Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup! Whip it up in minutes for a hearty, creamy, and oh so cheesy soup; it's perfect for a cold winter day. Made with fresh broccoli, russet potatoes, and vegan cheese sauce for a vegan and gluten-free meal.
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Ending the year with a vegan soup recipe has become a tradition on My Darling Vegan. Growing up, a warm bowl of soup was a Christmas eve tradition of ours that I now love sharing with you!
This year I'm bringing back an oldie. This creamy soup is a classic. It's rich, velvety, and oh so cheesy. For the creamy base, I use a mixture of non-dairy milk and my favorite vegan cheddar cheese shreds for a soup vegans and omnivores alike will love!
This vegan broccoli soup is just like the classic version. It is warm, comforting, delicious, hearty, AND super easy to make, giving YOU more time to spend with your family this holiday season.
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
This vegan broccoli cheddar soup is super simple to make. It can be made in just one pot with minimal prep. And best of all, it uses ingredients that can be easily found at your local grocery store.
Here is everything you need.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Olive Oil - Feel free to use vegan butter if you'd prefer.
- Non-Dairy Milk – Any thick, neutral flavored milk will do. I recommend soy, cashew, or macadamia nut. Whichever you choose, make sure to get unsweetened.
- Broccoli - I recommend fresh broccoli but you can use frozen if that's all you have available.
- Vegan Cheddar Cheese - For this recipe, I recommend Violife Cheddar Shreds. Violife cheese is my favorite on the market. It has no weird aftertaste and it's so and gluten-free. However, feel free to use your favorite vegan cheddar of choice. A few other's I recommend are Miyoko's, Daiya, or Follow Your Heart.
Recommended Equipment
Most importantly, you will need a good soup pot. I love my Dutch Oven from Le Creuset for soups. Made from cast iron, they are perfect for slow cooking and simmering soups and stews. Although it’s a bit pricey, you will use it over and over again (for soups, stews, sides, bread, and even desserts!) and it will last you a lifetime.
In addition, you will need a good chef’s knife, vegetable peeler, immersion blender, and basic kitchen utensils. (<<affiliate links)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One - Chop and Sauté the Vegetables
Peel and chop the potatoes in ½" pieces. Chop the broccoli into small bite-sized pieces. Try and make your pieces as evenly as possible, so they cook at the same time.
In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and fragrant.
Add potato and broccoli (reserving about 1 cup of broccoli to mix in later) to the onions and sauté another 3-4 minutes until the broccoli is a vibrant green.
Step Two – Cook the Vegetables
Add the vegetable broth and bring your soup to a low simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until broccoli and potatoes are tender and easily pierceable with a fork.
Once your vegetables are soft, stir in the non-dairy milk, vegan cheese, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Cook until the cheese is completely melted and the soup is heated all the way through.
Using an immersion blender or food processor, blend soup until thick and creamy. Stir in reserved broccoli to give the soup some texture. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Step Three – Caramelize the Onions (Optional)
I love topping my broccoli cheese soup with caramelized onions. Caramelized onions take a little bit of time, but they are so worth it. The caramelization process slowly pulls out the natural flavors of the onion, making them intensely sweet and flavorful.
To make caramelized onions, first coat the bottom of a heavy-bottomed sauté pan with olive oil. Heat it over medium-low heat and add the sliced onions. Cook the onions slowly, stirring them every few minutes. After 10 minutes, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes until onions have reduced in size and are caramel in color.
Pro Tip: Slice the onions thin for best results. If the onions are too thick, they will take a lot longer to caramelize.
Serving And Storing
Serving - Serve this soup immediately. Top with caramelized onions, steamed broccoli florets, and nutritional yeast. Serve with vegan buttermilk biscuits.
Storing - Store leftover soup in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 4 month. To freeze, allow the soup to cool to room temperature before transferring it to a freezer safe container. When you are ready to serve it, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator.
Reheating – To reheat, place the soup in the microwave for a few minutes to warm it through. You could also pour it into a pot and reheat over medium-low heat until the soup has warmed through.
Tips And Tricks
- Keep a close eye on the potatoes. Cook them until they are pierceable with a fork but not overly soft. If they are over cooked, the potatoes will get mushy.
- Make sure to use unsweetened non-dairy milk. Typically non-dairy milk is slightly sweetened and, when used, creates an overpowering sweetness to this soup.
- I recommend Violife Cheddar Shreds. Violife cheese is my favorite on the market. It has no weird aftertaste and it's so and gluten-free. However, feel free to use your favorite vegan cheddar of choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don't have an immersion blender, you can blend this soup in a blender or food processor. Just make sure to not overfill your blender; you will probably have to blend your soup in batches.
If you want a thicker soup, add ½-1 cup additional cooked potatoes.
For sure! For a low carb option, you can replace the potatoes with equal amount chopped cauliflower. It will take about 15 minutes to cook the cauliflower.
More Vegan Soup Recipes
- Baked Potato Soup
- French Lentil Soup
- Cream of Cauliflower Soup
- Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
- Miso Noodle Soup
Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
Broccoli Cheese Soup
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 4 cups fresh broccoli chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 heaping cup russet potato, chopped into ½" pieces
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups unsweetened soy milk
- 8 oz vegan cheddar cheese
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper, to taste
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS
Instructions
- Heat vegan butter or oil in a large soup pot placed over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add onions and garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and fragrant. Add potato and broccoli (reserving about 1 cup of broccoli) to the onions and sauté another 3-4 minutes.
- Add broth and bring to a low simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until broccoli and potatoes are tender.
- While the soup is cooking, caramelize your onions (if using). To caramelize them, thinly slice the onion. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the onions slowly, stirring them every few minutes. After 10 minutes, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes until onions have reduced in size and are caramel in color. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Once the vegetables are tender, add the milk, vegan cheese, and nutritional yeast to your soup base. Cook until the cheese is completely melted and the soup is heated all the way through. Use an immersion blender or food processor to blend the soup until thick and creamy. Stir in reserved broccoli. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with caramelized onions.
Notes
- Keep a close eye on the potatoes. Cook them until they are pierceable with a fork but not overly soft. If they are over cooked, the potatoes will get mushy.
- Make sure to use unsweetened non-dairy milk. Typically non-dairy milk is slightly sweetened and, when used, creates an overpowering sweetness to this soup.
- What can I use if I don't have an immersion blender? If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can blend this soup in a blender or food processor. Just make sure to not overfill your blender; you will probably have to blend your soup in batches.
- How can I thicken my soup? If you want a thicker soup, add ½-1 cup additional cooked potatoes. Alternatively, for a thinner soup, you can reduce the potatoes by 50%.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Krista says
I ended up skipping the vegan cheese. I adjusted by making the soup base a little thicker with potato flour and doubled the nutritional yeast. THIS SOUP IS SO GOOD!!!!! Comforting, creamy, and flavorful. I imagine that the vegan cheese would add some classic cheddar zing to it, but it was fantastic without it. As usual, an awesome recipe! Thanks!
Krista says
Do you recommend any adjustments if I want to make this without vegan cheese? It's the only ingredient I don't have on hand and typically avoid using. I'm planning on using potato flour to make the base, so I'm thinking I'll make it a little extra thick and add more nutritional yeast...? I'm a big fan of your recipes!
Connie Williams says
This soup was absolutely delicious!