We absolutely love broccoli cheddar soup, but relying solely on store-bought vegan cheddar for a “cheesy” flavor? That felt like cheating. Instead, we set out to recreate the cheesy flavor with whole food ingredients and as many vegetables as possible. The result? Luxuriously creamy, nutrient-packed soup with classic, indulgent flavor. Swoon!
Just 10 ingredients required for this comforting dish that might just become your new favorite way to eat broccoli. Let’s make soup!
How to Make Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
It all begins with a sweet, savory base of sautéed onion, carrot, and garlic.
Then we add in the most important ingredient and leading member of the nutrient powerhouse club: BROCCOLI! This bright green veggie boasts an impressive boost of vitamin C plus detoxifying abilities.
The remaining ingredients? Potatoes add creaminess and comfort, Dijon mustard gives it a little kick (sounds weird, but trust!), salt is in there for flavor, and a combo of cashews + nutritional yeast mocks the creamy, rich, cheesy comfort of the classic dish!
Simmer until the veggies are soft then blend to create a smooth, velvety texture. We like to reserve a few pieces of broccoli to add in at the end for textural contrast, but that’s a matter of personal preference! You do you, friend.
We hope you LOVE this vegan broccoli cheddar soup! It’s:
Creamy
Cheesy
Comforting
Wholesome
Easy to make
& SO delicious!
We love topping with coconut bacon and serving with toasted crusty bread or homemade croutons.
More Creamy Vegan Soups
- Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- Easy 1-Pot Tomato Soup
- Creamy Potato Green Split Pea Soup (Instant Pot Friendly!)
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Creamy Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup raw cashews*
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (if oil-free, sub water and add more as needed)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, chopped (1 carrot yields ~1 heaping cup or 140 g)
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced (4-5 cloves yield ~2 ½ Tbsp or 25 g)
- 5 cups broccoli, florets cut into small, bite-sized pieces and stalks cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and diced (2 potatoes yield ~2 cups or 290 g)
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 ¼-1 ½ tsp sea salt
- 3 ½ cups water
- 1/4-1/3 cup nutritional yeast
FOR SERVING optional
- Coconut bacon
- Toasted bread (whole wheat or gluten-free // or croutons)
Instructions
- Add cashews to a heatproof bowl and cover with hot water by at least 1-2 inches. Let them soak while you get started on the soup.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil, onion, carrots, and garlic. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent.
- Set aside 1 cup (69 g) of the broccoli florets (adjust amount if altering batch size) and add the remaining 4 cups (306 g) of broccoli florets and stems (adjust amount if altering batch size) to the pot with the onions and carrots. Add the potatoes, Dijon mustard, and lesser amount of sea salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the water to the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
- Once the potatoes are completely cooked, carefully ladle the soup into a high-speed blender (that’s safe for hot foods). Drain the cashews and place them into the blender with the lesser amount of nutritional yeast. Blend the soup on high until completely smooth.
- Place the soup back into your pot and add the extra cup of broccoli florets to the soup. Cook for 5-10 more minutes until the mixture has thickened and the broccoli pieces are just cooked. Taste and adjust as needed, adding more nutritional yeast for cheesiness or salt for overall flavor.
- Serve warm with coconut bacon and toasted bread (whole wheat or gluten-free) or croutons (all optional). Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month (or longer).
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
Jess says
Would this work without carrots? I have everything on hand but that.
Yes, it should still work! Just use slightly less water.
dee says
What are the directions for heating this if I make it a freezer meal?
Hi Dee, we let it cool slightly before freezing in freezer-safe glass jars (with 1 inch space at the top to prevent cracking). Then defrost in cold water or overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop (covered) until warmed (~5-10 minutes). Hope that helps!
Elena says
I found this recipe and was excited to make it. Who doesn’t love Broccoli Cheddar Soup!l? Then I saw the white potatoes. Dun dum dunnnnn!!!
I can’t eat them. :( I love them but my body doesn’t so I subbed cauliflower and some chickpeas (2:1) for the white potatoes. I also wanted a more tangy cheesy flavor so I added some lemon juice. :)
Annnnnd after eating my first bowl, I decided that it needed more broccoli! I know there is already 5 cups, but I added another 4 cups of florets. The increased amount of broccoli made the cheesy flavor more pronounced and it reminded me more of SAD broccoli cheddar soup.
Thanks for the recipe. I really love this site and it’s been invaluable on my health journey. Thank you! Thank you!
Thank you for your kind words and lovely, Elena! We’re glad you were able to enjoy it with some modifications! xo
Grace Dawson Beatty says
DELICIOUS!!!!
xoxo!
Michelle says
This was delicious. I almost made the version from the MB cookbook but saw that this had more veggies and went for it. I used russet potatoes and even my fussy six year old said they liked it!
Yay! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing, Michelle! xo
Celia Lavalle says
Yum! Easy!
xoxo!
Donna McElrath says
Flavorful and delicious! So glad to find this one. I don’t use oil, added one stalk of chopped celery, lessened salt and sprinkled ground sumac on top of each bowl. Definitely a new favorite.
Amazing! Love your modifications, Donna. Thank you for sharing! xo
kirsten says
I’m vegan and always skeptical of “cheese” or “cheddar” flavored recipes. This was a surprise hit! My husband and I both really enjoyed it. Hearty and delicious. Definitely making again!
Yay! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Kirsten. Thank you for sharing! xo
Alayna says
Absolutely amazing! It is so smooth and creamy and the flavor is perfect. The only thing I did differently was that I used vegetable broth in place of the water. This is by far the best vegan soup I have ever made!
Whoop! We’re so glad you love it, Alayna. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Ovi says
Can you sub potatoes with carrots or butternut squash? Thank you! Your recipes are wonderfully delicious.
Thanks so much for the kind words, Ovi! Hmm, they won’t thicken it the same way and may add too much sweetness, but possibly for a different result?
Jennifer says
Hello, can you use yams instead of potatoes?
Hi Jennifer, we think it would be too sweet, but maybe half white or yellow yam and half cauliflower?
Lola says
I love your soup recipes! Your minestrone is already a staple in our menu. I will try this one but with coconut milk to add creaminess in place of cashews.
Aw, yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Lola. Hope you love this one too!
Amber says
Every recipe I try of yours is soooo good.
This soup was tasty too. Thank you for sharing your recipes – you’re my go to !
Aw, YAY! We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes, Amber. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Vicki says
Thank you, this soup is fantastic!! I used frozen chopped broccoli and added in a can of rinsed cannellini beans for a little more fiber and used a Nutri bullet with 1/2 cup of fresh water to blend the soaked/rinsed cashews. This I just scooped back into the whole pot, added the Nutritional Yeast and used an immersion blender. (A little less mess in my kitchen I think…lol).
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Vicki! xo
Vicki says
Can you just use an immersion blender for the large pot of soup and just blend the cashews with some water and nutritional yeast in a blender? If so, how much water would you add to the cashew mix please? Planning on making this later today for dinner tonight :)!!
Hi Vicki, we find cashews don’t blend until completely creamy using an immersion blender. We hope you love the soup!
Claire says
So delicious!!! I doubled the recipe, and because I prefer more texture in soups, I only blended half of the veggies/soup with the cashews etc., and it turned out AMAZING! Served with crispy onions, chopped scallions, and thinly sliced toasted French bread with garlic/olive oil for dipping! The toast really took it to the next notch!So filling, cheesy and comforting + 100% adding to my rotation this fall/winter! Also, the doubled recipe was perfect for 4 large servings- I reheated it the next day with a cup of water and a pinch of salt/pepper, and it was just as yummy! Thank you so much for this recipe, this is my first time reviewing (it’s just THAT good), but I’ve made dozens of your vegan recipes over the years and every single one has always been delicious! Xoxo
Aw, YAY! Thank you SO much for taking the time to love a review, Claire! We’re so happy you enjoy our recipes! xoxo
sarah boyle says
Made this soup for dinner tonight – it’s really good, flavorful and savory.
I added more water after pureeing and some onion & garlic powder, and more salt – seasoned to our taste.
We paired it with the recent apple bar recipe, subbed with our pears.
Recommend both recipes!
Thank you for making vegan/GF/DF cooking accessible and easy for me.
Thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review, Sarah! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! xo
Crystal says
This was excellent! I realised halfway through making it that we were out of Dijon mustard, so I subbed American mustard and it worked great. Currently eating leftovers for breakfast!
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Crystal. Thank you for the lovely review! xo