This Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup has quickly become a blog favorite! It tastes just like “regular” Broccoli Cheese Soup … without the dairy! It’s like a dream come true!
I am beyond excited to share this Dreamy Dairy-Free Broccoli-Cheese Soup with you guys! As someone that is allergic to dairy, I crave a creamy and delicious bowl of broccoli cheese soup when the weather turns cool …. and FINALLY I have created the most amazing dairy-free broccoli cheese soup I have ever tasted. I mean, it tastes the same as “regular” broccoli cheese soup but is completely dairy free and vegan!
Looking for More Dairy-Free Soups?
Table of Contents
If you love them as much as we do, you definitely need to try our Dairy Free Clam Chowder!
What You Will Need
- olive oil – just a drizzle in the soup pot to help sauté the fresh veggies.
- shallots – these add a wonderful, mild onion flavor.
- fresh celery – this fresh vegetable adds the best flavor to this vegan soup recipe.
- broccoli florets – an essential ingredient when making a broccoli cheese soup.
- broth – we used vegetable broth to keep it vegan but you could also use chicken broth.
- cashews – just soak in water overnight to soften them in order to get a creamy texture.
- almond milk – keep it dairy-free by using any type of plant-based milk!
- nutritional yeast – this gives the soup a great “cheesy” flavor without adding any cheese.
- kosher salt – a simple seasoning that is always a must in any homemade soup recipe!
How To Make Dairy Free Broccoli Cheese Soup
The first steps to making this easy recipe are to bring a large pot to a medium high heat and add some olive oil. Sauté the shallots for 1-2 minutes, then add the celery, and move around for another couple minutes. Now add the broccoli and broth. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. While that simmers, add the soaked cashews, almond milk, and nutritional yeast to a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Add to the pot, along with the salt, give it a good stir, and bring back to a simmer to thicken.
Best Ways To Serve Dairy Free Broccoli Cheese Soup
There is simply nothing better than a warm, cozy bowl of soup! We love to serve a comforting soup with a slice of crusty bread or breadstick for dunking. Of course, you can also enjoy with some saltine crackers too!
Storage
Leftover soup can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Recipe FAQs
- What is nutritional yeast? It is a deactivated yeast that has a strong nutty, cheesy flavor and is really good source of B-complex vitamins! It is a very common cheese replacement for those who are dairy-free/vegan. It is also Whole30 compliant!
- Can I use frozen broccoli in broccoli cheese soup? Yes, you can, but we highly recommend sticking with fresh broccoli. Frozen broccoli tends to get a little watery.
Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Dairy-Free Recipes You Might Like
Dairy-Free Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
An incredibly creamy, yet Dairy-Free Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe that is so good that nobody will believe it is dairy-free and vegan!
Ingredients
- 1–2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon shallots, minced
- 1/4 cup celery, very finely chopped
- 4 1/2 cups fresh broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups vegetable broth (if Whole30 check the ingredients)
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews (soak overnight in water)
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
Instructions
- Sauté: Bring a large dutch oven to a medium-high heat and add olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add shallots, move around, and let reduce for approximately 1-2 minutes. Add celery and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes (add more olive oil, if you need to).
- Simmer: Now add broccoli and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Blend: While the broccoli simmers, add soaked and drained cashews, almond milk, nutritional yeast and salt to a blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy (use spatula to scrape down sides several times); approximately 4 minutes.
- Combine: After the broth simmered for about 5 minutes, add the cashew sauce and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and continue stirring – soup will thicken after a couple of minutes. Taste and add additional salt, as desired. (I added another 1/2 teaspoon).
- Serve: Ladle into individual bowls and enjoy!
Notes
- Soak Cashews: Don’t forget to soak cashews overnight in a small bowl of water (I just leave mine out on the counter), but if you forget, you can always let them soak in boiling water for at least an hour and you should be fine! Drain before adding to the blender.
- Storage: leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 274
- Sugar: 3.7 g
- Sodium: 468.6 mg
- Fat: 19.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 19.1 g
- Protein: 10.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Mikayla says
I know it’s kindof a major component for the texture, but how do you think it would be if I didn’t use cashews? Do you think you could get enough creaminess if used canned coconut milk or something?
Lexie says
Erin, this is such a good recipe! I was hesitant because my daughter doesn’t like cashews, but she loved it! My whole family loved it. Thank you!!
Erin says
Thank you so much, Lexie! That makes me so happy to hear that – it really is one of my favorite recipes and I am so glad your family loves it too! Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback, I really appreciate it!
Sarah says
Commenting and rating this recipe because I’m about to make it for the fourth time. 🙂 I love this soup so much, and I especially love that it’s way quicker and easier than the real broccoli cheese soup recipe I used to make before going vegan! I like to add diced onions and carrots to this recipe, as well as some fresh-grated nutmeg. Otherwise I make it exactly as written. It’s so good, and my husband loves it too.
Erin says
Thank you so much, Sarah!! I am so glad you love it as much as I do – and I am SO intrigued by the nutmeg! Never would have thought to add that! I will have to try that next time :). Thanks for taking the time to provide feedback, I really appreciate it!
Rebecca says
So easy and absolutely delicious! I love finding new dairy free recipes that don’t use processed “cheeses.” Thank you for your creativity and sharing!
Erin says
Thank you so much, Rebecca! I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the feedback 🙂
Rebecca says
Update: my dad is the pickiest eater of all times and certainly my does not like many of my “weird” meals. He tasted this and said it was award winning. I followed the recipe exactly. Thanks again!!
Erin says
That is SO awesome to hear, Rebecca!! Thank you so much for letting me know! Makes my day to hear that! 🙂
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Suzanne says
This is so good! You will definitely won’t be missing out on dairy or flavor when you make this recipe!
Erin says
Thank you, Suzanne!! It is one of my favorite recipes!! Glad you enjoyed it!
Megan says
Im not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t this creamy goodness! Definitely adding this to my short list of quick, simple, & extra delicious soups. Can’t wait to eat this for lunch again today!
Erin says
Thank you so much, Megan!! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Stacy says
This was soooo good. I added garlic then after adding the cashew sauce I ladled out some of the soup and brocolli and blended it smooth then mixed it back into the main soup. That made it even creamier and I didnt measure but it seemed like a LOT of broccoli in the pot lol so blending some of it made eating all that brocolli even better lol. I served it in rosemary bread bowls. My bf loved it and I cant wait to try it on my kids, I think they will enjoy it as well.
Erin says
Yay!!! Absolutely love this!! So glad you enjoyed it and that is such a good idea to blend some of the broccoli in!! Can’t wait for your kiddos to try it! 🙂
Stacy says
Hello. I know this is a Vegan soup.. but what meat would go well in this so I can just make one thing! 😃 It looks so delicious and want to try it, but I need protein! Lol! Thanks in advance!
Erin says
Hi Stacy! I think you could totally add in some chicken! I would cook it beforehand, just sauté some up quick, cube it and add it in!
Stacey says
This was delicious, thanks so much for the recipe! It came out alittle thick at first so I had to add more broth. I probably let it simmer to long, but looking back I bet this would also be good as a broccoli and cheese side that way.
Erin says
So glad you liked it, Stacey! Thank you so much for taking the time to provide feedback! And yes, if it is too thick for your liking, simply add a little more broth like you did and it will thin out nicely! Thanks again, Stacey!
Sarah says
Do you think I can make this using oat milk? That is what I have on hand. Or do you think the flavor of the almond milk is necessary? Can’t wait to make this tonight!
Erin says
Hi Sarah! I have never made this with oat milk, so I can’t guarantee anything BUT I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! I think the flavor of the nutritional yeast, cashews and broccoli should be strong enough that you shouldn’t be able to tell the difference if you use oat milk vs. almond milk! Keep me posted on how it goes! Can’t wait for you to try it – one of my favorite recipes of all time!
Sarah says
Worked great with the oat milk! I have only been eating vegan for 2 weeks now and when I went to dish this up, the smell of the nutritional yeast was strong and it didn’t smell good at all. But I tried it, and OMG it was sooooo good! Thank you for a recipe that I will make again and again!
Erin says
Yay!! Thanks, Sarah! So glad that worked for you! And I agree – that nutritional yeast smell can be strong, but man that soup is one of my all-time favorites!! Thanks for the feedback – good to know oat milk works! 🙂
Donna says
What exactly is natural yeast?
Erin says
You mean “nutritional yeast”? It is a deactivated yeast that has a strong nutty, cheesy flavor and is really good source of B-complex vitamins! It is a very common cheese replacement for those who are dairy-free/vegan. It is also Whole30 compliant. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Nancy Halloran says
I already left a comment but got an error message when I pressed post.
Here goes again.
This was totally delicious. Loved how simple it was. Five stars for sure. Has anyone tried to freeze the leftovers.
Erin says
Yay!!! So glad you liked it!! It is one of my absolute favorite recipes!!!
Rachel Madison says
I can’t believe how quick and easy this was, and so creamy!!
Erin says
Thanks, Rachel! It really is crazy how simple it is!! Glad you liked it! 🙂
Lauren says
This is quite amazing! So much more “cheesy” than I thought it could be. Thank you for sharing!
Erin says
Thanks, Lauren! I am SO glad you liked it!! It is seriously one of my favorite meals ever!!
Linda says
And wait to make this tomorrow night !❤️
Erin says
Yay!! Can’t wait to hear about it!! 🙂
Rabea Sharif-Johnson says
This is so good! I did add garlic and double the nutritional yeast for a bold cheddar flavor. I can’t believe this came out so amazingly delicious.
Erin says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it and I love the additions! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback – I really appreciate it!
Christine says
This soup was amazing! My husband who is not vegan loved it so much he asked me to make it again!
Erin says
Yay!!! So happy to hear that! And thanks for coming back to leave your feedback – I really appreciate it!