My creamy vegan broccoli soup is so many things that the original cream of broccoli soup never was to me: it’s creamy but also delicate in flavor; it’s a hearty, filling, satisfying soup that won’t send you into a food coma and/or spiral of regret; and it’s full of nutritious ingredients (but you’d never know it!). I always get asked for this recipe and I’m happy I finally got around to sharing it here.
My coworker saw me eating this creamy broccoli soup with a side of rice and tried to convince me that it’s not really soup. Okay, so he totally had a point. It’s kind of an open secret around here, but I don’t like watery/brothy soups (I feel the same way about smoothies). I want the soup too thick to drink. Break out the spoon and savor it! Every bite here is creamy, flavorful, and full of broccoli. Of course, if your preference falls somewhere other than mine you can easily change the amount of broth to suit you.
I also top my vegan creamy broccoli soup with a copious amount of crackers. Because, texture texture texture! Adding a little bit of crunch is something I do with many of the things that I eat, whether it’s a few chopped peanuts, breadcrumbs, crackers, or crispy fresh vegetables. But I assure you, the topping isn’t necessary in order to enjoy this amazing, healthy soup.
This recipe is fairly closely adapted from a reader favorite on this website, my creamy vegan wild rice soup. However, this updated recipe is even easier and more streamlined. Enjoy! If you make this creamy vegan broccoli soup, let me know in the comments and/or tag me in your picture with #yupitsvegan and @yupitsvegan. I love hearing from you!
Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
For the cashew cream mixture:
- 1 medium russet potato cooked (peel on or off - your choice) (I boil mine)
- 3/4 cup raw cashews soaked in water overnight or in boiling water for 1 hour
- 1 and 1/2 cups cooked white beans (equal to 1 standard can)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tbsp white or yellow miso
- 1/2 tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice white balsamic vinegar, or other acid
For the creamy vegan broccoli soup:
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 rib of celery diced or thinly sliced
- 1 carrot peeled and diced
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- salt to taste (I used a little under 1 teaspoon)
- 4 cups finely-chopped broccoli divided
Instructions
Make the cashew cream mixture:
- Drain the cashews and add them to a food processor or blender along with the cooked potato and white beans. Blend until smooth. This may take a couple of minutes with stopping to scrape down the sides; add liquid as needed to help blend. Add the nutritional yeast, miso, and lemon juice, and blend to combine. Remove from the food processor and set aside in a bowl. There is no need to clean out the food processor yet.
Make the creamy vegan broccoli soup:
- Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt, and stir. Continue cooking the onion, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add the celery and carrot, stir, and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth, and bring the pot to a boil. While you wait, add 1 cup of chopped broccoli to the food processor and pulse until broccoli is broken into crumb-sized pieces.
- After the pot boils, reduce it to a simmer. Stir in the reserved cashew cream mixture, all of the broccoli, and salt. Cover the pot, and cook covered for 12-16 minutes, stirring occasionally (making sure to scrape around the bottom and sides when you do), until the broccoli is bright green and tender, or cooked to your liking.
- Serve hot. Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for a few days.
Notes
Nutrition
Other comforting soups and stews from the website: (as you can see, I don’t do brothy soups :D)
Creamy Vegan Wild Rice Soup
Samosa Soup
Chickpea Turmeric Stew
Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Kati says
I can’t even tell you how much I loved this recipe!!!! It tasted so creamy and I really couldn’t tell it wasn’t filled with milk and butter. This one will go on our regular rotation 👏🏻 Thanks!