Homemade vegan cream of “chicken” soup is the ultimate comfort food. It’s a delicious substitute for a pantry staple, made using wholesome ingredients, and ready in no time.
This creamy and delicious no-chicken soup is perfect for fall, rainy days, or any day you’re in need of a comforting, warming dish.
It’s naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free and suitable for most eaters.
This was inspired by my vegetable bouillon along with several requests for a chicken version. So rather than just give you a vegan chicken broth, I’m giving you a vegan cream of chicken soup, too.
Pair it with garlic bread, or these delicious chicken-less burgers, to keep the “chicken” trend going.
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Ingredients + Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need to make this cream of “chicken” soup.
- Chicken broth: I am making my own vegan chicken broth with water and the perfect blend of 8 spices. If you don’t care to make your own, you may also use store-bought vegan chicken broth. However, making your own will give you more control over the ingredients and you may adjust it to your taste.
- Cashews: Use raw cashews that are unsalted. OR you may also use cashew butter if you don’t have a powerful blender and still want silky smooth results. If you can’t have cashews, blanched almonds or raw sunflower seeds also work well.
- Milk: I’m using cashew milk, but any dairy-free milk that is unsweetened will work. Use almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk with similar results. Or, for a richer flavour, (but also higher calories and fat) use canned coconut milk.
Instructions
(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
You can make this soup on stovetop OR in a blender. If you have a good quality/high-speed blender, I recommend the blender option.
Add everything EXCEPT the milk to your blender and process until smooth and HOT, approx. 4-5 minutes. (photo 1)
Then pour in the plant milk of your choice, blend for an additional 2-3 seconds to stir it in, and then serve. (photo 2)
Serve in bowls or mugs with an extra sprinkle of black pepper and crackers on the side. (If you’d like.)
TIP: Run your blender long enough to make the soup hot enough to consume. This works well with high-quality blenders, such as a Vitamix. (affiliate link)
Equipment
To make this vegan cream of chicken soup without using your stovetop, you’ll need a good blender, such as a Vitamix. It will not only puree your soup to a silky, creamy state for it will heat it up as well.
What if I don’t have a Vitamix?
If you don’t have a Vitamix or another strong blender, you can make this on the stovetop as well.
For no blending, use cashew butter and whisk it with the other ingredients in a small sauce pot and heat over your stovetop.
Variations
You can make a cream of vegetable soup (instead of chicken) by using our homemade vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth. The remaining ingredients are the same.
Or make cream of mushroom soup, using mushroom broth, or just add some dried and powdered mushrooms to the mix.
To make this a hearty soup, add a scoop of brown rice or pasta, rehydrated soy curls, baked or air fried tofu, or some cooked chickpeas, lentils, or beans.
For low fat
If you’re on a low-fat diet and prefer to avoid cashews and other nuts, here are two alternative suggestions:
- Omit the cashews, and blend ¾ cup of white cannellini beans into your soup.
- Use 1-2 tablespoons of tapioca starch, cornstarch, or flour to thicken your soup, and omit the cashews. Make sure to bring your soup to a boil on the stovetop if using any of these options. (You won’t need a blender for these options anyhow.)
- NOTE: Add whichever starch or flour you’re using to the remaining ingredients while still cold to prevent any lumps.
Storage
If you have leftovers (unlikely), keep them stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in a sealed container.
You may also freeze this soup in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
Expert Tips
- Run your blender long enough to make the soup hot enough to consume. This works well with high-quality blenders, such as a Vitamix. (affiliate link)
- If you don’t have a powerful blender, you may soak your cashews in hot water for 20-30 minutes and then drain them, before blending. This will help them break down more easily. OR use cashew butter and whisk into a small pot to avoid using a blender, altogether.
More delicious vegan soup recipes
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Buon appetito
Rosa
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the vegan chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed
- ½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- â…› teaspoon black pepper or to taste
For the vegan cream of chicken soup
- ½ cup raw cashews or ¼ cup cashew butter
- ¼ cup unsweetened cashew milk or dairy free milk of choice
Optional, for serving
- black pepper or red pepper flakes
- crackers, croutons or crusty bread
Instructions
To make in Vitamix
- Add all the ingredients, except the dairy-free milk to your Vitamix, or other powerful blender and blend until smooth, creamy, and hot. The soup took about 4 minutes to get hot in my Vitamix. Then pour in the milk, run for a few seconds to stir it in, and serve.
To make on the stovetop
- If you're using the cashew butter option, you do not need a blender. Just add everything, except the milk to a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Bring to a low boil over medium heat and boil for 1-2 minutes. Then turn off the heat and stir in the dairy-free milk and serve.
Susan
Rosa, could the broth mix from this recipe be used the same as your vegetable bouillon mix? I use that all the time for many different soups that I make and had the thought that this could be a nice variation. For the vegetable bouillon I use one tsp of the mix per one cup of water. Would this be the same?
Thank you!
Rosa
Hi Susan, yes you may use this the same as the vegetable bouillon mix. It’s roughly the same concentration of spices so 1 teaspoon should work well, but it will be lower in sodium compared to the vegetable mix so you may need to adjust the salt to your taste. Hope that helps. Enjoy! 🙂