This creamy vegan broccoli cheddar soup without cashews is the ultimate comfort dish! It's loaded with cheesy flavor, made in one pot and is ready to eat in under 30 minutes. Quick & easy to make, this soup makes the perfect lunch or weeknight dinner through the fall and winter months!
Before I was vegan, I used to eat Panera at least once a week. Half soup, half salad was seriously where it was at. Since going vegan over 3 years ago, I've made this recipe every winter and can confidently say that this Panera copycat vegan version is even better than the traditional version.
Just like my dairy-free tomato soup, this soup is vegan/vegetarian, dairy free, nut free (no cashews here!), and can easily be made gluten free. I promise it'll become one of your favorite soups that you'll want to make every week!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- It's the perfect comfort food! This broccoli soup is the best during the colder fall and winter months. It's quick and easy to make, uses 10 whole foods ingredients and will warm you right up!
- No blender needed! YUP, you heard me, this is one of the only vegan broccoli cheddar soups that doesn't make you use a blender or food processor. All you need to make this recipe is one pot - talk about a quick & easy clean up!
- Ultra creamy without cashews! A lot of the other recipes use raw cashews but I promise, this recipe is still soo creamy and rich without them (plus there's no nutty flavor). A combination of a roux, dairy-free milk, and vegan cheese will give you the same creamy effect and cheesy flavor. Plus, now those of you with a nut allergy can make this!
- It's ready in less than 30 minutes making it the perfect weeknight meal after a busy day or for a lazy Sunday.
- It's make ahead and freezer friendly! Go ahead and meal prep this vegan broccoli cheese soup at the start of the week so you can have it for lunch or dinner. You can also freeze it to readily have on hand for another time.
Equipment
You truly do not need any special tools to make this panera copycat broccoli cheddar soup! Here's the short list of basic equipment that you definitely already own:
- One large pot or 5-quart dutch oven
- Whisk
- Wooden spatula
- Ladle
Ingredients
- Vegan Butter: it helps to create the roux and adds flavor. You can use olive oil if you prefer.
- Garlic & Onion: for optimal flavor!
- Flour: we'll need flour in order to make our roux, which gives this soup it's yummy creamy texture. Both regular, all purpose flour or 1:1 gluten free flour will work perfectly here.
- Vegetable Broth: I typically use the Better than Bouillon base mixed with water, but you can use whatever veggie broth you like.
- Broccoli: not only one my favorite vegetables, but the star of the show! We'll be using fresh broccoli crowns that are cut into fresh broccoli florets. Feel free to save time by buying pre-cut florets.
- Carrots: this is another veggie that's a staple in the iconic Panera broccoli cheddar soup. Fresh shredded carrots are perfect for this recipe. You can totally buy carrots and shred/peel them yourself but I find it totally unnecessary and time consuming.
- Spices: we'll be using salt, black pepper and nutritional yeast. All of these will enhance the flavor of the soup. Add as much or as little of each spice as you'd like.
- Vegan Cheddar Cheese Shreds: because cheddar cheese is a key component in this dish, I recommend getting a vegan cheddar you know you love. I personally chose to use Violife 'Just like Cheddar' shreds because I know they melt really well and I think it has one of the best/most realistic flavors. Plus, this brand is allergen friendly.
- Non-Dairy Milk: any dairy free milk will do, just make sure it's unsweetened/unflavored! I personally used soy milk but almond milk, coconut milk, or oat milk will all help to achieve the texture and consistency we look for with creamy soups.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Variations & Substitutions
- Use frozen broccoli instead of fresh broccoli. Fair warning, the broccoli may be a bit softer/mushier than if you were to use fresh. Also, frozen broccoli has more water so it will thin it out a bit and reduce the flavor.
- Make it spicy broccoli cheddar soup by adding in some fresh, diced jalapeños or red pepper flakes.
- Use cauliflower in place of broccoli at a 1:1 ratio and turn this into a cauliflower cheddar soup!
- Make this broccoli cheddar soup with potatoes to make it heartier! Because potatoes are so starchy and suck up liquid, I would recommend adding an additional 1-2 cups of either milk or vegetable broth.
- Make this recipe gluten free by using gluten-free flour when creating the roux.
- Make this soup without milk by using only vegetable broth. Take note that it won't be nearly as thick and creamy but will instead be a lightened up version of this classic dish!
- Use different types of vegan cheeses like Mexican shreds or mozzarella to change up the flavor!
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice. It's definitely not traditional, but it adds some brightness to this hearty, cheesy soup.
This recipe has not been tested with any other substitutions or variations than the ones listed above. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Instructions
This dairy free broccoli cheddar soup can be made in a large dutch oven (which is how I've written the instructions below) or an instant pot/crock pot. Check out the FAQ section for the instant pot instructions.
Step 1: In a large pot, melt butter (or heat olive oil) over medium heat then add garlic and onions. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the onions are translucent.
Step 2: Sprinkle flour over the garlic and onions. Whisk quickly & continuously to form a roux, it should resemble a thick dough.
Step 3: Slowly pour in the vegetable broth, whisking continuously to avoid any clumping until all the broth has been added and the roux has been incorporated. Add in the broccoli, carrots, salt, pepper, paprika, and nutritional yeast. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium low heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the broccoli and carrots are cooked through.
Step 4: Lower the heat as much as possible then stir in non-dairy milk and vegan cheddar cheese shreds. Stir constantly until the cheese is melted and fully incorporated.
Taste the creamy vegan broccoli soup and adjust the seasonings to your preference. Serve immediately with homemade croutons, a fresh baguette, or a side salad!
Serving & Topping Suggestions
Because this soup is so hearty, you can totally pour yourself a big bowl (or a bread bowl) and enjoy it on it's own. But, it's truly best served alongside a fresh baguette or crusty bread. You can also serve this like a Panera "Pick Two" by pairing it with a salad or sandwich. I suggest this vegan caesar salad or half of this chickpea salad sandwich! Any side dish similar to these would be great.
As for toppings, the possibilities are endless! You can top this soup with extra broccoli or cheese, vegan crackers, homemade croutons, herbs like dill or bac'n bits.
Expert Tips
- If the soup is too thick, add in more vegetable broth. You can also put half of the soup in a blender, or use an immersion blender, in order to break down the ingredients, making the soup a bit less hearty.
- Do not add any additional flour later on! If the soup isn't as thick as you'd like it, let it simmer for a bit longer or add some more cheese. The additional flour will get clumpy, rather than broken down to thicken the soup.
- Cook on medium or medium-low heat the entire time and make sure you at the milk add a very low or no heat. Cooking on too high of heat can curdle the non-dairy milk and result in a gritty soup.
- If the vegan cheese shreds aren't melting, raise the heat a little bit and cover the pot with a lid for 2-3 minutes.
How to Store & Reheat
Refrigerator: Store the soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer: This broccoli cheddar soup is freezer friendly! Allow the soup to cool completely first then store in a freezer-safe container or freezer-friendly storage bags for up to 3 months.
Reheat: You can either reheat in a pot on the stove or a microwave-safe bowl covered with a paper towel in the microwave.*
If reheating from frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or reheat it at low temperature on the stovetop until defrosted and warmed through. Continuously stir it as it thaws.
*This soup will continue to thicken as it cools so be sure to add a splash of either dairy-free milk or vegetable broth when reheating to get it back to your desired consistency.
FAQ
This can happen if the temperature gets too high or if you opted to use cashews. Be sure to cook on low or no heat when adding the non-dairy milk to avoid curdling it! If you added cashews, you may have not blended them enough. Unfortunately, after it's been added to the pot there's not much you can do.
Definitely!
To cook this in the instant pot:
In saute mode, heat oil or vegan butter then saute the carrots, onion, and garlic. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine and cook down for 1 minute. Add in the remaining ingredients except for the vegan cheese and non-dairy milk. Turn off saute mode and pressure cook on High Pressure for 3-4 minutes. Then turn the valve to venting to quick release the pressure. Then stir in the non-dairy milk and vegan cheddar shreds until the cheese has completely melted. Enjoy!
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (55 g) vegan butter
- 1 (200 g) medium yellow onion diced
- 3-4 cloves (6-8 g) garlic minced
- ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour or 1:1 GF all-purpose flour
- 3 cups (710 mL) vegetable broth
- 2 cups (16 oz) unsweetened, unflavored non-dairy milk I used soy milk
- ¾ cup (90 g) shredded carrots
- 3 cups (270 g) broccoli florets chopped to your preference (or ~1 large broccoli crown)
- 2 cups (225 g) vegan shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons (10 g) nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon paprika optional
Instructions
- To a 5 quart dutch oven or large pot, add the vegan butter, garlic, and onion. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the onions are translucent, stirring continuously.¼ cup vegan butter, 1 medium yellow onion, 3-4 cloves garlic
- Sprinkle the flour over the onions and garlic and whisk for 1-2 minutes. The butter will absorb the flour and it should become thick and clumpy, almost like a wet dough (refer to the images under the "instructions" section if you're not sure how this should look).¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Next, slowly pour in all of the vegetable broth, whisking continuously to avoid any clumping. You should be left with a smooth yet slightly thickened base for the rest of the soup.3 cups vegetable broth
- Add in the broccoli, carrots, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and paprika.¾ cup shredded carrots, 3 cups broccoli florets, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon paprika
- Bring to a boil then reduce to medium low heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until the broccoli and carrots are cooked through.
- Either lower the heat as much as you can or remove from heat completely then stir in the non-dairy milk and vegan cheddar cheese. Continue to stir until the vegan cheese has fully melted.2 cups unsweetened, unflavored non-dairy milk, 2 cups vegan shredded cheddar cheese
- Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference then serve immediately with a piece of baguette or homemade croutons, and enjoy!
Victoria Hart says
I was looking for a vegan broccoli cheddar soup recipe that did not include cashews. Came across yours, and I was not disappointed! This soup is so delicious and addictive. Easy to make, with simple ingredients I already had on hand.
Since it's a new recipe for me, I started with making just half a batch. Following your recipe ingredients exactly, I also added a single yellow potato (diced), a dash of Colgin hickory smoke flavoring, and a sprinkle of Vegeta seasoning. I added another cup and a half of vegetable broth with 1/8 cup flour whisked in... since the potato soaks up some liquid while cooking. The result? Perfect!
I really appreciate your easy to follow directions, too. Thank you so much for posting this recipe!!
Lauren Casolaro says
Hi Victoria,
Thank you so so much for your feedback! I'm so glad you loved the recipe and were able to make it your own. I love adding potatoes to this so I'm so glad you did too, yay! I'm glad you found everything easy to follow 🙂
Marina says
Thank you🙏 so much for this recipe! Used Whole Foods agged brocolli florets and VioLife cheddar with fresh mini grated carrot and wow!! is it delicious! I even accidebtally kixed the milk i too early and still it is phenomenal. Thank you for sharing this!!
Lauren Casolaro says
I'm so so happy you loved it, Marina! Thank you for your comment!
Leigh Anne Hood says
I finally found this recipe after two years of awful vegan broccoli cheese soup recipes. They either called for cashews (which never got smooth) or was so chalky and lumpy I had to throw out entire batches. I love this soup. Just made it. I added a full tsp of smoke paprika and added three medium carrots instead of measuring in cups. This recipe is amazing and I'll be making it again soon. I'm whipping up some crusty bread to go with as part of my meal prep for the week. Lovely winter soup season.
Lauren Casolaro says
Hi Leigh Anne, thank you so so much for your amazing comment!!! I'm so happy you love this soup as much as I do, yay! Crusty bread is the perfect pairing, enjoy.
Emily says
I made this for tonight tonight and my partner and I DEVOURED it! This is so delicious!!
Lauren Casolaro says
YAY!!! I'm so glad you loved it, thanks for your commment <3
Paige says
This is your ultimate pick for soup season! I opted for coconut milk and gluten-free flour. It added a hint of sweetness to this hearty bowl of comfort. I cannot wait to make this again!
Pinch of Parsley says
Yay! So glad you loved this, Paige!
Joe says
I made this over the rainy weekend and it's my new favorite soup. It was so easy to make and so so delicious.
Pinch of Parsley says
Yay!! I'm so glad you loved it.
Maggie says
Delicious!!
I used gluten free flour and did not have to change the ratios.
Pinch of Parsley says
Yay!! Thanks so much for letting us know and I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Judy says
This is truly better than Panera's broccoli cheddar soup. Cannot stop making this!!
Pinch of Parsley says
Thanks so much, Judy! So glad to hear you love it as much as I do.
Bianca says
Truly the best broccoli cheddar soup ever. I ate the whole pot myself in 2 days.
Pinch of Parsley says
Thanks so much Bianca!! I too ate the whole pot myself.
Jess says
Holy tolito!!! This soup was amazing. I ran to the store to grab all the ingredients to make this and I have 0 regrets. It was amazing.
Pinch of Parsley says
Thanks so much Jess!! So glad you loved it.
JP says
This is so close to the original dairy version of cream of broccoli my mom made whole I was growing up that I could cry. I finally FOUND it! Thank you!!!! If you're reading this, make this recipe. Even the carnivores thought it tasted the same as "regular" broccoli cheddar soup.
Lauren Casolaro says
OMG!! I am so so happy to hear this, I'm so glad you loved it!