Description
This Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup is the BEST copycat we’ve ever had. It’s super creamy, decadent, flavor packed and made with healthy, simple ingredients. Have this cheesy classic ready in 40 minutes or less. Try it for meal prep or an easy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight* (see notes)
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 cups + 4 tablespoons vegan chicken broth (we used this one) or vegetable broth of your choice
- 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 rib celery, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 3/4 cups finely chopped broccoli
- 1 cup carrot, julienned
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Garnishes (optional)
- Fresh parsley
- Croutons (these are a great vegan brand)
Instructions
- Drain the cashews and transfer them to a high speed blender along with 2 cups of water, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. Blend on high until smooth and set aside.
- In a large pot over medium heat, add in 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth along with the diced onion and celery. Sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more, adding 2 more tablespoons of vegetable broth as needed to prevent burning.
- Add the remaining vegetable broth to the pot along with all of the cashew mixture that you had blended. Mix until uniform. Add in the broccoli, carrot and nutmeg and mix again until combined. Bring the mixture to a boil and lower to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until the soup has thickened.
- Once the soup has thickened, remove it from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve warm with a garnish of fresh parsley and croutons. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you don’t have time to soak the cashews overnight, you can do a quick soak in hot water. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Once it is boiling, remove the pot from heat and add in the cashews. Soak for 20 minutes or until softened and drain.
- We used the Better than Bouillon vegan chicken broth for this recipe. To make the broth, we mixed 3 1/4 cups of water with 3 1/4 teaspoons of paste.
- If you’d like your soup to be a little more yellow and “cheddar” looking you can add 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric at end.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup, Entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-free
