This dairy free broccoli cheese soup is made with a combination of almond and coconut milk, for a creamy, cheese soup that doesn’t have any cheese at all. It’s perfect when you’re craving a creamy, comforting soup, and it only takes about 30 minutes to make. Dairy free doesn’t get much better than this.
Contrary to what you may think, going dairy free doesn’t mean creamy soups are thing of the past. They are, in fact, just as easy to make without dairy, and you won’t even be able to tell the difference.
I’d even so far as to say this soup is as good as Panera’s broccoli cheese soup. It’s creamy, savory and just as indulgent as you remember.
How to make dairy free broccoli cheese soup:
To make this soup dairy free, I started building flavor from the beginning with onion and garlic. Then I used a combination of chicken broth, almond milk and culinary coconut milk for the liquid.
Culinary coconut milk is basically a thickened, un-separated version of coconut milk. It’s perfect because it’s as thick as heavy cream, and it’s consistent between recipes.
You can easily use coconut milk, but I would suggest removing the “cream” part of the can and reducing the amount of “water”. I would do this by adding the coconut cream to my measuring cup and topping with water until you reach about 1 1/3 cups. You don’t have to whisk it together or anything, it should even out as it goes into the soup.
To give the soup the right color and flavory, I added 1/4 cup nutritional yeast and a little ground mustard, turmeric and paprika. And, of course, you’ll need salt. Then I thickened it all up with a slurry of flour and the rest of my almond milk. I also added a pinch of nutmeg at the end, but you definitely don’t need it.
As for the broccoli, chop it as small or large as you want. I think it mimics restaurant quality if you let the broccoli cook way-down, so I cut mine fairly small.
You can top you soup with some vegan cheese shreds, or you can go for some dairy free croutons. They get nice a soft in the soup and add a really good amount of flavor. Or, you can just stand at the stove and eat from the pot, no garnish necessary. It’s up to you.
Tips for making the creamiest dairy free broccoli cheese soup:
- Using a combination of broth, almond (or any alternative milk) and coconut milk gives you a creamy consistency.
- Turmeric, paprika and nutritional yeast contribute to a cheesy, cheddar-like color. You can skip one or the other, but don’t leave out all three.
- Don’t skimp on the salt. Cheese is naturally salty, so when you’re missing it, you’re missing out on that saltiness. Don’t be afraid to add enough salt to make it taste right.
Prep Time:
Yield:
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PinIngredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (1/2 tablespoon minced)
- 6 cups roughly chopped broccoli florets
- 1 14.5-ounce can chicken broth (or vegetable)
- 2 1/2 cups almond milk, divided
- 1 11-ounce carton culinary coconut milk
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
Instructions
- In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil to medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Sauté, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add broccoli, broth, 2 cups of almond milk and coconut milk. Increase heat to high and bring to a low boil.
- Continue to boil soup until broccoli has softened, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat to medium.
- Add nutritional yeast, salt, mustard, turmeric and paprika. Stir to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour and remaining almond milk until smooth. Add to soup.
- Add nutmeg, and continue to simmer soup over medium until desired thickness is reached.
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This was delicious. You don’t even miss the cheese. Kids all loved it too. My only addition was carrots and canned coconut bc I didn’t have a chance to buy the culinary coconut. It probably would have helped make it thicker, next time I’ll buy that. Thanks for a great dairy free creamy soup!
★★★★★
I’m so glad to hear that you liked it! It definitely does make it a little thicker. You could also pour off some of the water from the coconut milk (if you have a separated can), or let it simmer a little longer thicken it (but the you run this risk of the broccoli turning to mush, so add them a little later if you do that). I will definitely try adding carrots next time I make it. I didn’t have any the last couple times.
Could you use frozen broccoli for this or would it be too mushy?
Did you get my message on Facebook? I hope you were able to make the soup!
This soup was completely unbelievable! If I didn’t make it myself I would have been SURE that there was cheese in this!! It was hearty, creamy, healthy, and SO delicious! I made your Dairy-Free Croutons recipe to top off the soup and it could not have been better!! Passing this on to everyone!!
Yey! I’m so glad you liked it, and thank you so much for taking the time to comment 🙂
Prior to discovering my dairy allergy I really enjoyed broccoli cheese soup so when Melissa made this recipe I was really excited and it did not disappoint. Deliciously creamy and the flavor was spot on!
★★★★★
Before I make this, can I substitute another flour? We are GF as well. It is so hard to find dairy AND GF good recipes. I would LOVE to make this for my family!
Thanks in advance!
You could totally substitute cornstarch or whatever else you would use to thicken soup or make a roux! I wouldn’t suggest using almond flour or anything like that because it doesn’t have the same thickening properties. Use half the amount I wrote for flour if you use cornstarch.
Thank you!!!
After 50+ years of using dairy I can’t use cheese or milk products any longer. Love the creamy soups, especially broccoli cheese so I’d given up on ever eating it again until I found your website. This is so yummy and as has been said it is so flavorful I didn’t miss the cheese. I look forward to trying your other lactose free recipes in the near future. Thank you, this recipe made my chilly fall day a little warmer”
★★★★★
Is there anything I can use to substitute the coconut? My husband is highly allergic to it but I still want the soup to be creamy
Can you do cashew cream instead?
hi. can I use frozen broccoli for this recipe? or will it be too musht? should I reduce cooking time?
If you make it with frozen broccoli, try putting that in with just enough time to cook it. It won’t need as much time to soften.
This soup ROCKS! I only made a few minor changes … lowfat organic coconut milk (because I couldn’t find culinary coconut milk), 2 cups water with 1 No-Chick’n Cube (instead of broth), and I added carrots. I brought a pint of the soup and a small portion of your homemade croutons to work for my son to have for lunch (we work together) and he really liked it. He is not vegan or vegetarian and I didn’t tell him there wasn’t any cheese in it. He ate it up. Thank you for a great recipe! I’ll be making this one again and again.
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear that you liked it! Thank you for the wonderful review!