The creamiest, most delicious Vegan Broccoli Soup there ever was. This easy recipe is perfect for cozy lunches. You'd never guess it's healthy and dairy-free! Done in less than an hour and packed with good for you ingredients like broccoli, carrots, and cashews. So simple to make, freezer-friendly, and kid-approved. Comfort food in a bowl!

I may just marry this sensational soup. And you're all invited to the wedding.
I tell you no lie when I say this recipe tastes just as decadent and satisfying as classic creamy broccoli soup but is totally dairy-free. Who woulda thought?
She's like a cousin to my famous Creamy Vegan Broccoli Cauliflower Soup and Vegetable Soup. The variations just keep getting better! Don't miss all of my other vegan soup recipes.
Key ingredients and substitutions
Want to know the secret? Okay. It's cashews. They're everything. They're like Spanx. Or truffle oil. They make everything look and taste and feel so much better.
- Broccoli: There's a lot of broccoli in this recipe because it's the star! Fresh or frozen works. You can use the stems, but I love using all florets. You could also do a mix of broccoli and cauliflower.
- Cashews: Similar to my Healthy Potato Soup, raw cashews blended with water make the dairy free "cream" in place of heavy cream in this recipe. Unfortunately there isn't a cashew sub here.
- Mirepoix: The golden mix of onion, carrot and celery build the flavor of this soup.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic for necessary aromatics. Use more if you're a garlic lover!
- Water or broth: For the liquid in the soup. Use broth for extra flavor and season it to taste with salt.
- Salt and pepper: Very important for rounding out the flavor, especially if you use water!
- Lemon juice: This is key for brightness to round out the flavor.
How to make (step-by-step)
Soak your cashews in a bowl of hot water so they're easy to blend. Sauté onion until softened. Add carrot and celery and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add garlic and broccoli and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
Blend water and drained cashews in blender until smooth. Stir into soup.
Puree mixture with an immersion blender. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice and devour!
Tips for success
- Use a high speed blender or Nutribullet to blend the cashews. You want it thick and creamy and fully blended, like nut milk!
- Go heavy on the seasonings. Especially if you use water, salt plays a big role in flavor here so use a heavy hand.
- Make it your own and have fun with it! Add nutritional yeast, extra lemon juice, vegan bacon, or baguette croutons for crunchy textures.
Can I use frozen broccoli?
Yes! I like to use a 16oz bag of frozen broccoli florets. You could also use 2 10oz bags--more broccoli isn't a problem!
What makes this soup healthy?
As a dietitian, I love that this soup isn't just easy, but it's also brimming with nutrients like fiber, vitamin A, and omega-3 fatty acids!It's truly a healthy hug in a bowl! In addition to being dairy-free, it's also gluten-free, grain-free, and soy-free.
Cashews may help lower total and LDL cholesterol. Broccoli is packed with antioxidants to help reduce free radicals and lower risk of chronic disease.
While boasting those awesome healthy fats, this soup is also much lower in saturated fat than classic broccoli soup. It's definitely all around lighter, but still tastes unreal! With all the extra veggies, it's high in filling fiber, too.
Variations
- Stir in some vegan cheese or extra nutritional yeast for a flavor boost.
- Swap the water for broth for extra depth of flavor. (Start with less salt if you use broth!
- Add a chopped potato for some texture and creaminess.
How to store
This soup will last up to five days in the fridge in an air-tight container. I like to use Mason jars.
Can the soup be frozen?
Yes! Place cooled soup in a large freezer baggie and lay flat to freeze. It will last three months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then warm on the stove once you're ready to eat!
More delicious vegan soup recipes
- Cream of Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup
- Lemon Chickpea Rice Soup
- Vegan Lasagna Soup
- Creamy Vegan Tortilla Soup
- Corn Chowder with Quinoa
- Minestrone Soup
Click here to see the step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!
PrintCreamy Nourishing Vegan Broccoli Soup
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The creamiest, healthiest Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup there ever was...comfort food in a bowl!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup raw cashews, soaked
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 20oz fresh or frozen broccoli florets, chopped (about 6-7 cups)
- 6 cups water or broth, divided
- 1-2 tsp salt (to taste) + freshly ground pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- optional: ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Place cashews in a small bowl. Cover with hot water. Soak for 20-30 minutes.
- Add oil to a large pot (I used my dutch oven) over medium high heat. Once hot, add onion and a pinch of salt and sauté for about three minutes. Add celery and carrots and sauté for another five minutes. Add garlic and broccoli and sauté for another five minutes.
- Add 5 cups water, 1 ½ tsp salt, and pepper. Stir and bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Drain cashews. Place cashews and 1 cup water in a blender (I used my Nutribullet). Blend until very smooth and creamy. There should be no clumps. Add to soup.
- Puree soup using an immersion blender. You can also do this in batches using a high speed blender. I like to leave some broccoli chunky for texture. Season to taste with lemon juice for brightness, salt (I use 2 tsp with water for liquid) and pepper. You can also add 1 tsp apple cider vinegar for extra tang. I like to add nutritional yeast for umami and cheesy flavor!
Keywords: vegan broccoli soup
Ria says
I've tried several vegan soup recipes, but this is the best! Always my go too, husband loves it. I didn't change anything, made it just like written.
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
I love it, thank you so much!!
Scarlette Smith says
Made this recipe for the 2nd time today and it was just as delicious as I remembered! I had to remove the onions for allergy reasons and so I added a bit extra celery and carrots and a leftover yam and it worked perfectly. For anyone who is curious for a serving size of 1.5 cups it is 193 calories and 9g of protein (with these substitutions) so perfect for a balanced diet.
★★★★★
Cindy St Onge says
yum yum yummy this soup is awesome
★★★★★
Annemarie says
Absolutely adore this recipe, made it for the whole family and everyone loved it (vegan or brocolli fan aside it was a crowd favorite). I'll be making it again for sure!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
I'm thrilled you loved it, Annemarie. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Johharris says
Good morning
About to make this recipe- i have made very similar ones before .
Why dice the onions ? I am going to chop everything and then i will use an immersion blender . If you are planning on leaving chunks then i understand.
In the past i sometimes add canned white beans or butternut squash
Alexis Joseph says
Hi! I'm not sure I understand the alternative to chopping the onion. Chopping then sautéing helps bring out the onion's flavor and soften it (more surface area to do so versus big chunks). Let me know if I can be more helpful.
Ada says
Delicious! I didn’t have an immersion blender so used my blender. I also pre-softened the broccoli to al dente before blending. Great recipe, I will make this again. Thank You.
★★★★★
Tricia says
I have to make the soup a day in advance. Does it reheat well? Anything special I should do?
Alexis Joseph says
It reheats great, nope nothing special!
Bethy says
I made this fantastic soup last night, and it was a hit! Didn't have quite enough frozen broccoli, so I subbed in some frozen mixed veggies with the broc. Didn't have any lemon, so subbed some lime juice and some Trader Joe's Citrusy Garlic seasoning blend (love that stuff!) and it was marvy.
Thank you!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Perfection, those swaps sound just perfect! Thanks, Bethy!!
Dylan says
I made this a few days ago to have on hand for lunches. Such a quick and easy recipe. I used frozen broccoli. It turned out fab!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Frozen broccoli for the win, heck yes!