’t tried it in the IP but I think 3 minutes should be enough since these ingredients cook quickly. Hope you enjoy!
Devon Thomason
Would you sauté the veggies first for a few minutes and the HP for 3 mins?
Rosa
Hi Devon, yes sauté first. Enjoy.