This Dairy-Free Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup is warming and delicious. This soup is a healthy version of the Broccoli Cheese Soup you grew up loving! It is Vegan, Whole30, Paleo, and Gluten-Free!
Who doesn't love a creamy broccoli cheese soup? Before becoming vegan, I would make broccoli cheese soup at least once a week during the winters. I loved the flavor of the broccoli paired with the creaminess of the cheese. It was a sad day when I could no longer eat my favorite soup recipe. I was determined to find a way to make a vegan version of it.
This Dairy-Free Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup is everything you remember about the Broccoli Cheese Soup you grew up on. It is hearty and thick and full of cheesy, broccoli goodness. You would have no idea that this soup is vegan, Whole30, Paleo and Gluten-Free! It tastes so indulgent and delicious!
For some other delicious soup recipes, check out this Crockpot 15 Bean Cowboy Soup, this Slow Cooker Vegan Minestrone or The Best Vegan Split Pea Soup!
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Why This Dairy-Free Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup Is The Best
Fits any lifestyle- This soup fits into any lifestyle. It is Vegan, Gluten-Free, Paleo, and Whole30 so it can be enjoyed by almost everyone in your family and friend circle. You can also make this soup Keto-friendly by swapping the potatoes for rutabagas and leaving out the cashews in the sauce.
Quick to Make- This soup will be on your table in under an hour, which makes it the perfect soup to make during the week when time can be crunched.
Super Filling- Because of the cashews, this soup is incredibly filling. It has a whopping 13.2 grams of protein per serving.
Ingredient Notes
- Broccoli- The base of this soup is broccoli. You can use either fresh broccoli or frozen broccoli, whatever you have on hand.
- Potatoes- Russet Potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes work best in this recipe, both lend a creamy texture to the soup. I used Russet in this recipe but you can use Yukon Golds. I would not suggest using Red Potatoes as they will not get as creamy.
- Cashews- To make the cheese sauce, we are using cashews as the base. When blended, cashews help to thicken any sauce that you make. It is the key to making this soup extra thick and creamy.
- Coconut Milk- Coconut milk is also important to achieve that creamy texture. I recommend using full-fat coconut milk from a can. You can swap it for Almond Milk or another plant-based milk but the sauce won't be as thick and chowder-like if you use the canned coconut milk.
- Nutritional Yeast-To get the cheesy flavor that we are looking for, we are adding nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast, which means yeast cells are killed during processing and inactive in the final product. It has a nutty, cheesy, and savory flavor. It's a common vegan cheese substitute.
See the recipe card for the full ingredient list and quantities.
Instructions
- Add the cashews to boiling water while making the soup
- Dice the onions, celery, broccoli, carrots, and potatoes
- Saute the onions, carrots, and celery for 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften.
- Add in the potatoes, broccoli, spices, vegetable broth, and water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove 1 cup of the potato and broccoli mixture and add to a high-speed blender with the cashews, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice.
- Blend until smooth
- Pour the blended sauce back into the soup
- Stir to combine
- Enjoy!
Hint: Boiling the cashews ahead of time helps them to soften and ensures that they will blend smoothly into the sauce and not leave chunks.
Substitutions
- Nut-Free - Feel free to omit the cashews and add ½ cup extra of the potato and broccoli mixture and double the coconut milk.
- Low-Carb - Leave out the cashews from the sauce and swap the potatoes for rutabaga to make this recipe low-carb
- Low-Sodium - Make sure to use a low-sodium vegetable broth and omit the salt when seasoning the soup.
Variations
- Spicy - If you want to add an extra kick to this soup, feel free to up the amount of cayenne pepper you add. The recipe calls for ⅛ of a teaspoon which is enough to give flavor but it is not spicy. Up it to ½-1 teaspoon to give extra heat.
- Extra Cheesy - Feel free to top your soup with vegan shredded cheese to give it that extra cheesy flavor!
- Extra Creamy - If you want to make this soup even thicker and more chowder-like, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to the onions, carrots and celery when cooking to make the soup extra thick.
Check out this other great winter soup recipe, Slow-Cooker Creamy Vegan Gnocchi Soup!
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. See below for the equipment you will need to make this recipe.
- Dutch Oven
- Chef Knife
- Cutting Board
- High-Speed Blender
FAQ's
No, while this soup does use a can of full-fat coconut milk, trust me when I say you won't taste it. The coconut milk lends a fatty, creamy texture but there are so many flavors going on in the soup that you won't taste it at all?
This vegan broccoli potato soup tastes exactly like broccoli cheese soup that you know and love. You know the soup they serve at Panera Bread? It tastes just like a Panera Copycat Broccoli Cheese Soup!
Sure! If you are a fan of thinner soups, feel free to blend the whole thing. I love using my immersion blender when doing this! This soup is really chunky so if you aren't a fan of chunky soups, feel free to blend the whole thing.
Storage
Store this soup in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat either in a pot on the stove or in the oven. This is the perfect soup for leftovers! The cashew cream does tend to separate a little when stored as leftovers, however, just stir it with a spoon and you should be good as gold.
I wouldn't freeze this recipe because the cashew cream will become grainy and separate.
Top tips
- You can easily make this broccoli soup nut-free by omitting the cashews and doubling up on the coconut milk. Make sure to always use full-fat coconut milk to maintain the thickness.
- Serve this soup alongside some crusty bread or with a delicious side salad, Top with crushed red pepper flakes and some oyster crackers!
- This is a great kid-friendly soup recipe. Not only is it delicious and kids will love it, but it is full of healthy vegetables and plant-based ingredients. It is the perfect way to sneak those extra veggie servings into your kid's day!
Other Great Soup Recipes You Will Love
- Slow Cooker Creamy Vegan Gnocchi Soup
- Scottish Tattie and Neep Soup
- Low-Carb Butternut Squash Soup
- Vegetarian Scotch Broth
- Vegan Cabbage Roll Soup
- Tuscan Inspired Barley and Spinach Soup
Dairy-Free Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup {Vegan, Whole30, Paleo}
Ingredients
- 3 cups broccoli about 2 heads
- 1 large yellow onion
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 3 carrots
- 3 stalks celery
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 14 ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 4 cups water
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the cashews to boiling water while making the soup
- Dice the onions, celery, broccoli, carrots, and potatoes
- Saute the onions, carrots, and celery for 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften. Add in the potatoes, broccoli, paprika, cayenne pepper, vegetable broth, and water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove 1 cup of the potato and broccoli mixture and add to a high-speed blender with the cashews, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice.
- Blend until smooth
- Pour the blended sauce back into the soup
- Stir to combine
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- You can easily make this broccoli soup nut-free by omitting the cashews and doubling up on the coconut milk. Make sure to always use full-fat coconut milk to maintain the thickness.
- Serve this soup alongside some crusty bread or with a delicious side salad, Top with crushed red pepper flakes and some oyster crackers!
- This is a great kid-friendly soup recipe. Not only is it delicious and kids will love it, but it is full of healthy vegetables and plant-based ingredients. It is the perfect way to sneak those extra veggie servings into your kid's day!
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
kaydimaggio says
Yum! This recipe is so easy to make and delicious!
Amanda Mason says
So delicious! Made this for my family over the weekend and the flavor is great! Dairy messes with me so I'm so happy to have found this recipe!!
Amanda Dixon says
This soup is some serious comfort food! It came out so wonderfully creamy, and the nutritional yeast gave it the perfect cheesy flavor.
Rebecca says
I made this for dinner tonight and what I loved the most about it, (besides the flavor - YUM!) was that it filled us up but didn't weigh us down. We felt pleasantly, comfortingly satisfied after eating it. Wonderful recipe!
Hollie says
The recipe is so easy and delicious! Thanks for sharing it!
Sabine says
This soup is absolutely delicious. It was easy to make. I love the addition of cashews and coconut milk to the soup, making it nice and creamy.
Lindsay Howerton-Hastings says
This is so cozy and warming! I love broccoli cheddar soup and a dairy free version was such an unexpectedly delicious surprise. Can't wait to make again and again!
Sunrita says
I have never made a soup with cheese and cashewnuts together. Such an interesting combination. Will surely be trying this.
Bianca says
This is the perfect cozy winter soup! Love the variations you mentioned, definitaly gonna have to try the extra cheesy option next time
nancy says
yes to this creamy soup with out dairy. so easy on the tummy and so flavourful too!
Crystal says
I love broccoli cheese soup so much but rarely eat it because it's unhealthy. I'm so glad to have found a healthy version! Thanks so much! And by the way- I love the little oyster crackers!
Jeannie says
this soup looks so good and healthy, I like how its vegan, whole30 and paleo. Broccoli is my fave, excited to try this.
Emily Flint says
I was just thinking I need some broccoli soup and here comes your recipe! This was so good and I can't wait for the leftovers tomorrow!
Rob says
This soup was so delicious and easy to make. Best of all, my family had no dea it is vegan.
Addie says
This soup is so creamy!!
Gina Abernathy says
I love soup and this cheesy broccoli potato soup was a hit with the family. This will definitely be on our soup rotation nights.
Natalie says
I love winter soups like this one. Full of veggies, nutritious, warming, and healthy. I'm going to give this recipe a try, that's for sure. Yum!
Giangi Townsend says
Love everything about this recipe and cannot wait to make it for my family.
Perfect on a cold-weather night.
Jessica says
As my first time making broccoli soup as a vegan, I was pleasantly surprised with how this turned out. It was creamy and delicious that the lack of cheese didn't even bother me. I will definitely be making this again.
Amy Liu Dong says
I love an easy, and delicious recipe like this. I am so excited to make this for everyone!
Gwynn says
This is such a delicious soup and I love the addition of cashews! That was a surprise ingredient for me!
Leslie says
I love a good broccoli soup recipe and I'm very impressed that this is dairy-free! Perfect way to enjoy this soup!
Katie Crenshaw says
This soup turns out so tasty. The coconut milk makes it so creamy. The potatoes make it filling. You would have no idea it is healthy.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
We love broccoli soup and this recipe was a definite winner. Love the use of coconut milk and the flavors were spot on. No more excuse to not make this frequently.
Jacqueline Debono says
I love how the cashews give this soup a creamy cheesy flavour. My hubby loved it so will definitely be making it again!
Sam says
This is wonderful!! So delicious and easy to make too. Thank you!
Tammy says
I'm shocked that this is vegan! It looks SO good...thick and creamy as it should be. I wish I had a bowl right now but I cannot wait to make it!
Hayley Dhanecha says
I love this dairy free cheesy broccoli soup! Going to try it this week, as I have planned to make green vegetables every night for my light supper. So comforting and delicious