Delicious, creamy Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup! It’s hard to believe there is no dairy or oil in this recipe. It’s healthy, quick & easy, and so comforting.
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Did you know that Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup is not vegetarian? That’s right! It contains chicken broth. Not only that, Panera’s soup contains 20 grams of fat in a one cup serving!
Well lucky for you, I’ve got an easy recipe for you to make your own broccoli cheddar soup. And it’s not just vegetarian, it’s vegan! No chicken broth, no dairy, no oil, gluten free, and full of healthy nutrients. You can eat this one with no guilt!
And most importantly, it’s creamy, delicious, and quick enough to make for a weeknight meal!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Ingredients
- Onion – I used a yellow onion, but a white or sweet onion would also work
- Garlic
- Celery
- Carrots
- Vegetable broth – you can use vegan “chicken” broth, or any vegetable broth of your choice.
- Nutritional yeast – this gives the soup its cheesy flavor
- Lemon juice – for a little tanginess
- Spices – paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper
- Soy milk – or another non-dairy milk of your choice
- Broccoli – steamed lightly
I make my vegan broccoli soup with no cashews. This keeps my soup low calorie. But if you want to make your soup even creamier, you can blend a half cup of raw cashews with the non-dairy milk before adding it to the soup.
If you don’t have a high speed blender, you will need to soak your cashews before blending them. They can be soaked over night, or soaked in boiling water for about an hour.
How to make Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
You’re going to love this cheesy broccoli soup! And you’ll also love how easy it is to make!
Step 1
In a large pot, sauté the onion and celery until the onion is soft, adding a little water or broth to deglaze the pan if the vegetable begin to stick.
Step 2
Add the garlic and sauté another minute or two, until the garlic is fragrant.
Step 3
Add the potatoes, carrots, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are soft (about 15 minutes).
Step 4
Add the soy milk, nutritional yeast, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper to the pot, and blend with an immersion blender until the soup is smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup in batches to a blender, and blend until smooth.
Step 5
Add the steamed broccoli, and simmer for a few more minutes, until thoroughly heated.
Helpful tip: Be sure you don’t turn the temperature up too high after adding the soy milk, or it will curdle. The soup will still taste delicious, but the appearance won’t be as appealing.
Serving suggestions
Top the soup with a garnish of parsley and some oil free croutons, if desired. I have instructions for oil free croutons in my Caesar Salad recipe. Or serve with some slices of oil free bread for dipping.
Storage
Leftover soup will keep in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. For longer storage, you can freeze this soup for up to 3 months.
For more delicious soups, check out these recipes:
- Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
- Potato Kale Soup
- Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup
- Split Pea Soup
- Vegan Corn Chowder
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Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large onion diced (about 2 heaping cups)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 3 cups diced Yukon Gold potatoes
- 3 carrots diced
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups chopped broccoli steamed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- In a large pot, sauté the onion and celery until the onion is soft, adding a little water or broth to deglaze the pan if the vegetable begin to stick.
- Add the garlic and sauté another minute or two, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are soft (about 15 minutes).
- Add the soy milk nutritional yeast, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to the pot, and blend with an immersion blender, or in batches in the blender, until the soup is smooth.
- Add the steamed broccoli and lemon juice, and simmer for a few more minutes, until thoroughly heated.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition calculations are approximate based on the specific ingredients and amounts you use.
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