Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Creamy and cozy Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup is like a hug in a bowl. A whole food, plant-based copycat of Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup.
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Servings: 6
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Equipment
- cutting board and knife
- vegetable peeler
- Dutch oven or stock pot
- slotted spoon or spider
- high powered blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil
- 1 white or yellow onion diced
- 2-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes or about 3-4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced or grates
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 cups broccoli chopped into small florets
- 3/4 cup raw cashews soaked 4+ hours or boiled 10 minutes
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
To Serve
- vegan cheddar-style shreds (we like Follow Your Heart or Violife)
- fresh scallions or chives
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics: In a large pot, heat the vegan butter or olive oil over medium heat. Add in onion, celery, and carrots and sauté until onion is translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add in garlic and sauté for another minute.2 tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil, 1 white or yellow onion, 2 medium carrots, 2 stalks celery, 2-4 cloves garlic
- Cook the potatoes: Add in cubed potatoes, vegetable broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low or medium-low to establish a simmer. Simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.6 cups vegetable broth, 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes
- Remove some potatoes: Using a slotted spoon or skimmer, scoop about half of the cooked potatoes out of the soup and into a high-powered blender. (Some of the other veggies will wind up in there too; that's okay.) Set aside for a minute.
- Cook the broccoli: Add the broccoli into the pot, along with the spices (onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika) and nutritional yeast. Bring the mixture back up to a simmer. Let it simmer over for about 5 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender, while you blend the potato mixture.1/2 cup nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 4 cups broccoli, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Blend the creamy soup base: Add soaked cashews into the blender with the potatoes. Pour in 1/2 cup water, and blend until completely smooth — this can take several minutes. Add extra water as needed to get everything to blend smoothly into a thick creamy consistency.3/4 cup raw cashews
- Add cream back into the soup: Stir the creamed cashew and potato mixture back into the main pot of soup. Add in the fresh lemon juice. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, until warmed through and slightly thickened.juice of 1/2 lemon
- Adjust flavor: Taste and add salt and pepper to preference. The exact amount of salt will very depending on the brand of veggie broth you use.1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Serve: Serve with crusty bread, or in a bread bowl if you're feeling fancy! Optionally, top with vegan cheddar-style shreds, scallions, and/or hot sauce.
Notes
Best cashew alternative: The most similar alternative is raw sunflower seeds. They need less soaking time — about 15-20 minutes is enough.
Other cashew alternatives: You can substitute in a container of silken tofu, or one (15 oz) can of white beans, drained and thoroughly rinsed. Add them to the blender with the potatoes and blend until completely smooth. These have a bit less thickening power than the cashews, so your soup may be slightly thinner.
More savory: You can use a chicken-style vegetable bouillon (such as the cubes from Edward & Sons or the paste from Better Than Bouillon) for a more savory soup base. These are saltier than regular vegetable broth from a carton, so you may need to add less kosher salt at the end.
Did you make this recipe?We’d love for you to leave a review on the website! You can also share a photo on IG and tag @sarahsvegankitchen_ or #sarahsvegankitchen.