This vegan cream of broccoli soup is hearty, healthy, and packed full of veggies. It takes less than an hour to make, but the flavors are rich and complex.
Some days a warm bowl of hearty soup just hits the spot. This vegan cream of broccoli soup is for those days. This is one of the most comforting recipes that I know. I make it when it’s cold out, or when I just need a big bowl of something warm and soothing. It’s a recipe that’s so rich you’ll have a hard time believing that it’s vegan. But I promise, it is!
This soup will leave you feeling great, because it’s that healthy. It’s chock full of veggies, with broccoli, carrots, and zucchini. But it also has protein from nuts, with raw cashews and almond milk in it. And just to top it all off, there’s a ton of nutritional yeast. You couldn’t dream up a healthier recipe!
The yeast and the cashews give this vegan soup a cheesy, creamy taste. It’s unlike any soup I’ve ever made. You’ve got to give it a try.
What You’ll Need
Here’s everything you need to make this comforting veggie soup. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the article to see the exact amounts for each ingredient.
- Olive oil
- Zucchini – You can replace the zucchini with other types of squash if you prefer.
- Carrots
- Onion – I like to use yellow onions for this recipe, but white or red onions will also work.
- Garlic
- Broccoli – You only want to use the florets in this recipe.
- Cashews – Make sure to use cashews that are raw and unsalted.
- Vegetable broth
- Water
- Almond milk – If you prefer, you can use other types of non-dairy milk. Just make sure that you use milk that is unseasoned and unsweetened.
- Nutritional yeast
- Lemon juice – Be sure to use freshly-squeezed lemon juice.
- Salt
- Pepper – Always use freshly-cracked black pepper.
How to Make Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
Here’s how to make this creamy soup. It’s so easy, and takes well under an hour to cook.
- Cook the aromatics. Heat the oil in a pot. When the oil is hot, add the onion, carrots, zucchini, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the broccoli and broth. Put the broccoli, vegetable broth, water, and cashews into the pot.
- Cook. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat. Cover the soup and let it simmer until the broccoli is soft, which should take about 20 minutes.
- Blend. Pour the soup into a blender, and blend until smooth. Then pour the soup back into the pot.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Put the almond milk, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice into the soup, and stir to combine.
- Season. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if needed, then serve.
Tips for Success
Here are some tips and tricks I use when making this vegan cream of broccoli soup to make sure that it’s perfect every time.
- Homemade stock. Soup is always better if you use a homemade broth. I like to use my Instant Pot Mushroom Vegan Bone Broth when making this recipe. It adds an extra layer of richness to the soup.
- Blending tips. If you don’t have a standing blender, you can use a stick blender in the soup pot. And if you don’t have either, you can blend the soup in batches in a food processor. If you’re aiming for the smoothest soup possible, pour the blended soup through a sieve before adding it back to the pot.
- Spice it up. If you like a kick of heat, then I recommend adding some red pepper flakes to the soup. You can also add fresh peppers or hot sauce if you prefer.
- Have fun with toppings. I love to garnish my soups. This creamy squash and broccoli soup would go well with a lot of different garnishes, so add whatever sounds good to you. I recommend olive oil, chili flakes, croutons, vegan creme fraiche, and fresh herbs.
What to Serve it With
This soup has enough protein, nutrients, and flavor that you can eat it all by itself and it will be a satisfying and well-rounded meal. But I love a good side dish, so I’d serve it with one (or two!) of these recipes.
- Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
- 5 Ingredient Sauteed Garlic Green Beans
- Easy Gluten-Free Veggie Fritters
- One Bowl Vegan Pumpkin Cornbread
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Broccoli Soup
This soup lasts well in the fridge. Just store it in an airtight container and it will last for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stove over medium heat until warm, or in a microwave on 80% power in 20-second increments.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
Definitely! This soup freezes really well for easy weeknight meals. Keep it in an airtight container and it will stay good in the freezer for 6 months. Defrost or thaw the soup completely before reheating it.
More Easy Vegan Soup Recipes
By now you’ve probably figured out that I love soup. If you do too, then check out some more of my favorite soups that are easy, healthy, and vegan.
- Leek and Potato Soup
- Chilled Avocado & Zucchini Soup
- Tortilla Soup with Quinoa
- Detox Moroccan Lentil Soup
- Cauliflower Soup
Vegan Cream of 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 mixture 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
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for 6 months.
- Reheat on the stove over medium heat, or in the microwave on 80% power in 20-second increments.
- If you don't have a blender, you can use a stick blender or a food processor.
Nutrition
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!
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 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 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!
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 🙂
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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 🙂
Can I use Oat Milk in place of Almond milk?
Sure!
The soup was very tasty! I didn’t have zucchini on hand, subbed organic celery instead. It was delicious! Thank you 🙂
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!
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!
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!
Hello,
If I don’t have Zucchini would that be okay?
Yep, that would work!
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 🙂
Could frozen broccoli be substituted?
Thank you!
Totally!
Is there a nutritional yeast brand you can recommend? Do you use the flakes?
Thanks!
I like Braggs! And yes, the flakes 🙂
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 very good! Is my favorite
So glad you enjoyed it!!
YUM!t
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 🙂
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 🙂
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 🙂
Step 2: Bring to a bowl. You mean boil.
Good catch! Thanks!
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 🙂
1 cup of nutritional yeast was overpowering!
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!
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.
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 🙂
What would be a good alternative to the almond milk and cashews to make it nut-free? Looks amazing!
We have only tried this recipe as it is written but heavy cream or coconut cream are probably the best substitutes to keep the consistency thick and creamy