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A white bowl with broccoli soup and croutons with the pot of soup behind it.

Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup

This easy dairy-free broccoli cheese soup has all of the flavor of cheesy goodness you'd expect, only it's free of saturated fat. Make it in just 30 minutes.
5 from 3 votes
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Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 212kcal
Author: Linda & Alex
Cost: $10

Equipment

  • stove
  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw cashews - boiled or soaked See Note Below
  • ½ cup vegan sour cream or plain vegan yogurt - not coconut based
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil You can use 2 tablespoons of broth or water if you don't cook with oil.
  • 4 cups broccoli - chopped into bite size pieces
  • 3 medium carrots - diced
  • 2 celery stalks - diced
  • 1 medium potato - peeled and chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves - peeled and minced
  • 64 ounces vegetable broth
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast See Note Below
  • salt and pepper to taste

Toppings (Optional)

  • croutons
  • shredded vegan cheddar cheese
  • vegan sour cream
  • crispy onions

Instructions

  • Soak or boil the cashews until they are soft and puffy (see note below), then drain and rinse and put in the blender.
  • Make the cream sauce. Add the ½ cup of vegan sour cream, ½ cup water, and ½ teaspoon salt to the blender and blend on a high setting until the cashews break down and become smooth and creamy. Approximately 2 minutes. Scrape the sides and blend once more. There shouldn't be any solid pieces of the nuts in the cream sauce. Set aside
  • Over medium heat, heat a large stock pot and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the carrots and celery and cook until the celery begins to soften. Approximately 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
  • Add the minced garlic and stir. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Add the potato, broccoli, and the ¼ cup of nutritional yeast to the pot and pour in the 64 ounces (two 32 ounce containers) of vegetable broth. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
  • Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are fork tender. Approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Whisk in the cashew cream sauce until fully combined.
  • Blend the vegetables with an immersion blender until the vegetables are blended into small pieces, or to your desired texture.
  • Top with any of the suggested toppings.

Notes

RECIPE NOTES
  • CASHEWS - the cashews need to be soaked in water for at least 4 hours or boiled (preferred method) in water for 10 minutes, or until they're soft and puffy. This will ensure that they break down into a smooth and silky sauce. 
  • If you're making this for someone who has a nut allergy, substitute with the same amount of  raw shelled sunflower seeds or hemp seeds. 
  • VEGAN SOUR CREAM - If you can't find vegan sour cream, substitute with plain vegan yogurt with an almond or soy base.  Do NOT use a coconut base yogurt as it will alter the flavor of the soup. 
  • POTATO - you can use any type of potato. We prefer a Russet potato as they have a lot of starch and create a thicker soup. 
  • If you are making this soup for someone who can't eat potatoes you can substitute with acorn squash, although it will make the flavor of the soup slightly sweet. 
  • You could also omit the potato and whisk 1 tablespoon of corn starch in a ½ cup of water and whisk that into the soup to thicken. Do this 10 minutes before the soup is done and let it simmer to thicken. 
  • NUTRITIONAL YEAST - if you don't enjoy the flavor of nutritional yeast, you can add a 15 ounce package of shredded vegan cheddar cheese to the soup and stir until the shreds are completely melted. 
  • STORAGE - store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. 
NUTRITION DISCLAIMER

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 259mg | Potassium: 492mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4150IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg
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