Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
A classic favorite, Broccoli Cheese Soup was one dish I missed after going dairy-free, so I worked hard to come up with this deliciously satisfying vegan version that is loaded with flavor by the spoonful.
I make a lot of soups, and this cheddar Vegan Broccoli Soup is my husband’s absolute favorite!
Seriously! No one will ever guess that this amazing soup is dairy-free and much lower in fat than the traditional version. It’s so rich and creamy that only you will ever know that it’s actually healthy.
We love this broccoli cheese soup because it’s…
- Warm & filling
- Loaded with cheesy flavor
- Packed with wholesome ingredients
- Crowd-pleaser
- Amazingly delicious
The secret ingredient
- What makes this soup so delicious and healthy is that my Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce is one of the main ingredients.
- When I first switched over to a healthy plant-based lifestyle back in 2013, one thing that I really missed was CHEESE. Cheese for pizza, tacos, baked potatoes, lasagna, and so much more. That’s why I came up with this amazing recipe.
- Believe it or not, it’s made with wholesome ingredients like potatoes, onions, carrots, cashews (or white beans), and spices. And, it is super easy to make.
How to make vegan broccoli cheddar soup
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
To make this soup, the first thing you will need to do is make the cheese sauce which takes about 20 minutes. The great thing is that this cheese can be used with so many other meals.
Making the cheese sauce
Normally, I have some of this vegan cheese already on hand because we use it with so many other dishes. If I don’t happen to have some in the refrigerator, there’s likely some in my freezer.
Making the cheese sauce is as simple as boiling a pot of potatoes, onions, and carrots, adding them to a blender with spices, and blending until smooth. I have a Vitamix blender, so it can whip this cheese sauce up in just about 1-minute. Set this sauce to the side until it’s time to add it to the soup.
Making the broccoli cheese soup
Next, it’s time to start on the soup recipe by dicing up all of the veggies–onions, garlic, broccoli, and carrots.
In a large stockpot, saute onions and garlic in approximately 3 Tbsp. water. Cook until slightly browned which should take about 5 minutes. Add additional water, one tablespoon at a time, if needed to keep the pan from becoming dry.
Add 2-1/2 cups water, broccoli florets, and carrots. Cover and cook on medium heat for approximately 10-15 minutes, until slightly tender, but still bright green. Don’t overcook to mush.
Remove from heat and put 1/2 of the veggies in a blender with the cheese sauce (leave the other 1/2 in your pot, but not on heat), plus 1/2 cup of reserved veggie broth from cheese sauce). Blend for just a minute or less.
Pour the blender mixture into the pot with the other 1/2 of the cooked broccoli and veggies. Add almond milk, 1/2 cup water, Dijon mustard, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
Place back on the heat and allow to cook for approximately 10 minutes on low heat. Remove and serve in a bowl or in hollowed-out crusty bread.
It tastes AMAZING and is one of my top recommended and shared recipes of all time!
Tips and suggestions
- Since we use this cheese sauce in so many other recipes, I like to make double batches to keep it on hand.
- The cheese sauce even freezes well. After defrosting, I place it back into my blender to make it smooth again before adding it to recipes like this soup.
- Though this soup is usually served in a bowl at my house, when we have guests, I love to put it in a bread bowl because it’s such a beautiful table display.
Made with broccoli, carrots, onions, garlic, and spices this soup is loaded with phytonutrients and antioxidants.
*Originally posted September 2015.
More vegan soup recipes
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from EatPlant-Based
Vegan Cheddar Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
Soup Ingredients
- 4 cup broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
- 1/2 cup carrot diced
- 3/4 cup onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic diced
- 1/2 cup broth from veggies (this will come from making cheese sauce)
- 1 cup almond milk plain
- 3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
- 2 cups Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce (recipe below)
Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup potatoes peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup carrots diced
- 1/4 cup onions diced
- 1 cup broth from veggies
- 1/2 cup raw cashews unsoaked, (or 1/2 cup white beans, cooked)
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pinch paprika
- 1 pinch cayenne optional
Instructions
Vegan Creamy Cheese Sauce
- In a medium pot, boil potatoes, carrots, and onion in a pot with enough water to cover well and allow to cook until veggies are tender, approximately 15 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on how small the veggies are diced.
- When veggies are tender, drain them and place them in a blender. NOTE: reserve the broth, and add 1 cup of it to the blender. Add all the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth. Reserve the rest of the broth from veggies to use in soup.
- This 'cheese' sauce is excellent and can be stored in the refrigerator (when not making this soup recipe) and used for many things. It makes approximately 2-3 cups.
- Including a baked potato topping, over steamed broccoli, salsa for nachos, and so many more options!
- For now, just leave the cheese sauce in your blender. You will be adding soup ingredients shortly.
Vegan Cheddar Broccoli Soup
- In a large stockpot, saute onions and garlic in approximately 3 Tbsp. water.
- Saute until slightly browned.
- Add 2-1/2 cups water, broccoli florets, and carrots. Cover and cook on medium heat for approximately 10 minutes, until slightly tender, but still bright green. Don't overcook to mush.
- Remove from heat and put 1/2 of the veggies in a blender with the cheese sauce (leave the other 1/2 in your pot, but not on heat), plus 1/2 cup of reserved veggie broth from cheese sauce). Blend for just a minute or less.
- Pour the blender mixture into the pot with the other 1/2 of the cooked broccoli and veggies. Add almond milk, 1/2 cup water, Dijon mustard, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Place back on the heat and allow to cook for approximately 10 minutes on low heat. Remove and serve in a bowl or in hollowed-out crusty bread.
Video
Notes
- Since we use this cheese sauce in so many other recipes, I like to make double batches to keep it on hand.
- The cheese sauce even freezes well. After defrosting, I place it back into my blender to make it smooth again before adding it to recipes like this soup.
- Though this soup is usually served in a bowl at my house, when we have guests, I love to put it in a bread bowl because it's such a beautiful table display.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
An all time favorite when I ate the SAD, so I have to try this one!! I will report back how it turns out for me! Thanks for this recipe!!
Hi Laurel, I can’t wait to hear what you think! 🙂
i really liked this recipe and it tasted great! i followed the directions and this seemed way to thin and “watery” Is there a mistake on how much water to add or is this the desired consistency?
Hi Lynette, I would suggest reducing the amount of water used if yours it turning out too thin. Another idea would be to thicken it up with a little corn starch or arrowroot powder. If it gets too thick, you can always add a little extra water until it’s adjusted to the consistency you like best. Hope this helps and glad you like the tastes of the soup. 🙂
I am grateful and excited to have found your website. I am literally fighting for my life, dealing with many health issues due to obesity and diabetes. I recently began a plant-based diet and your recipes are so delicious. I’ve already made a few of them and shared with my friends. Everyone raved about your recipes and wanted your website and contact info!
I’m definitely making this soup and will let you know how it turns out. You’re a blessings to so many. Thank you so much for all you do.
Steno, WOW! What an encouragement you are! I am so glad you found this site and are finding the recipes helpful and delicious. Welcome to the plant-based health journey with the rest of us–so happy you are here! Please stay in touch and let us know how your health improves and how the recipes are going for you. Hang in there; it only gets better from here!
quick question, haven’t made it yet but it says in the recipe ingredients: 2 cups cheese sauce, but in the cooking instructions it says add “all of the cheese sauce that was made” so I’m a bit confused because it also says the recipe makes 1 quart of sauce. Did I miss something? 😛 LOL
Thanks so much for bring this to my attention, Louise! It’s been fixed now. I like to start out with 2 cups of the cheese sauce, and after tasting if it needs a little more, I add it then. I appreciate the head-up with the typo! 🙂
The broccoli that I got at whole foods has these long, thick, stalks (small amount of floret at the top) – wondering if you have ever cut up the stalks real small and added those to the veggie mixture as well? I hate to waste them and they account for probably half of the $6 I spent on the bunch!!
Katie, yes, I would definitely chop up the broccoli stalks and use them as well. There are lots nutrients in there as well. 🙂
Thanks! I made the cheese sauce last night and my daughter and I will make the soup tonight. Trying to get her to try something “new” – she loves broccoli, so wish me luck! Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Here’s to hoping it’s a homerun for you and your daughter! 😀
Terri, it appears the recipe still needs a bit of editing.
Under the cheese sauce, No.3 says “It makes approximately 2-3 cups.”
No. 5 says “For now, just leave the cheese sauce in your blender. You will be adding soup ingredients shortly.”
Under soup instructions, No. 4 says “Remove from heat and put 1/2 of the veggies in blender with the cheese sauce, …”
Then, in No. 6, “You can add more of the cheese sauce at this point if you like it extra cheesy. ” —
But there has been no indication to remove and reserve any of the cheese sauce. So, how much to leave in the blender for the soup – to start with, before adjusting by adding more?
It was easier to see this once I had copied the text only. I look forward to making this recipe. Thank you!
Okay, I think I have it all fixed now. Recently, I have been toying with this recipe based on someone’s comment that the cheese sauce only made 2-3 cups. I always make a double-batch of the cheese sauce, so had forgotten how much one batch actually makes. Since this recipe is making only one batch, you’ll want to used the whole thing in the soup. Hope it turns out terrific for you!
Amazing! We loved it. Nutritional information?
So glad you loved the soup! For nutritional information: If made with cashews 6 grams fat, 10 grams protein, 27 carbs, 115 mg calcium. If made with white beans 1.5 grams fat, 9 grams protein, 29 carbs, and 126 mg calcium.
I absolutely love this soup. I ate two bowls and poured it over rice. Delicious! I also am so excited to have the cheese sauce recipe. It is very good. I made it with the white beans so it is less fat and it is very tasty & satisfying. It will be so good in other recipes and put on foods such as potatoes and baked tortilla chips. Thank you.
Marjean, your post makes me so happy! Thank you for sharing your excitement for the soup and cheese sauce recipes. 😀
Hi Terri!? I just made this soup today. First of all… That cheese sauce! Omg!!!!!! I did make it with cashews and it was sooooooooooo good! I am curious to know Terri do you make the bean or nut version the most?? I want to try it with the beans next. The soup was delicious but did appear a bit watered down. And I did not add the reserved 1/2 cup of potato/carrot veggie water or the 1 cup of water it said to add in the text of the recipe. I just blended half of the veggies and added back to the pot with the broccoli cooking water. Recipe text was a bit confusing for me. I did pour it over rice… Added siracha and it was delicious! Thank you Terri!!!!!
Sheri, I am so glad you liked it! I have adjusted the wording a little bit, so hopefully that will make the directions a little more clear. When I make the cheese sauce, most of the time I do half-beans and half-cashews, so 1/4 cup of each. We love this stuff!
I made the cheese sauce using half bean and half cashews! Just as good! Thanks for replying to my comment Terri! Now … What is my next recipe of yours to try?? Lol!!! Soo many recipes… Soo little time!! Lol! I want to make them all!!
Hi, would you know of any make ahead freezer type meals? I am looking for a good Lasagne recipe as well.
Cyndi, I have a great lasagna recipe and this is the link to it. https://eatplant-based.com/recipe/spinach-black-bean-bulgur-lasagna/
My No-Meat Loaf is a great dish to make and freeze, and leftovers are great on sandwiches as well. https://eatplant-based.com/my-hero-dr-colin-campbell/
Yum! My whole family is in love! With the wateriness- in step six, I drained all of the liquid from the cooked veggies before adding blended cheese veg mix and other liquid. I’ll probably not add the extra water next time. But man oh man! This is truly delicious, a super kid pleaser, and the cheese sauce alone is a sheer miracle! Thank you so much!
After being vegetarian for 25 years I’ve been vegan for the last 10 and I’ve been trying in vain for the past 10 years to find a broccoli cheese soup that was any kind of good or even a decent “base recipe” to tweak..I had pretty much given up but decided to give it one last try with your recipe…OMG – I don’t know you but I love you for this recipe!! It is SO good – I actually teared up a little, I ate almost half the pot – THEN I texted my mom to tell her I finally found THE recipe! ( She’s been looking for a good broccoli cheese soup right along with me and yes, I’m bringing her some in the morning ?) This is seriously life changing so thank you thank you thank you!! ??
OMGosh! What an amazingly encouraging comment to wake up to this morning. I am thrilled that you love this soup. Thank you SO much for the kind words and fabulous feedback. You just made my day!
I bet you live for those moments. It makes all the work worthwhile!
By the way, it is a great recipe!
I came across your recipe today, and I had a feeling that it would work, even though I no longer trust every recipe I find onine.
I made it for dinner and the cheesy sauce is very good, and so versatile. Yummy stuff.
When I cooked the sauteed onion+garlic and broccoli and carrots, it smelled amazing. Still I had a fear that the sum may be lesser than it’s parts. The soup is let’s say 7.5/10, but maybe because I didnt use all the cheesy sauce, as I kept some of it aside for other stuff.
Thanks for your hardwork and for sharing!
I am SO glad that you liked the soup. The no-cheese sauce goes on everything around my house–pizza, nacho, baked potatoes, and really everything. I hope it becomes a stable in your house too. Thanks for the positive feedback!
This recipe is absolutely incredible!!! I used frozen, organic broccoli. Put an extra bag (10oz) of broccoli in the soup after it was complete to give it more consistancy. I will definitely make this again!
That’s terrific! I love that you added more frozen broccoli. Great idea!
So excited to try this! The weathers been chilly, rainy, muggy, snowy lately = perfec soup weather!
Wondering if i can convert the soup into broccoli cheddar sauce for pasta- and what I might need to do? Also what brand do you use for white beans (canned and dry both). Additionally, i have the braggs nutritional flakes that everyone and their grandma has, but I saw the ones u recommended were different- do u like these more?
Thanks – Priyanka
Hi Priyanka- Blending this into a broccoli cheddar sauce for pasta sounds like an excellent idea! I would just simply put it in a blender until smooth. For the white beans, I use different brands but love Eden canned ones often. The nutritional yeast flakes should be just fine whichever brand you choose. I have purchased a variety of kinds over the years and really couldn’t tell too much difference. I hope your experiment with using this as a sauce comes out great!