Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup
This vegan creamy broccoli soup is chock full of veggies for a light yet satisfying meal. You’ll never believe this velvety smooth, cheesy soup is made without dairy!
If you’ve been disappointed by vegan broccoli soup in the past, this recipe won’t let you down. Pureed vegetable soups have a tendency to be pretty anemic and meh—and this is especially true when they’re made without heavy cream to add texture and body.
Well, I’ve found the secret to making a vegan creamy broccoli soup that’s actually creamy.
What Makes This Soup Creamy?
Let's break it down!
- Raw cashews: We've talked about how, when blended, raw cashews add the most amazing creamy texture to recipes (see: How to Make Cashew Cream). We've used them in soups, desserts, smoothies and more and they're our first key to the creamy puzzle.
- Almond milk: The second key to our puzzle is a non-dairy milk. No surprise, but an easy way to add a bit of creaminess instead of just sticking to veggie broth or water
- Zucchini: This is the out there one, but it totally works! When you blend up zucchini it gets super creamy and smooth (I use it in smoothies all the time) and it's great in this soup. Plus, it has pretty much zero flavor so you're not affecting that at all either!
What You’ll Need
Here’s everything you’ll need to pick up to make this dreamy, creamy broccoli soup!
- Olive oil
- Zucchini
- Carrots
- Onion
- Garlic – I used 2 cloves, but if you like your soup extra garlicky, feel free to add more!
- Broccoli florets
- Raw cashews – Since they’re going to be blended up anyway, save yourself some money and buy cashew pieces instead of pricier whole cashews.
- Vegetable broth
- Water
- Almond milk – You can use another variety of plant-based milk here if you prefer. Just make sure it’s unflavored!
- Nutritional yeast – This is key for that hint of cheesy flavor!
- Lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
How Do You Cut Broccoli for Soup?
I buy broccoli florets to make this soup, which means you don’t have to cut it at all! If you buy broccoli crowns instead, simply use your hands or a knife to break it into roughly 2-inch florets. If you buy whole stalks of broccoli, you can use both the florets and the stems; just peel off any tough skin first.
How to Make Vegan Creamy Broccoli Soup
I should also mention that this broccoli soup is quick and easy—this is not the kind of soup that needs to simmer for hours! Here’s what you’ll need to do.
Sauté the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the zucchini, carrots, onion, and garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Season with salt and pepper.
Simmer. Add the broccoli, cashews, broth, and water. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender.
Puree and finish. Transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour the soup back into the pot and stir in the almond milk, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. Heat the soup if needed and season to taste before serving.
What Can I Use to Puree Soup?
There are 3 methods you can use to puree soup:
1. Blender
This is my favorite method of pureeing soup since it has the best results and it’s the quickest. I use my Vitamix a3500, but any blender should work. Remember, depending on the size of your jar, you might need to blend in batches!
2. Immersion Blender
This is my next favorite method and it also happens to be the cheapest. Immersion blenders do a great job pureeing soup, but they don't get it quite as smooth as a traditional blender. (With the cashews in this creamy broccoli soup, an immersion blender won’t work here—you need the soup completely pureed so you’re not chewing on bits of nuts!)
3. Food Processor
A food processor can work to puree soups, but you won't get it nearly as smooth as you do with a blender and you’ll almost certainly need to work in several batches, which can be a hassle.
Can I Puree Hot Soup?
No! It’s dangerous to puree piping hot soup in a blender. Here are some tips to help you puree soup safely.
- Allow your soup to cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes before blending. You can always warm it up a bit after blending if you have to.
- Unless you’re using an immersion blender, blend in batches.
- Only fill your blender jar to the max liquid level indicated on the outside.
- Use a dishtowel over the top of the blender so any steam or soup residue doesn't burn you.
- Make sure your lid is secured and don't walk away from the machine while it’s blending.
Basically, let it cool and use common sense to avoid getting burned or having a massive mess to clean up.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving this vegan broccoli soup with some gluten-free toast and a little roasted broccoli on top. It's also fabulous with a drizzle of olive oil, a crack of fresh pepper and some red pepper flakes for a little heat!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
You can store creamy broccoli soup in an airtight container in your fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
This soup can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 6 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator and then warm it up on the stovetop, or reheat it from frozen in the microwave.
More Easy Vegan Soup Recipes
- Healing Holiday Cauliflower Soup
- Anti-Inflammatory Ginger & Turmeric Carrot Soup
- Creamy Chili Roasted Pumpkin Soup
- Super Healthy Green Detox Soup
- Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup
- Vegan White Bean Mushroom Soup
- Curried Cauliflower & Squash Soup
Vegan Creamy Broccoli Soup
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 zucchini , chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 carrots , chopped (about 1 cup)
- ½ onion , chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 6 cups broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups of water
- 1 – 2 cups of almond milk
- 1 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt & pepper as needed
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Once hot add the zucchini, carrots, onion and garlic. Cook until garlic is fragrant. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the broccoli, raw cashews, vegetable broth, and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the broccoli is soft.
- Transfer this mixutre to a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture back into the pot and stir in the almond milk, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. Taste and add a touch more salt and pepper if needed (or red pepper flakes if you like spice!).
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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So good! Added 1/2 cup quinoa (cooked w/1 c water) to add some protein and a couple cups chopped sauteed mushrooms, and thickened a bit with some corn starch. Been playing with this recipe for a few weeks now, such a great soup!
Thank you for sharing how you have made this recipe your own!! I love the addition of quinoa, I am definitely doing that when I make this soup next 🙂
I just made this, it was worth doing! Really nice and interesting, the chief ingredient is not that obvious! One thing would be REALLY HELPFUL, if you would give weights of some things in your recipes instead of cups. In this one 6 cups of brocolli is no real guide at all and accounts for different colours and the overall flavour. I used half a cup of yeast and found that enough.
I made this today. I changed the recipe some. I used 1 rib of celery only 1 cp of almond breeze only 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast and 1/4 tsp of dill. It’s delicious and nutritious! Thank you!
1 cup of nutritional yeast was overpowering!
Do you think it would be ok to replace the cashews with coconut milk to add creaminess. I am not allowed to have any nuts right now but this soup looks delicious!
yes! it will affect the flavor, but will still be delicious 🙂
Step 2: Bring to a bowl. You mean boil.
Good catch! Thanks!
I’d the yeast optional?
I cannot have yeast
I would replace it with parmesan if you can! The nutritional yeast adds a ton of flavor 🙂
I just made this and my son loves it! I have some left, so can I freeze it?
YAY – best news!! And yes, you can definitely freeze it 🙂
Could I leave out the yeast?
I would replace it with parmesan or cheese if you can. It’s what gives the soup most of it’s flavor 🙂
YUM!t
Is very good! Is my favorite
So glad you enjoyed it!!
This soup looks so vibrant and colourful but unfortunately I found the nutritional yeast too overpowering and I halved the suggested quantity. I’ll definitely make it again but might skip the yeast. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the feedback!
Is there a nutritional yeast brand you can recommend? Do you use the flakes?
Thanks!
I like Braggs! And yes, the flakes 🙂
Could frozen broccoli be substituted?
Thank you!
Totally!
So how many minutes do the carrots and zucchini need to cook for before moving on to step 2? I can’t have onion or garlic (will be subbing for infused oil), so I can’t judge it on “until the garlic is fragrant.” Thanks!
I would say 3 – 4 🙂
Hello,
If I don’t have Zucchini would that be okay?
Yep, that would work!
Very good but I needed to add more spices like Penzey’s Mural of Flavor and Sunny Spain. Mine was green and not the pretty orange color in the photos. But a keeper to make again.
Keep me posted on if that works next time around!
I really want to make this recipe but I can’t find the measurements anyway for any of the ingredients? The video only lists food names. Please can you help?
We were having some web issues the last few days, but it should be all set now 🙂 thank you for your understanding!
Do you think that oat milk would work okay in this soup?
Definitely! You might just have a little sweetness added, but it should be totally fine!
The soup was very tasty! I didn’t have zucchini on hand, subbed organic celery instead. It was delicious! Thank you 🙂
Can I use Oat Milk in place of Almond milk?
Sure!
This had been on my list to try forever, and finally got around to cooking it tonight with my new dutch oven I got for Christmas. Holy YUM! I didn’t blend it down so much that it was pure liquid, I left very minor chunks and I’m so glad I did, I love it. My only issue was pouring the soup from the heavy dutch oven into the blender without making a mess 🙂 Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it! I tend to have to scoop my soup out of the pan and then pour when it’s mostly gone 🙂
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Had a head of broccoli to use up so found you via a google search (although I only had sweet potato instead of carrots, and oat milk instead of almond). This was tasty and satisfying, so now I have to try ALL your soups! Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed! Keep me posted on what else you try 🙂
I just made this and the flavor is good but it’s a bit thinner than I would like. I’m going to continue cooking it down hoping to get it a little thicker.
Yeah mine was on the thinner side too since there wasn’t any cheese to thicken 🙂 you could also try to add a touch of flour to thicken it slightly!
Hi please can you tell me the equivalent grams weight and mls volume for one cup in your recipe. Thanks Marilyn
You should be able to convert it in the recipe itself 🙂
I made this soup tonight and it was super easy to throw together! Creamy deliciousness! Even my picky teenager ate a good amount! Thanks Alyssa!
So glad you (all) enjoyed!
Hi, looks delicious. In the video, you added nutritional yeast during cooking as well as towards the end. How much is to be added during cooking?
Either works 🙂 I like it at the end actually (like the recipe says) since it’s easiest!