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!
The Best Dairy Free Broccoli Cheese Soup
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?
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!
Don’t forget to check out my Instagram and TikTok account for some behind-the-scenes action and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more delicious recipe tutorials! Or give me a follow on Facebook or see what I am pinning on Pinterest!
Other Dairy-Free Recipes You Might Like
Dairy-Free Broccoli Cheese Soup
- 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
Brooke says
We make this recipe all the time. My family loves it so much. Sometimes I add potatoes or I at least serve it over baked potatoes. I always add carrots too. Thanks for the recipe!
Dani says
Thoughts on substituting the vegetable broth with chicken broth? I have a bunch on hand I would like to use up, but don’t want to sacrifice the flavor you have created!
Erin says
Hi Dani! I think you should be fine with chicken broth!
Lynn F says
Wow!!! Delicious! Followed it exactly and at the end added some garlic powder and smoked paprika. Awesome recipe. So creamy.
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed this one, Lynn!
Nicole G. says
This soup is absolutely delicious!! I’ve made it multiple times and it’s so simple as well. You would never know that it is dairy free. It’s thick and cheesy. It’s a definite must to make!!
Erin says
So happy you are enjoying it, Nicole!
Juli says
This recipe is delicious! I wanted to share my substitutes, as I didn’t have everything the recipe called for but it turned out delicious!
Shallots = onion
Broccoli = I didn’t have 13 cups so I also added cauliflower, and extra celery.
Vegetable broth = I did Bone broth because I am no longer vegan and wanted the extra collagen bonus
Cashews = I only had 1 cup of cashews in the house so I used 3 cups of canned chickpeas that I had!
During the onions and olive oil part, I added bag leaves, salt and pepper 🙂
Everything else was the same.
I was amazed all my substitutes turned out great and that it worked out so well! A really delicious recipe!!
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed it, Juli! And thanks for sharing your substitutions and how they worked – always so helpful to everyone!
Laurel says
day 22 of whole30 and missing cheese! this hit the spot. i ended up soaking the cashews for 36 hours and can’t believe how thick and creamy this is. thanks for keeping w30 interesting!
Terry says
It’s really good! Do you have an estimated amount of calories for this soup?
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Terry! Sorry, I haven’t calculated calories!
Carey says
Amazing! Totally shocked at how great this is!
Erin says
So happy to hear that! And thanks so much for leaving a review + feedback – I really appreciate it!
Shelby Ellenburg says
Absolutely delicious! We will definitely make it again!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Shelby!
Amy says
I made this not realizing it’s not Keto friendly. I’m new to keto, but why would it be so high in carbs? It was very good btw
Erin says
I actually don’t know much about Keto, sorry!
Robin says
This is one of the best things EVER. My carnivore husband thought it was real cheese.. I’m going to let him continue to think that. No pic to load because we were fighting over it lol!
Erin says
Yay! That is awesome to hear, Robin! 🙂
Jaclyn Kirsch says
This soup is my Whole30 lunch staple! I usually hate when people try to tell me you can’t tell things are vegan/dairy free but with this one it is true!
Erin says
Thank you so much, Jaclyn! That is high praise :). Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review + feedback – it is so helpful!!
Kmac says
This was one of the best soups I’ve ever made and it was so quick and easy! I will definitely be keeping this recipe. Thank you SO much for sharing!
Erin says
Thanks, Kmac! So happy to hear that!
Vicky says
Loved this TOO MUCH! How long do you think leftovers will last in the fridge??
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed it, Vicky! I think it would last a couple days in the fridge (about 3-4).
Nicole says
So good!
I was pleasantly surprised, as this was my first attempt at a “cheesy” vegan recipe.
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Nicole! 🙂
Madalyn says
This was so, so great! The only things I did differently was I used (unsweetened) cashew milk instead, and I added a dash of turmeric. My partner and I are vegan, so finding this recipe was a real treat — thank you so much for sharing!