Dairy free broccoli cheddar soup
This vegan broccoli cheddar soup recipe is creamy, comforting and delicious. This classic soup is made with carrots, broccoli, dairy free cheese and cashew cream. Delicious cheesy goodness.
If you used to love panera’s broccoli cheddar soup you’re going to love this vegan version. It’s pretty simple to make and will leave you feeling comforted and satisfied, especially on a rainy day. Serve this delicious soup as is or in a bread bowl.
This recipe is
- Comforting
- Vegan & Vegetarian
- Easy to make
- Dairy free
- Delicious
- Ingredient notes
- Rich and creamy texture
Ingredients
Broccoli (1) – I used about two crowns of fresh broccoli. You can also use 4 cups of frozen broccoli. Chop up the broccoli into smaller pieces so you don’t get large chunks.
Dairy free vegan cheddar cheese – I used Violife for this recipe. But feel free to use whatever vegan cheese brand you can find.
Raw soaked cashews – The original recipe calls for heavy cream. When you soak raw cashews in boiled water, then blend them, you get a great alternative to heavy cream. A high speed blender works best, but a normal blender works well too,
Shredded carrots – This adds a nice extra flavor and vitamins to the soup.
Nutritional yeast flakes– This is a vegan’s best friend when it comes to cheesy dishes. This will add some extra cheesy flavor to your soup, as well as a depth of flavor and some Vitamin B12 if it’s been fortified. This has a slightly cheesy, nutty flavor to it.
Seasonings – I used a little bit of smoked paprika and also garlic powder.
Onion
Fresh Garlic
Olive oil or vegan butter – To sauté the onions
Veggie broth – or mix water with vegetable bouillon paste for a great soup base.
Helpful tips
Top with something crunchy. Make your own croutons by baking and seasoning some stale bread. Or roast and season some broccoli to put on top.
This soup goes amazingly well as a side dish with a vegan sandwich, or salad.
If you want to use up your broccoli stems, just peel them, cut off the fibrous ends and then shred them to add some more nutrients and flavor to the soup.
Storing tips
This soup will last in the fridge, in an airtight container for about 5 days. This creamy soup is great to meal prep ahead of time for an easy weeknight meal.
Can you freeze this soup?
Yes! This soup freezes well. It will last in the freezer in a freezer friendly container for about 3-5 months. Let it thaw in the fridge before warming it up on the stove or in the microwave.
What to eat with broccoli cheddar soup
Broccoli cheddar soup goes amazingly well with some warm, crusty bread like a French bread or Italian bread. Serve it with some saltine crackers, or a baked potato as well. Salad goes well with this soup as well or a half of a sandwich.
Can I cook this in a pressure cooker?
Absolutely! This vegan broccoli cheese soup cooks amazingly well in the pressure cooker for an easy recipe.
Just sauté the onion and garlic, add the cashew cream and vegetable broth and seasonings then pressure cook on high for 3 minutes.
Release the pressure, then add in the dairy free cheese.
Substitutions
If you don’t have cashews, you can use a cup and a half of extra creamy, unsweetened oat milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk) or a can of full fat coconut milk
If you don’t have dairy free cheese, use more nutritional yeast. About ½ cup.
More vegan soups and recipes you’ll love
- Instant pot red lentil soup
- Vegan white bean soup
- Vegan black bean soup
- Vegan options at panera bread
- Vegan dumplings
- Vegan bacon bits
- Vegan chicken salad
- Israeli couscous salad
- Hearty vegan clam chowder
Vegan broccoli cheddar soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil
- ½ large onion (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 3 cups broccoli (chopped)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1-2 cups dairy free cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Boil some water, then pour it over the cashews in a coffee mug. Let it soak for at least 10 minutes.½ cup raw cashews
- Chop up the broccoli into small pieces. Dice the onion, mince the garlic and shred the carrots.
- Once, the cashews are done soaking for 10 minutes, strain, then blend them with 1 cup of water on high speed until well blended.½ cup raw cashews
- Heat a large soup pot on medium and add the oil. Add the onions and saute for 1 minute.1 teaspoon oil, ½ large onion
- Add the garlic and shredded carrots and saute for 1 minute. Add the broccoli, garlic powder, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, salt, vegetable broth and blended cashew cream and stir. Cover with a lid and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.4 cloves garlic, 1 cup shredded carrot, 3 cups broccoli, 3 cups vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon salt
- Turn heat off and add in the dairy free cheese and stir until it's melted. Taste and add more salt or seasonings if needed1-2 cups dairy free cheddar cheese
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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