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 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.
More creamy soup recipes: sweet potato soup / asparagus soup / autumn squash soup / baked potato soup
How to make vegan 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 vegetable broth, almond milk and canned coconut milk for the liquid.
I used canned coconut milk because it’s as thick as heavy cream, but I always like to balance out the sweetness with another dairy free milk, like almond.
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 homemade 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 vegan broccoli 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.
More vegan soup recipes:
- Beer cheese soup
- Vegan cauliflower soup
- Vegan cream of mushroom
- Potage aux legumes
- Vegan tomato soup
More vegan recipes you’ll love:
- Vegan queso
- Almond cheese
- Vegan mac and cheese
- Vegan vodka sauce
- Irish soda bread
- Dairy free cheesecake
Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 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 vegetable broth
- 2 1/2 cups almond milk, divided
- 1 1/3 cups canned 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
This is by far my favorite broccoli soup recipe!! So very good I’ve made it 3 times since I first came across it! I do purée it a bit at the end just to blend up some of the broccoli pieces.
I’m not vegan so I was skeptical but this was amazing! I added 3 diced carrots and used Parmesan since i didn’t have nutritional yeast but otherwise I followed the recipe and it was DELICIOUS 😋 adding this to my repertoire of favorites, for sure.
Thanks for this great recipe. I made too much and was wondering if one can have it as leftovers the next day. I added a lot of nutritional yeast and this is a new ingredient for me, so don’t know if you can refrigerate it? Thanks.
This soup is amazing! I’m gluten free so I used one tbsp of arrowroot flour to half a cup of almond milk. I’m not vegan, so I used home made chicken broth I had on hand. I also like my soup a little smoother so I used an immersion blender to blend before adding flour/milk slurry. Will definitely be making again!
can i use soy milk instead of almond milk for this?
This soup is great! Made some minor adjustments to the ingredients like adding more garlic, nutritional yeast and replaced nutmeg with crushed red pepper. Turned out Excellent!
Harvested lots of broccoli and made this recipe as a creamy, blended soup.
We really enjoyed it… Yum!
Just a quick note. The title says nut free. This has almond milk and coconut. Oops.
We loved this soup!! So glad to find a great soup that meets my family’s food sensitivities. My son doesn’t care for coconut, but the flavor of this soup is so delicious, that he didn’t complain at all! This will be my go to broccoli soup!
This recipe is AMAZING. My husband can’t have onions so I just used 6 garlic cloves in total. Turned out amazing. I also used tapioca starch for the flour and added two more tablespoons to thicken. I am not a huge soup fan but I like cheese soup and this really hit the spot. I had it several days in a row. Awesome.