A vegan broccoli cheddar soup that’s wholesome, and satisfying. It’s creamy, velvety smooth, utterly delicious, and perfect for a chilly night or any time you’re craving cheesy goodness. Bonus, it’s dairy-free, gluten-free, and oil-free!
This recipe was originally published in November 2019. It has been updated for content, photos, and video.
There’s something incredibly comforting about a creamy, “cheesy” soup dish.
And although it’s been many years since I’ve had a Panera broccoli cheddar soup, my distant memories of it are what inspired this dish.
Of course, my version is far more wholesome, because that’s what we do here in this healthy kitchen. 😉 And if healthy soups are your thing, be sure to check out our soup collection.
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Ingredients + Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious vegan broccoli cheese soup.
- Veggies: Onion, carrot, celery, cauliflower, yellow, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and broccoli. Feel free to omit any you don’t like and top off with any others you do like.
- Spices: Onion powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika add flavour to this soup dish.
- Broth: I use my homemade bouillon powder mixed with water for a very flavourful broth.
- Cashews: Raw cashews make the base of the vegan cheddar sauce, but you may use blanched almonds with similar results. Or for nut-free, use sunflower seeds or pepitas with similar results.
- Nutritional yeast: Adds a savoury and cheesy flavour to the cheddar sauce.
- Apple cider vinegar: For a slight tang flavour in the cheese sauce. You may substitute with another vinegar or lemon juice if needed.
- Tapioca starch: Our thickening agent for the cheese sauce. I prefer tapioca, but if a substitute is needed, cornstarch or flour will produce similar results.
- Miso paste: For added savoury flavour and saltiness. Omit for soy-free.
Instructions
(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Sauté the onion, carrot, and celery with water in a large soup pot. (photo 1)
Then add the broth, cauliflower, both potatoes, and seasoning. (photo 2)
While the soup is cooking, simmer your broccoli florets in a separate pot or skillet. (photo 3)
Blend all the cheddar sauce ingredients until smooth and set aside. (photo 4)
Puree the cooked soup and add the cooked broccoli florets and the cheddar sauce. (photo 5)
Mix well to thoroughly combine the vegan cheese sauce and serve. (photo 6)
What to serve with it
Serve this vegan broccoli cheddar soup with plain crusty bread, croutons, or garlic bread to wipe the bowl clean. 🙂
Or enjoy it with a fresh salad, veggie wraps or a cucumber sandwich.
Variations
- Extra cheesy: Top with vegan Parmesan cheese, shredded vegan cheddar cheese, or our meltable mozzarella.
- Spicy: Turn up the heat and add red pepper flakes to the soup while cooking, and/or 1-2 tablespoons of your favourite hot sauce to the cheese sauce.
- Extra rich: For extra richness, use non-dairy milk such as cashew or almond milk instead of water for the cheese sauce. OR use full-fat coconut milk, but note this will increase the fat. You may also add richness by sautéing the veggies in vegan butter or olive oil instead of water. But again, this will increase the calories and fat.
- Lower calories: One serving is already under 300 calories, but you can further reduce it if needed by using more cauliflower to replace the yellow potatoes.
- Low fat: To reduce the fat, use 1 block of extra firm tofu to replace the cashews in the cheddar sauce, and reduce the water to ½ cup.
Equipment
Use a powerful blender, like a Vitamix, to make your cheese sauce silky smooth. If you don’t have a powerful blender, make sure to soak your cashews in boiling hot water for at least 15 minutes to soften them.
To puree the soup, I use this immersion blender to avoid transferring the soup to a stand blender and having to work in batches.
- If you don’t have a hand blender, carefully blend the soup in batches and do not overfill your blender. Use caution when blending hot liquids.
Storage
Leftovers will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for 3-4 days.
To reheat, use a deep pot with a lid and heat over medium-low. Since the soup is very thick, heating may cause bubbling/splashing. So keep the lid on to keep your kitchen mess-free. 🙂
You may freeze the soup in freezer-safe airtight containers once cooled to room temperature. Make sure to leave a little room at the top of your container to allow for some expansion. You may keep frozen for 3-4 months.
Expert Tips
- If you do not have a highspeed blender, soak your cashews in boiling hot water for 15-20 minutes and then drain. This will soften them, making them easier to blend.
- Make sure there are no loose bits of cashews in the cheese sauce for the best texture. Process a little longer if needed to make it smooth.
- Cook the broccoli separately. You may use a steamer, another pot, or a skillet, but separately is best. Once the soup is pureed, add the cooked broccoli florets to the pot.
- Cut your broccoli into SMALL bite-size florets since these will remain whole, and not be pureed with the remaining ingredients.
- Use a deep pot to avoid splashes when hand-blending your soup with an immersion blender.
More amazing vegan soup recipes
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Buon appetito
Rosa
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 large celery rib diced
- 2 large carrots diced
- 4 cups cauliflower florets approx. 1 small head
- 1 pound yellow potatoes peeled & cut into 1-inch cubes (approx 3.5 cups cubed)
- 2 cups cubed sweet potato approx. 1 medium potato
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- 4 cups broccoli cut into bite size florets (fresh or frozen)
For the Vegan Cheddar Sauce
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ¾ cup water plus 1-2 tablespoons if needed
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch or tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Add the onion, celery and carrots to a large pot with a tablespoon or two of water. Sauté over medium heat until softened, approx 5 minutes. Add more water if needed to prevent sticking.
- Then add the cauliflower, both potatoes, broth, and all the seasoning to the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium low. Cook until the vegetables are soft, approx 8-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a separate pot or skillet, cover your broccoli with water and bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer and cook until fork tender, approx 4-6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- While the soup and broccoli are cooking, add all the cheddar sauce ingredients to your blender. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Use an immersion blender to puree your pot of soup until smooth. Then stir in the cooked broccoli and the cheddar sauce and mix well. Enjoy.
Video
Notes
- If you do not have a highspeed blender, soak your cashews in boiling hot water for 15-20 minutes and then drain. This will soften them, making them easier to blend.
- Make sure there are no loose bits of cashews in the cheese sauce for the best texture. Process a little longer if needed to make it smooth.
- Cook the broccoli separately. You may use a steamer, another pot, or a skillet, but separately is best. Once the soup is pureed, add the cooked broccoli florets to the pot.
- Cut your broccoli into SMALL bite-size florets since these will remain whole, and not be pureed with the remaining ingredients.
- Use a deep pot to avoid splashes when hand-blending your soup with an immersion blender.
Nutrition
FAQ
Not only is it not vegan, but it’s also not vegetarian since it’s made using chicken broth, not vegetable broth.
Karen says
THE best soup I have ever had, and I like soup! I made a huge batch for a large gathering and people were amazed that it is vegan and many asked for the recipe. Freezes beautifully. I do add the broccoli in with the other ingredients and blend that in as well. I don’t ever have mustard in the house, so I add a sprinkle of mustard powder to the “cheese” sauce instead.
Rosa says
Aw, so happy to hear that Karen. Thanks for the review!
Cheryl says
Just made this one. It is so filling a full of veggies which is what I am going for these days. Thank you
Rosa says
My pleasure Cheryl!
Janet Allen says
I made this today and served it over pasta. I made a couple of substitutions. I used butternut instead of sweet potatoes. I used cooked white beans instead of cashews. I added 2 Tablespoons of cashew sour cream and about 2 tablespoons of white wine. OMG this is SOOO good!!! Serving the left overs with brown rice tomorrow!! It would make a great topping for baked potato!
Rosa says
So glad you enjoyed it, Janet! Thanks for sharing your process with us. 🙂
Ali says
We really enjoyed this soup. A great one for kids as there is so much hidden veg. So delicious. Thanks for another great recipe😊
rosa says
Thanks so much for the feedback Ali! So glad you enjoyed. 🙂