Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup (No Cashews)

This delicious Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup (No Cashews) is rich, creamy, cheesy (thanks to nutritional yeast), loaded with tender veggies, and is ready in just 30 minutes!

This recipe was partially inspired by this cream of pumpkin soup and this Hungarian creamy garlic soup.

Growing up we mostly ate traditional Slavic dishes like Ukrainian borscht with beets, gluten-free pelmeni, and gluten-free pierogi, so discovering the new world of creamy vegetable soups has been a blast for me!

You can make croutons out of this fluffy gluten-free Turkish bread.

Ingredients for Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup

See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities.

• Broccoli - use fresh broccoli without discolorations. The older the broccoli, the more bitterness it might have. You can add some cauliflower for more flavor!

• Cheese - use vegan cheddar cheese for this recipe.
• Stock - use vegetable stock.
• Milk/cream - use plant-based milk or cream.
• Butter - use a vegan block of butter, don't use margarine spread.
• Flour - I always use nightshade-free gluten-free flour for this soup because my husband has celiac. You, however, can use the regular all-purpose flour instead!
• Nutritional yeast - adds a cheesy flavor to the soup! Don't skip this ingredient.

Substitutes

Butter - you can use 4 tablespoon of olive oil instead.

Vegan cheddar - you can simply use 4 tablespoon of nutritional yeast and skip cheddar if you prefer.

How to Make Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup (No Cashews)

First, you need to peel and julienne or shred the carrots to save time later on. You can also buy carrot matchsticks that are already cut up.

If you don't have a special peeler to julienne the carrots quickly, take the other route and shred them with a fine or medium-sized shredder/grater instead. Set aside until called for.

Then chop the broccoli into small bite-sized florets and cut off the stem. Broccoli stems can be used in other recipes!

Measure about 4 full heaping cups.

Top Tip

Older broccolis can have a bitter flavor. To get rid of bitterness, simply blanch the florets in boiling water for 60 seconds and rinse, then proceed with the recipe!

Preheat a Dutch oven or another heavy-bottomed on the stove over medium heat.

Add vegan butter or olive oil and melt it stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Why use a Dutch oven?

You have less risk of burning the food if using a Dutch oven or another heavy-bottomed pot (1cm/0.4in).

Chop the onion finely and add to the pot. Saute over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes stirring occasionally until soft and translucent.

Mince the garlic and add it to the onions. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Finally, add the flour and whisk or stir it in to incorporate evenly.

Melted butter with flour is called roux and is often used to thicken soups and sauces.

Once the onions and garlic are evenly coated in flour, add the vegetable stock, broccoli florets, and carrots.

Stir and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on.

Stir every 3 minutes to prevent sticking and burning. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper (adjust to taste).

Then, add the vegan cream, milk, or half and half and stir to incorporate.

Stir in the vegan cheese (if using) a handful at a time. Add 4 tablespoon of nutritional yeast and stir to incorporate.

Simmer for another minute and take the soup off the heat.

Serve with croutons or homemade crusty bread for dunking!

How to serve

• Top with croutons (make homemade croutons out of buckwheat bread for a deeper flavor);
• Serve with crusty gluten-free French baguettes for dunking;
• Add a cherry tomato Caprese salad on the side;
• Serve in a bread bowl;
• More ideas on what to serve with broccoli cheese soup.

Variations

Spicy vegan broccoli cheddar soup - add ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper at a time.

Jalapeno vegan broccoli cheddar soup - chop 1-2 jalapeno peppers and saute with the onions, then proceed with the recipe.

Broccoli rice vegan cheddar soup - bowl 1 cup of rice in 2 cups of water for 10-11 minutes, then stir into the soup at the end. You might need to add 1-2 cups more chicken stock or water to make the soup thinner.

Expert Tips

• Choose healthy-looking broccoli without discolorations.
• Use a heavy-bottomed pot or a Dutch oven to prevent burning and sticking.

How to store, freeze, and reheat

You can store this broccoli soup in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. It might thicken in the fridge, so add some extra stock or water to thin it out again when you reheat.

To freeze:

• Ladle the soup into the freezer bags or air-tight freeze-friendly containers about ⅔ of the way;
• Label the bags/containers with the date and lay flat on the freezer shelf.

The soup will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge and then reheat in a pot on the stove over medium heat and enjoy!