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Before going gluten-free and dairy free, a good Broccoli Cheese Soup was one of my favorite easy meals on a cold night. It has taken a while, but I’ve finally come up with a free from replacement soup that may be better than my original recipe. Not only is it filled with broccoli and cheesy flavor, but it also has cauliflower, carrots and potatoes – so more of a hearty vegetable soup. The whole time my son was eating his bowl, I was feeling proud inside for all the vegetables I was feeding him under the guise of “cheese sauce”.Â
How do you make cheese sauce without milk and with no nuts?
In this particular recipe, the cheese sauce is made up of blended potatoes and cauliflower, full fat coconut milk and nutritional yeast. I got the idea when making a potato soup. There are no thickeners added to potato soup, because potatoes are naturally starchy and make their own creamy thick texture when blended. I decided to tru thickening the cheese in this soup with potatoes and it worked wonderfully.Â
How do you make vegan broccoli soup?
You will need to start with a large heavy bottom soup pot. I usually use my enamel cast iron pot. This recipe will make about 8 servings of soup.
Start by heating your olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and stir until they are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook another 2 minutes, stirring to keep it from burning. If your onions or garlic start to burn, add a small amount of the broth to the pot to aid in cooking.Â
One the onions and garlic are cooked, add the herbs and cook another minute. Then add the broth, cauliflower, and potatoes. Bring your pot to a simmer. Cover and cook about 15 minutes or until your potatoes are soft enough to pierce with a fork. Â
Spoon out half of the vegetables into a large bowl and set aside.
Add the broccoli florets and carrots to the broth mixture in your pot. Cover and continue to another 10 minutes.
While the broccoli is cooking, you will blend the separated vegetables. Using your immersion blender, blend the vegetables in the bowl until they are a smooth, thick consistency. Add the coconut milk and blend a little more until well combined. Set aside.Â
Once the broccoli is cooked, remove the lid and add the pureed vegetable sauce. Stir into the broth and you should have a creamy soup. If you want it a little thicker, you can cook without the lid for a few minutes to reduce the sauce.Â
Remove the pot from the heat and add the nutritional yeast. Stir well and serve.Â
Can I make this soup without an immersion blender?
Absolutely. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can simple add your cooked vegetables directly into a stand blender. Keep the lid cracked to prevent an explosion. Blend until smooth.
If you’re in the market for an immersion blender, I highly recommend this model from Cuisinart. I have had mine for almost 10 years and it gets a lot of use. It works as well as the day I opened it and it can go in the dishwasher. Win!
How long does homemade broccoli cheese soup last?
As long as you keep your leftovers refrigerated in a closed container, this soup will last at least 4 days. The flavor is actually better on day 2, in my opinion.
I would not recommend freezing this soup, as potato soup gets weird in the freezer so the texture will probably change.Â
If you love this recipe, check out my other delicious soup recipes:
To pin this recipe for later, click the save button on any image in this post or the recipe card. Please tag me @wellfedbaker on Instagram if you make this recipe!Â
Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 C Onion diced (1/2 a medium sized onion)
- 3 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper
- ½ tsp Paprika
- Pinch of Thyme
- 2 C Cauliflower cut into florets
- 4 C Potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes
- 4 C Vegetable Broth
- 1 C Carrots sliced to 1/4" thin
- 4 C Broccoli cut into florets
- 15 oz can Coconut Milk full fat in the can
- 6 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
Instructions
- Pour oil into a large heavy bottom pan. Heat over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent - about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, again stirring occasionally, cook for 1 -2 minutes. Add the spices and cook 1 minute more. If the onions or garlic begin to stick at any time add a small amount of broth.
- Once the onions are cooked through, add the broth, potatoes and cauliflower to the pot. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes until potatoes are able to be pierced by a fork.
- Remove half of the cooked vegetables and place in a large bowl.
- Add the broccoli and carrots to the broth and cover. Continue to cook for 10 minutes more.
- While the broccoli is cooking, use an immersion blender to puree the potatoes and cauliflower. Add the coconut milk and blend a little more until it is well mixed and smooth.
- Uncover the pot. Add the potato mixture to the soup and stir together. If you want it to thicken, cook without the lid for up to 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in the nutritional yeast until dissolved. Serve immediately.
2 comments
Hi Deb. What can I exchange for the coconut? My kid hates it and can smell it from a mile away. Stephanie Chaim Ari
Hi Stephanie,
The coconut milk is going to give creaminess to the soup. I know there are some nut based creamers that might work in place of coconut milk. Check near the heavy cream in the dairy section at the grocery store.