You'd never guess that this creamy vegan broccoli soup is totally dairy-free! It's made of a rich, savory blend of potatoes, veggies, and herbs.
Drumroll, please! This vegan broccoli soup recipe is super creamy, comforting, and brimming with cheesy flavor. I started working on it after I posted a photo of this gorgeous pile of broccoli on Instagram with a call out for broccoli recipe requests. Overwhelmingly, people asked for a healthy/vegan broccoli cheese soup. Jack loves cheesy broccoli soup (and most cheesy things, to be honest), so we were both excited to take on the challenge. I’m happy to report that the results do not disappoint!
This vegan broccoli soup recipe is not to be confused with cream of broccoli soup. I have a super delicious, very green, Creamy Broccoli Soup on page 55 of my first cookbook. It’s made with leeks, coconut milk, broccoli, lemon, and spinach. It’s light, healthy, and tastes similar to a soup my mom made for me while I was growing up.
This recipe – vegan broccoli cheddar soup – is thicker, richer, and more cheese-like. I think you’re going to love it.
Vegan Broccoli Soup Recipe Ingredients
Tasting this vegan broccoli soup, you’d never guess that it’s made without cheese or cream. Its creamy texture and rich taste come from these plant-based ingredients:
- Broccoli, of course! I get tons of requests for recipes that use a whole bunch of broccoli, so here, I do – stalk and all! I blend the stalk into the soup’s creamy base and pulse in the florets for texture. If you’re looking for more whole-vegetable recipes, try making a broccoli salad or cauliflower rice next. Waste not, want not!
- Cashews and potatoes – This combination is a great one for giving vegan recipes a gooey cheesy texture. Like in my vegan cheese recipe, it makes this soup rich and creamy.
- Carrots – For cheesy color.
- Celery, onion, and garlic – They add savory depth of flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice – For tang.
- Fresh dill – It’s the secret ingredient that ties this soup together! It helps give it a delicious cheesy flavor without an ounce of cheese.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
To make this recipe, start by sautéing the onion, carrots, celery, and broccoli stems until they soften. Stir in the potatoes and garlic. Then, add the broth and simmer!
Meanwhile, steam all but 1 cup of the broccoli florets until they’re tender, but still bright green.
When the potatoes are soft, transfer the soup to a blender along with the cashews, vinegar, and mustard, and blend until smooth. Add the broccoli florets that you’ve steamed, as well as the lemon juice and dill. Pulse until the florets are incorporated, but still chunky. Enjoy!
Vegan Broccoli Soup Recipe Tips
- Top it with something crunchy. Whenever I’m making creamy soup, I love to top it with crunchy garnishes for textural contrast. While the soup simmers, roast the last of the broccoli florets and make a batch of quick homemade croutons. These crispy toppings will take your vegan broccoli soup to a whole new level!
- Don’t blend the broccoli too much. You don’t want this soup to become a smooth puree; it should have some texture. Blend the potatoes, celery, onions, broccoli stalk, and carrots until they’re completely smooth, but just pulse in the steamed florets. They add lovely green flecks and texture to the soup.
- Don’t skip the dill! Even if dill isn’t your thing, I urge you to try it in this recipe. It’s essential for mimicking the rich, complex flavor of sharp cheddar cheese. If you want to skip it, I recommend blending in a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast to make the soup taste more cheesy.
More Favorite Soup Recipes
If you love this vegan broccoli soup, try one of these delicious soup recipes next:
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Best Lentil Soup
- Many-Veggie Vegetable Soup
- Pumpkin Soup
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Creamy Potato Soup
- Or any of these 30 Best Soup Recipes!
And for more tasty vegan recipes, check out this post!
Vegan Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ⅓ cup chopped carrots
- 1 lb. broccoli, stems diced, florets chopped
- 1 small yukon gold potato, diced (1 cup)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 3 cups cubed bread, for croutons
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 small baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, broccoli stems, salt, and pepper and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and garlic and stir, then add the broth and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Let cool slightly.
- Set aside 1 cup of the broccoli florets to roast as a topping for the soup. Place the remaining florets in a steamer basket, and set over a pot with 1-inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer, cover, and let steam 5 minutes, until the broccoli is tender.
- Meanwhile, place the reserved broccoli florets and the bread cubes on the baking sheets. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and roast until the bread is crispy and the broccoli is tender and browned around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer the soup to the blender and add the cashews, apple cider vinegar, and mustard, and blend until creamy. Work in batches, if necessary. Add the steamed broccoli florets, dill, and lemon juice, and pulse until the broccoli is incorporated but still chunky. The soup should be thick; if it's too thick, add 1/2 cup water to thin to your desired consistency.
- Season to taste and serve the soup in bowls with the roasted broccoli and croutons on top.
Notes
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My whole family loved this soup and couldn’t belive that it’s vegan.
Hi Rajani, I’m so glad it was a hit!
I’ve made several vegan broccoli cheddar soups over the years and this is by far the best! This will be my new go-to recipe! Thank you!
Hi Lindsay, thanks for your comment. I’m so glad you loved the soup!
Thank you, this is CRAZZZY delicious! I roasted all my broccoli (we just love the char) and didn’t add the potato (family allergies) and it was still crazy good. And your directions were spot on! The soup is good but adding the fresh lemon juice and dill brought it to the next level of amazing! Vegan and non vegan fam alike gobble this down! Thank you for a great recipe that is now in our family rotation! 🙂
Hi Kia, I’m so glad you loved it!
Just made this as I had a head of broccoli to use up! Have to concur that the dill (I used dry) is what takes this up a couple of notches!! So yummy! Thank you!
Hi Donna, I’m so glad you loved it!
Delicious soup!! I’m not a vegan nor a vegetarian but definitely a vegetable enthusiast and trying to eat more plant-based meals. This soup was really tasty and well-seasoned. I added 2 TBSP of nutritional yeast because I thought that was a good idea but I’m sure it’s just as delicious without it. Thanks for the great recipe!!
I’m so glad you loved it!
This recipe looks delicious! Any suggestions to sub out the potato? I can’t eat nightshades, so potatoes are out for me.
Thanks!
I would love to try this. Has anyone used dried dill instead of fresh?
Hi Lynne, sorry for the double comment – I meant to say I would start with 1/2 *teaspoon* and taste from there. Dried dill is much more concentrated.
Thank you for this beautiful recipe! Love it, so nutritious and easy to make. I cook a big batch and freeze batches for meal prep.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Looking in the fridge today, I found we had half a head of sad looking broccoli and half a head of sad looking cauliflower. I looked up recipes to use them up and stumbled upon this one. So glad I did, I’m only as far as blending the soup (cauliflower and broccoli florets are now steaming) and have tasted it and it’s absolutely delicious! I pretty much followed the recipe, but used a full carrot and of course the cauliflower and I did add two tablespoons of nutritional yeast (a staple in our house). It is incredibly cheesy and delicious and I can see it becoming a regular in our house. Thank you for a great recipe :).
Hi there!
I’m allergic to cashews but this recipe looks like it works great with all my dietary needs. Could I replace with macadamia nuts or almonds?
Also what are your thoughts on omitting the mustard??
Hi Joanna, Blanched slivered almonds would work well instead of the cashews (make sure to soak them first if you don’t have a high-speed blender!). I think the mustard deepens the savory flavor of the soup, so I recommend using it, but you can skip it if you’re not a mustard fan. You could add a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast for a “cheesier” flavor instead.
This my absolute – and only – favourite broccoli soup! The only difference is that I make it in my electronic pressure cooker because it takes about 10 minutes from sauté to the blender. Your website is also the my favourite! Thanks for sharing all of the vegetarian/vegan recipes.
I’m so glad you’ve loved it so much!
I’m not always good at sticking to recipes. They often turn into just a guideline for me. But I followed this recipe to the letter and was absolutely delighted! Now this has got to be one of my most favorite soups ever! Easy to make and oh so delicious. Almost addictive as I found myself even sneaking spoonfuls of cold leftover soup from the fridge. Thank you so much for this new comfort food!
I’m so glad you loved it!
This has become one of my favourite soups in winter to make. I bake the garnishes in the air fryer; the broccoli and croutons come out perfect! I don’t normally bother with garnishes but in this soup it really elevates the dish!!
I’m so glad it’s been a hit!
Can this recipe be made ahead of time and frozen?
yep!
I love the look of the recipe but it would be fantastic to have the measurements in grams! Any way you could add those?
Hi Marleen, thanks for your feedback! Unfortunately, we don’t have the gram measurements for this recipe right now.
I really love this soup! Today I will be making it for the 4th time. I don’t roast the florets but I do lightly steam them and add in towards the end.
Hi Robin – 4 times! I’m so glad you’ve been loving it as much as we do.
This is great! I skipped the roasting broccoli part, and just used frozen and let it boil in the soup pre blending. Delish!
Hi Karen, So glad you loved it!
This was excellent and so easy! I roasted red pepper slices with the broccoli for the garnish, and skipped the croutons. I cooked the onion and garlic a bit first, then added the broccoli, celery, carrots, and potato. I followed the rest of the recipe, using an immersion blender. Definitely will be making this again soon!
Hi Lisa, I’m so glad you loved the soup!
AMAZING. I didn’t have cashews so I used almonds (will definitely try cashews next time) and added one tablespoon of nutritional yeast. I also cut the dill by half but the flavor still came through amazingly. I am blown away Thank you!!
Hi Joanna, I’m so glad you loved the soup!
Mmmmm!!! Made this as written. So creamy and delicious. The dill and lemon make the soup!! Leftovers heated well. Enjoyed it for lunch!!!
Hi Barb, I’m so glad you loved the soup! We’re always excited to hear from a dill fan 🙂