Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Things to Love About This Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe

• Raw cashews (no soaking!) ensure this plant-based broccoli cheddar soup has all the creaminess and cheesy flavour, without dairy.
• Some soup recipes call for a long, slow simmer to develop their flavour, but not this one. This weeknight soup recipe is ready in one pot in 30 minutes.
• If you have picky eaters at home, vegan broccoli cheddar soup is a great way to add hidden veggies to a meal.

Notes on Ingredients

Gather the following ingredients to make this creamy vegan broccoli cheddar soup (see the recipe card for exact measurements):

• Olive oil – Or your choice of cooking oil.
• Onion, garlic, and carrots – A trio of aromatic veggies that adds depth of flavour to this soup.
• Vegetable broth – Use store-bought or homemade vegetable broth.
• Raw cashews – These are the secret ingredient that gives this soup its creamy texture.
• Paprika – You can use smoked paprika for a smoky flavour, but regular paprika is fine too.
• Broccoli –  I recommend using fresh broccoli, but frozen works if you’re in a time crunch.
• Vegan cheddar cheese – Your best bet for a plant-based cheddar that melts is to use cheese shreds rather than buying a block. While some blocks of cheese will melt, others are made for vegan cheese boards and snacking. Shreds, in contrast, are formulated to melt.

How to Make Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Here’s how easy it is to make this creamy vegan broccoli cheddar soup.

• Cook the vegetables. Heat the oil in a large pot set over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it’s translucent and slightly browned.
• Simmer. Stir in the carrots, vegetable broth, cashews, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.

• Puree. Turn off the heat. Blend the soup until it’s smooth and creamy.
• Add the broccoli and cheese. Pour the blended soup back into the pot. Stir in the broccoli and vegan cheddar. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the broccoli is tender.
• Finish. Garnish the soup with additional broccoli florets, vegan cheddar, and black pepper, if desired.

Tips and Variations

• Soak the cashews, if needed. If you don’t have a high-powered blender, soaking the cashews will help them blend into a smooth, creamy consistency. Place them in a bowl of water at least 2 hours before you start cooking, or soak them overnight, as you would when making vegan cheese sauce.
• Cut the broccoli into even sizes. This will ensure that the florets cook evenly in the soup and result in a more uniform texture.
• Use an immersion blender for easy blending. If you have an immersion blender, you can blend the soup directly in the pot, saving yourself from having to transfer hot soup into a blender.
• Swap cauliflower for broccoli in this recipe, or use a mixture of both. You can also add in more vegetables, like bell peppers.
• Want to add more protein? Toss in chickpeas, white beans, or cubed tofu before blending the soup. Note that you may need to adjust the seasonings a bit.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• Refrigerate. You can store any leftovers of this vegan broccoli cheddar soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
• To reheat, simply warm it up on the stovetop or in the microwave.
• Freeze. Transfer the vegan broccoli cheddar soup to a freezer-safe container or zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw it overnight in the fridge and then heat it according to the instructions above.

More Creamy Vegan Soup Recipes

• Vegan Cheeseburger Soup
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Mulligatawny Soup
• Broccoli Fridge Clean-Out Soup
• Lasagna Soup
• Split Pea Soup
• French Onion Soup

Enjoy friends! If you make this vegan broccoli cheddar soup, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!