This Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup is creamy, comforting, and packed with plant-based flavor. With simple ingredients and an irresistible “cheesy” flavor, it makes an easy, dairy-free weeknight dinner everyone will love. It is even meal prep friendly and reheats well as leftovers!
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Broccoli Cheese Soup
- "Cheesy" dairy-free flavor: Cashews, potatoes, and nutritional yeast blend into a rich, silky broth with all the cheesy comfort of the classic, making this an easy vegan soup you’ll want on repeat.
- Cozy and perfect for soup season: A soup that feels like a warm hug! Ideal for fall evenings, winter dinners, or anytime you're craving a comforting meal.
- Packed with hidden veggies: Onion, celery, carrot, and potato all blend into a creamy, nutrient-rich base.
Key Ingredients
- Broccoli: The star of our soup! Fresh broccoli gives this recipe its classic flavor, and pairs beautifully with the cheesy cheddar vibes.
- Potatoes & cashews: Blend to create a thick, creamy base without needing any dairy.
- Nutritional yeast: For a savory, cheesy flavor that is essential for a broccoli cheddar soup.
- Celery, carrot, & onion: A classic trio that builds a savory, flavorful foundation.
- Dijon mustard: To sharpen the flavor and enhance our flavors.
- Lemon juice: To brighten the soup and balance the richness.
- Optional vegan cheddar: Adds extra cheesy flavor!
How to Make Vegan Cheddar Broccoli Soup
In a large pot, sauté the onion, celery, and carrot for a few minutes, then add the garlic.
Add veggie broth, potatoes, cashews, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
Transfer the mixture to a blender and add the dijon mustard, salt, paprika, and nutritional yeast. Blend until very smooth.
Steam the broccoli in a steamer basket until tender. Add half of the steamed broccoli to the blender and pulse a few times to break it down.
Pour the blended soup back into the pot and stir in the remaining steamed broccoli. Add the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and optional vegan cheddar. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Make sure your potatoes are very tender and easily pierced with a fork before blending. This ensures the potatoes and cashews blend into a creamy, smooth soup.
- If your blender isn’t large enough to handle all the soup at once, blend in batches to avoid spills and to achieve even texture.
Serving Suggestions
- For extra cheesy vibes, top with additional vegan cheddar before serving. Or, top with a sprinkle of chives to brighten the flavors a bit.
- Serve this cheddar broccoli soup with a warm baguette or crusty bread for the ultimate comfort meal. Or, for an extra cheesy meal, pair it with my Vegan Cheddar Drop Biscuits!
Substitutions & Variations
- Adjust the thickness based on your preference. Add more broth for a thinner soup, or let it simmer longer for a thicker, heartier texture.
- This soup recipe blends up half of the broccoli, giving us a balance of both small broccoli bits and larger broccoli chunks. If you prefer to only have the smaller pieces, add all of the broccoli to the blender in step 5.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This soup is meal-prep friendly and can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and reheated. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth if it thickens.
Yukon potatoes are ideal for this recipe because they blend into a beautifully smooth soup. Other types, like russet, may work, but the texture will likely be less creamy.
Yes, this soup recipe is vegan, oil-free, and relies on a whole food ingredients. Just leave out the optional vegan cheddar to keep it fully WFPB!
Other Creamy Soup Recipes You'll Love
📖 Recipe
Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion - diced
- 2 stalks of celery - diced
- 2 medium carrots - diced
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 yukon gold potatoes - (aim for 250g)
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 4 cups veggie broth
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 6 cups broccoli - broken into small florets
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- optional: ⅓ cup shredded vegan cheddar
Instructions
- Sauté the base veggies: Bring a large nonstick pot to medium-high heat on the stovetop. Add a splash of water to prevent sticking, then add the onion, celery, and carrot. Sauté for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding small amounts of water as needed to prevent sticking. Add garlic to the pot and sauté another minute, until fragrant.
- Boil the soup base: Add the veggie broth, potatoes, cashews, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Using kitchen tongs, carefully remove and discard the bay leaf.
- Blend the soup: Carefully transfer the contents to a high-powered blender. Add the dijon mustard, salt, paprika, and nutritional yeast. Blend until very smooth.
- Steam the broccoli: Place the broccoli florets in a steamer basket and set over a pot with an inch of water in it. Bring the water to a simmer, and steam the broccoli for 5 minutes, or until tender.
- Add the broccoli: Transfer half of the steamed broccoli to the blender and pulse a few times to break it into smaller pieces. Pour the blended soup back into the large pot, then stir in the remaining steamed broccoli. Bring the soup back to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Finishing touches: Stir in the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. If using the optional vegan cheddar, add it now and stir until melted and incorporated. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.Serve with additional shredded vegan cheddar, if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
*Nutrition facts are an estimate and are calculated for one serving.
Happy cooking! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your soup-making ways.
Stay joyfully balanced!
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