This healthier Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup tastes just like its cream and cheese-filled counterpart with no dairy required. With only 10 ingredients needed, you are going to love this easy, nourishing, gluten-free, & dairy-free broccoli soup recipe.
*Recipe originally shared December 2019 and updated August 2021*
One of my favorite recipes to make is always homemade vegan soup. There is just something so warming & comforting about a big bowl of soup with a side of toast.
Luckily, making a vegan cream of broccoli soup at home is easy, delicious, and healthier than any soup you would order out. Plus, this vegan roasted broccoli soup recipe is dairy-free, paleo, and so nutritious.
Serve it with a big slice of toasted spelt bread or a slice of my favorite Spinach Tomato Babka for the best weeknight dinner!
Ingredients:
Ingredient notes:
- Vegetable broth: While I do enjoy making my own vegetable broth, for this recipe I used Pacific Foods vegetable broth which I find to be the most flavorful store-bought broth!
- Nutritional yeast: The secret ingredient that makes this creamy broccoli and spinach soup taste like the real deal? Nutritional Yeast! It is specifically made to be eaten and the yeast is no longer "alive" in the final product. I like to buy fortified nutritional yeast because of the added protein and B minerals which are great for a vegan diet! I like Bragg's, but you can also buy nutritional yeast at Trader Joe's, Costco, and many other supermarkets in bulk now too!
How to make vegan broccoli soup
Soak the cashews
There are a lot of soup recipes out there that tell you to soak your cashews for 4-8 hours (mine included). However, with a strong blender like the KitchenAid K400 all you really need to do is soak the cashews in warm water for 30 minutes- 1 hour in boiling hot water before blending.
Soaking the cashews helps to soften the cashews so they can be broken down into the creamiest dairy-free broccoli soup!
Roast the broccoli and onions
This creamy vegan broccoli soup is made by roasting broccoli and onions with nutritional yeast and spices. While you could sauté these ingredients to make soup, I chose to roast them because it adds a depth of flavor to the soup. There is just something extra delicious about those charred broccoli stems!
Blend ingredients in blender
Once the veggies are cooked, it's time to blend everything together. Start by blending the cashews and veggie broth for around 4-5 minutes to get it perfectly creamy.
It will start off separated and over time it will blend together into a super thick and creamy mixture.
Once the broth and cashews are well-blended, add in the roasted broccoli and onions, spinach, and remaining nutritional yeast. Then, blend for about 3-5 minutes until this vegan broccoli soup is super thick and creamy!
Heat the broccoli soup in a pot
Now that the broccoli soup is blended- all it needs is to be warmed up so it's hot for eating. Add the soup to a large pot and heat for 5-10 minutes until it's at the desired temperature. This also helps this blended broccoli soup get even thicker and creamier!
If you want a thinner soup, you can also add in any extra vegetable broth at this time as well as additional salt and pepper to season the soup. Then, spoon the vegan cream of broccoli soup into bowls, add toppings, and enjoy!
FAQ & Expert Tips
Not really. Soaked cashews are really important for thickening this soup. However, if you're okay with a thinner soup you could substitute it with 1 can of full-fat coconut milk. If doing this, I'd recommend cutting the veggie broth from 3 cups to 2 cups so the soup still gets thick and creamy.
Yes! If you'd like a little time or have fewer dishes, you can saute the veggies in a pot. Just add the avocado oil and onions to the pot and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Then, add in the chopped broccoli and saute for about 10 minutes. You'll still need to remove the sauteed veggies from the pot to blend, but you'll add them back to the pot to heat everything up. I find the flavor of the soup isn't quite as delicious with this method, but it does work!
Any topping works for this soup, but some of my favorites are pepitas, hemp seeds, fresh herbs, and a drizzle of coconut cream.
Other toppings ideas could be roasted sriracha chickpeas, extra roasted broccoli, or even microgreens for something fresh. You can check out my Roasted Carrot Cauliflower Soup or my Creamy Sweet Dumpling Squash Soup for more topping ideas!
Broccoli soup can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Just reheat until warmed throughout to enjoy broccoli soup leftovers!
This nourishing & creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup is delicious, easy, dairy-free, gluten-free, and super filling. I might just say it's the best vegan broccoli cream soup I have ever had. Enjoy this comforting blended broccoli soup for dinner tonight!
-TSG
More Vegan Soup Recipes You Will Love:
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Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
Roasted Broccoli & Onions
- 1 cup cashews soaked 30-60 minutes in warm water
- 6 cups chopped broccoli
- 1 cup diced onion about ½ onion
- 3 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Additional soup ingredients:
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups spinach
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add your cashews to a container and cover with boiling hot water. Let sit 30-60 minutes to soften.
- While the cashews are soaking, chop the broccoli and onion and preheat the oven to 400F.
- Add the chopped broccoli and onion to a baking tray. Then, toss with the avocado oil, 2 Tbsp of nutritonal yeast, chili flakes, garlic powder, and salt until evenly coated.
- Add the pan of vegetables to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, removing at the 15 minute mark to briefly stir. Then, remove from the oven and let cool.
- Once the vegetables are done cooking, strain the cashews and add them to the blender along with the vegetable broth. Turn to the blender to a medium setting and blend for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Next, add in the roasted vegetables, spinach, and an additional 2 Tbsp of nutritional yeast. Blend for another 2 minutes until the soup is super thick and creamy.
- Remove the soup from the blender and add it to a pot. Cook over medium heat for 5-10 inutes until the soup is hot. Then, remove from the heat and serve with your choice of toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
- For toppings, I recommend salted roasted pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, coconut cream, chili oil, broccoli, fresh greens, or vegan parmesan cheese.
- For this recipe, I used a Kitchenaid K400 blender which is great for soups.
- Leftover soup can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- There is not a good substitute for the soaked cashews in this recipe, however, you could try using 1 can of full-fat coconut milk instead. If doing this, you may want to reduce the veggie broth from 3 cups to 2 cups.
- I highly recommend serving this broccoli soup with a side of toasted spelt bread!
Zach says
A recipe this simple has no business being this good.
Megan says
The best review thank you- sometimes simple really is best :)!
Sarah says
I am allergic to cashews - do you have a replacement suggestion or okay to skip cashews?
Megan says
There is not a great sub for cashews in this recipe as it's what makes it super thick. You could always try a coconut milk or plant-based milk, but it won't be as thick. You honestly may be better off with a different recipe in this case!
Jessica says
I just made this recipe subbing the cashews for 1/4 cup hemp hearts instead and I was quite happy with the consistency 🙂 I think adding in a steamed/boiled potato as well will make it even creamier - I may try this next time!
Megan says
Adding a potato sounds great! So glad you loved it 🙂
Andrea says
I can't even put into words how good this soup was. Heavenly. It was still amazing reheated the next day.
Andrea says
I can't even put into words how good this soup was. Heavenly. It was still amazing reheated the next day.
ShortGirlTallOrder says
So so glad you liked it!