This vegan broccoli cheddar soup will make you do a double take! It's so creamy and cheesy, that it's almost undetectable as a vegan recipe. This soup has all the flavor and texture of the classic without any dairy. Who says you can't have comfort food classics on a plant-based diet.
What is Broccoli Cheddar Soup?
This soup is a nostalgic comfort food classic. If you have never had a steaming bowl of broccoli cheddar soup, you are really missing out. We can call this a traditional Americana type recipe.
Broccoli and Cheddar soup was made popular by the rise of Campbell's soup and the restaurant chain Panera bread. It's likely people love this soup for its ability to make broccoli taste delicious and decadent.
Most popular soups feature broccoli cooked until tender with other savory veggies like onions or carrots. Then it is either pureed smooth or left somewhat chunky with cream and sharp cheddar cheese. Sometimes bacon is added for extra flavor and some add in extra whole cooked broccoli florets at the end for more texture.
This soup recipe has been veganized. It is dairy free, and gluten free. In fact this recipe is extremely allergy friendly as there are no nut milks and as long as a nut-free and gluten free vegan cheese is selected, it is safe for most people to eat. Despite being totally plant-based this soup is creamy, cheesy and decadent just like the broccoli and cheddar soups you remember.
Why you'll love this Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- It's thick, creamy, hearty and comforting
- Great way to sneak in the veggies for the haters
- Kid friendly! Family dinner is served
- Budget friendly
- Heart healthy, it's a cream and butter free recipe
- Easy recipe, totally beginner friendly
- Comes together quickly, no need to simmer for hours
- It's as delicious as the classic, so much flavor
Time Saving Tip
Buy broccoli florets instead of broccoli crowns for less chopping. Just dump the bag in the soup and carry on! Or use frozen broccoli for a more budget friendly option.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe Ingredients
This perfect for Fall and Winter soup recipe has a very short ingredient list! The only ingredient which could be more difficult to locate is the vegan cheddar cheese. But nowadays there is a plethora of plant-based cheeses in. most grocery stores.
- Broccoli: This is the star of the show, giving this soup most of the flavor.
- Sweet Potatoes and Baby Yellow Potatoes: These two root veggies add starch and flavor, plus a creamy texture once pureed. The sweet potatoes also add color to give it more of that cheddar look.
- Vegan Cheddar Cheese-Vegan cheese has really come a long way. It adds flavor plus the starch helps give the soup a silky feel
- Nutritional Yeast- This ingredient gives a cheesy and umami flavor, plus it adds extra B12 and protein to this soup recipe.
- Garlic and onion- Infuses the broth with a savory depth
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil- for sautéing the onion, broccoli and garlic
- Water
- Salt and pepper- to make the flavors pop
- Vegan Bacon and Chives-For optional garnish
Pro soup tip: Always let the soup cool down before covering tightly. You can put the soup into the refrigerator before it's totally cool, but leave the cover askew to vent the heat as it escapes to prevent spoiling. Once the soup is cold, cover it tightly.
How to Make Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Pardon my puns but this soup is super easy to make. It really just boils down to cooking the ingredients and using an immersion blender to puree and make it smooth.
- Step One: Saute the onion and garlic
- Step 2: Add broccoli and salt reserving 1 cup of broccoli for the end
- Step 3: Add water, sweet potato and potatoes and cook until fork tender
- Step 4: Puree until smooth, add the reserved broccoli, nutritional yeast and cheddar and blend again until smooth
- Optionally serve with vegan bacon, chives and black pepper
Tips for Making the Best Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
- Experiment with the texture. Leave some broccoli florets whole for a chunkier soup
- Up the protein: add white beans or silken tofu to the soup and puree as well to hit your protein goals
- Use broth instead of water for a stronger flavor
- Make it super creamy by adding coconut milk for some of the water, just be sure to add it near the end so that it won't break when boiling the soup
- Look for vegan cheeses like mature cheddar or smoked cheddar for extra flavor
- Make it your own by tasting and adjusting the salt and pepper to your liking.
- Add vegan bacon to the soup instead of just as a garnish to make it Broccoli Cheddar and Bacon soup. Be sure to add it last, after the blending step.
FAQs
Absolutely! If you prefer to use real cheese that is your prerogative. Vegan cheese and dairy cheese are certainly interchangeable in my recipes.
I do this because I like some of the broccoli to retain its bright green color. By adding it in the end it gets blended into the hot liquid which cooks it enough to be tender but not so much as to suck out all that brilliant green. If you want, you can certainly cook yours all at once and blend.
Yes! But you do need to have a high speed blender. But, be very careful when blending hot liquids in the blender because it's very easy to get burned. I can't tell you how many times I have had the cover blow off because of the trapped steam pressure. So if you are going to use a blender, do it in small batches and always place a kitchen towel and your hand on the cover when blending to prevent it from exploding.
Yes, you can use cauliflower, zucchini or even butternut squash!
You can certainly skip the saute step and just add all the veggies and water and boil. For me the amount of oil is very small, but many of you prefer cooking without oil. Boiling it all will taste delicious as well. If you want to leave out the vegan cheese, I recommend adding 2 cups of cubed butternut squash with the potatoes and boiling until tender instead and add a tablespoon or two of red miso at the end for the extra umami flavor.
My favorite brands are GoodPlanet Foods, Violife and Follow Your Heart. But for this recipe, really and vegan cheese brand will do. I recommend looking for a smoked cheddar or a mature cheddar.
You certainly can, but I don't love that waste of time. I only cut off any eyes or dark spots before cooking baby potatoes. The skin is so thin, it's barely detectable. I do however recommend peeling the sweet potatoes. The skin is thicker and can be unpleasant in soup.
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Vegan Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- ½ yellow onion peeled and sliced
- 5 cups broccoli cut in florets, use stems too
- ½ pound yellow baby potatoes cut in halves
- 3 small sweet potatoes peeled and cut in rounds
- 8 cups water
- 2 cups vegan cheddar
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 5 oz vegan bacon optional
- 4 oz chives optional
- black pepper optional
Instructions
- To a large soup pot over medium heat, add the extra virgin olive oil. Once hot add the garlic and onions and cook for 3-5 minutes until fragrant and toasty.
- Next add 4 cups of broccoli florets and season with salt. Cook for 5 minutes stirring often.
- Next add water, sweet potatoes and potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook until all is fork tender, about 20 minutes or so.
- Remove the pot from the heat and blend carefully with an immersion blender. Add the remaining broccoli, the vegan cheddar and the nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste for salt and add if needed.
- Serve with optional garnishes and enjoy
Terri Johnston
This soup was so yummy and creamy. Very easy to make also. Your recipes are awesome! Thanks
Sara Tercero
Thanks Terri! I appreciate the feedback and 5 stars! You rock.