This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
We’re excited to share our popular Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup, inspired by Panera and now made for the slow cooker. This soup is perfect for a hands-off Sunday in the slow cooker. It has a creamy cashew base and cheesy flavor you’ll love, with the slow cooker doing all the work. After a few hours of simmering broth and vegetables, blend a quick cashew cream and stir it in with the broccoli for the last hour. The result is a rich, creamy soup full of tender broccoli and carrots, and it’s all dairy-free. Enjoy every spoonful of this comforting dish!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You’ll love the authentic taste! With cashew cream and nutritional yeast, you’ll get a deliciously rich, cheesy flavor that’s incredibly similar to the Panera classic, without vegan cheese shreds.
- Mostly hands-off. Just add the broth and vegetables to the slow cooker and walk away. The only real task is blending the cashew cream during the final hour.
- Silky smooth every time. Adding the cashew cream at the end gives the soup a beautifully creamy, velvety texture, keeping it smooth and delightful rather than grainy.
- Great for meal prep. This broccoli cheddar soup stays fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days, and it freezes wonderfully for up to 3 months if you want to savor it even longer.
- Easy to make nut-free. Swap the cashews for raw sunflower seeds, and you’re all set.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Discover the key ingredients that make this soup truly delicious! For detailed measurements and instructions, check out the recipe card below.
- Raw cashews – Soaking our cashews overnight makes them wonderfully creamy and smooth. If you’re short on time, the notes include quick-soak options.
- Nutritional yeast – The key to that savory, cheesy flavor.
- Flour – Blended into the cashew cream to help the soup thicken as it cooks.
- Lemon juice – Adds a little brightness and that subtle tang you expect from cheddar.
- Vegan chicken broth – We used Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Vegetarian base, but vegetable broth will also work.
- Broccoli – Finely chopped so every spoonful has a little broccoli. Add it closer to the end of cooking so it stays tender and bright green.
- Onion, celery, and garlic – A simple aromatic base that softens as it slow-cooks.
- Carrot – Julienne into thin matchsticks, just like the original.
- Nutmeg – Just a pinch adds a subtle warmth that’s classic in cheese sauces.
- Garnishes – Fresh parsley and croutons add color and crunch.
Equipment Needed
- Slow cooker
- High-speed blender
- Small pot (for quick-soaking cashews)
- Chef’s knife and cutting board
Tips for the Best Results
- Use a high-speed blender. It’s the key to a perfectly smooth cashew cream. Blend until there’s no grit left at all.
- Don’t skip the soak. Soaked cashews blend much more smoothly. If you forgot to soak them overnight, you can quick-soak them while the soup base cooks.
- Add the cashew cream and broccoli at the end. To keep the cashew cream from separating and turning grainy, and the broccoli from becoming mushy and losing its color, add both ingredients in the final hour of cooking.
- Chop the broccoli finely. Smaller pieces cook evenly and make the soup easy to eat by the spoonful.
- Thicken if needed. Since liquid doesn’t reduce in the slow cooker, the soup may be a little thinner than our stovetop version. Stir in a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water and cook on high for 10 more minutes.
Serving Suggestions
To fully enjoy the Panera experience, serve this soup in a hollowed-out sourdough bread bowl. It also pairs perfectly with a slice of crusty bread for dipping, a simple vegan grilled cheese, or a crisp green salad on the side. Garnish each bowl with fresh parsley and a handful of croutons for added crunch.
Storage Instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring often, and add a splash of broth if it has thickened too much.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Substitute raw sunflower seeds 1:1 for the cashews.
No problem. Bring a small pot of water to a boil, remove it from the heat, and add the cashews. Let them soak for 20 minutes, or until softened, then drain. You can do this while the soup base cooks.
It can be! Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend in the cashew cream, choose a gluten-free broth, and use gluten-free croutons for topping.
Cooking cashew cream for hours can cause it to separate and turn grainy, and finely chopped broccoli gets mushy and dull over a long cook time. Adding both for the final hour keeps the soup silky and the broccoli bright green.
For a more yellow, “cheddar” look, stir in 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric at the end.
More Recipes You’ll Love
We hope this slow cooker broccoli cheddar soup becomes a staple in your winter meal rotation! If you try it, please leave a comment and rating below to let us know how it turned out. Don’t forget to take a photo and tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris, using the hashtag #sweetsimplevegan so we can see your creations!
Print
Slow Cooker Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Panera Copycat)
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 Servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup is the best copycat recipe we’ve ever tried, and now the slow cooker does all the work. It’s incredibly creamy, rich, and full of flavor, made with simple everyday ingredients. Let the broth and vegetables simmer, then mix in a quick cashew cream for a cozy bowl of cheesy goodness.
Ingredients
For the Cashew Cream
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight (see notes)
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For the Soup
- 3 cups vegan chicken broth or vegetable broth of your choice
- 2 3/4 cups finely chopped broccoli
- 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 rib celery, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 cup carrots, julienned
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Garnishes (optional)
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Vegan croutons
Instructions
- Load the slow cooker. Add the vegan chicken broth, onion, celery, garlic, carrot, nutmeg, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Slow-cook the base. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours, until the vegetables are tender.
- Make the cashew cream. Drain the cashews and transfer them to a high-speed blender with 2 cups of water, nutritional yeast, flour, and lemon juice. Blend on high until completely smooth.
- Add the broccoli and cashew cream. If you cooked the base on low, switch the slow cooker to high. Stir in the broccoli and all the cashew cream until combined.
- Cook until thickened. Cover and cook on high for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once or twice, until the broccoli is tender and the soup has thickened.
- Season and serve. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve warm, garnished with fresh parsley and croutons. Enjoy!
Notes
- Why the cashew cream goes in last: Cooking cashew cream for hours can cause it to separate and turn grainy. Adding it at the end keeps the soup silky smooth.
- Why the broccoli goes in last: Finely chopped broccoli can turn mushy and lose its bright green color during a long cook time.
- Thickness: Since the slow cooker doesn’t reduce liquid, the soup may be slightly thinner than our stovetop version. If needed, stir in a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water, then cook on high for 10 more minutes.
- Quick soak: If you didn’t soak the cashews overnight, bring a small pot of water to a boil, remove it from the heat, and add the cashews. Soak for 20 minutes, or until softened, then drain. You can do this while the soup base cooks.
- Broth: We used Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base, mixing 3 teaspoons of paste with 3 cups of water.
- Color: For a more yellow, “cheddar” look, stir in 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric at the end.
- Nut-free: Substitute the cashews 1:1 with raw sunflower seeds.
- Gluten-free: Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend in the cashew cream and gluten-free croutons for topping, and check that your broth is gluten-free.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Add a splash of broth when reheating if the soup has thickened.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: crockpot, Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
