There are certain meals that have a permanent place on my cozy foods list. Spaghetti drenched in marinara sauce is definitely up there; so is macaroni and cheese. If you know me, you know carbs are my love language (pizza has a very special place in my heart). Another one of my absolute favorite cozy foods is thick, creamy soup. On rare occasions, I treat myself to a bread bowl. But, let’s not get carried away here. This Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup is just as delicious served in a regular bowl and is a 10/10 on the comfort food scale.
If you skip ahead to the ingredient list you’ll see a few familiar ones. This Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup is adapted from our vegan macaroni and cheese recipe. If you haven’t tried it, your vegan life is going to change when you do! Here, I removed the vegan butter (you won’t miss it) and added some low-sodium vegetable broth to make the creamy sauce into thick soup. Nutritional yeast gives this Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup a more pronounced “cheese” flavor, but it’s optional.
Our Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup is like a warm hug for your taste buds. It has all the creamy goodness you want from soup without any actual cream. The smooth texture comes from cashews (no soaking required!) and potato. Just simmer the nuts and veggies until soft, about 15 minutes, and then add everything to your high-speed blender or food processor with a few spices. In a few minutes, you’ll have a gorgeous, velvety base for your Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup. All that’s left to do is pour the soup back into the pot and add some broccoli.
Aside from cheese, the hallmark of Broccoli Cheddar Soup is melt-in-your-mouth broccoli. The trick is to cover the pot so the broccoli simmers and steams at once. Remember to cut those broccoli pieces small enough so you can easily scoop them up with a spoon. Whether you eat it in a bread bowl or not, our take on a classic comfort food is going to carry you through these chilly winter nights!
Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
Description
Our Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup is like a warm hug for your taste buds. It has all the creamy goodness you want from soup without any actual cream!
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ⅓ cup shallots, peeled and chopped
- 2 cups red potatoes, peeled and chopped
- ½ cup carrots, peeled and chopped
- ⅔ cup onion, peeled and chopped
- 4 cups broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces, divided (save a few florets for garnish)
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp. salt (plus more to taste)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp. Dijon mustard
- 3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- ½ tsp. paprika
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper, optional
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
Instructions
- Combine the cashews, shallots, potatoes, carrots, onion, 1 cup of the broccoli, and water in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Do not drain!
- Transfer the veggies along with the cooking water to a high-speed blender or food processor. Add the salt, garlic, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Blend until very smooth and adjust seasonings to taste (I added ½ teaspoon of salt).
- Return the soup to the pot and turn to low heat. Pour in the low-sodium vegetable broth and stir slowly to incorporate. Add the remaining 3 cups of broccoli to the soup and cover the pot. Simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the broccoli is tender and the soup has thickened a bit.
- To serve, ladle the vegan broccoli cheddar soup into bowls and garnish with a few broccoli florets.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 240
- Sugar: 8.2 g
- Sodium: 714.6 mg
- Fat: 8.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.8 g
- Protein: 10.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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