This vegan cream of broccoli soup is a rich, creamy, and cheesy soup that gets my kids eating bowl after bowl of broccoli! Vegan comfort food at its best packed with healthy onions, carrots, and broccoli, yet rich and creamy enough that it feels indulgent! Simply add some vegan cheese and easily turn it into broccoli cheese soup!
I used to love the cream of broccoli soup at Friendly's restaurants when I was a kid, so this soup was one of the first things that I had to figure out how to make vegan! I've been making this vegan cream of broccoli for over 20 years now and it's still one of my family's favorite soups!
If you love creamy soups like this one, you should also check out my vegan cream of mushroom soup, dairy-free cream of celery soup, and vegan cream of chicken soup recipes!
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🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Onion and Garlic - To flavor the soup. (Optional, yet recommended).
- Oil - To saute the onion.
- Broth - You can use any veggie broth you like. I like the flavor of a vegan "chicken" broth and use Not Chick'n Broth cubes. If you don't have broth, you can use water and some extra salt.
- Broccoli - Lots of broccoli cut into small bite-sized pieces. If you have picky kids, you can throw it in the food processor and chop it very tiny.
- Carrots - This gives the broth a slightly sweet flavor, adds nutrients, and looks pretty.
- Plant-Based Milk - Any plain flavored plant-based milk will make it creamy. You also may want to use unsweetened milk if you don’t want it too sweet. I like to use soy milk or oat milk in this soup since they are thick and creamy, but you can also use almond milk or any other you prefer.
- Nutritional Yeast - Also called nooch, this is a yellow powder that will give your soup a rich and slightly cheesy flavor. (Optional) You can learn more about nutritional yeast in this detailed post.
- Oil and flour or starch - To thicken the soup. You can use oil and flour to make a roux and then add the broth or you can mix either cornstarch or potato starch with water to thicken your soup. (You can use a neutral-flavored oil, vegan margarine, or my homemade vegan butter to make a vegan roux.
- Salt and black pepper - For flavor.
🔪 Helpful tools
- A pot - Actually 2 soup pots if you are going to thicken it with a roux. (Don't worry, I'll get to that later).
- A ladle - to scoop out the broth.
🥄 How to make vegan cream of broccoli soup
Step 1 - Saute the onion in a little oil over low heat for about 5 minutes.
Step 2 - Add the garlic, broccoli, and carrots and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
Step 3 - Pour in your broth of choice and let it simmer for about 15 minutes until the broccoli is tender, but not mushy.
Step 4 - Add the plant-based milk and nutritional yeast to your broth and continue to simmer, but do not boil.
Thicken the soup with a Roux
Step 5 - Heat oil in the bottom of another soup pot and add flour (regular or gluten-free) to the oil and stir with a whisk until it starts to sizzle.
Step 6 - Scoop out the broth being careful to not get big pieces of broccoli and add it to the roux one ladle at a time.
Step 7 - Stir well with the whisk between each scoop to keep it creamy.
Step 8 - Repeat until most of the broth is incorporated and then add the remaining soup into the 2nd pot.
✨ How to thicken the soup with cornstarch
- Mix 1/3 cup cornstarch and 1/2 cup water together in a small bowl and add it to the soup. (You can also use potato starch instead of corn starch. - It's a little harder to find, but I prefer it over corn starch).
- Stir well and heat soup again until it just begins to boil while stirring frequently.
Note: The starch method is a little easier and has less fat and calories, yet the roux method makes it richer and creamier.
🥘 Serving suggestions
Serve with my vegan Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuits, vegan beer bread, focaccia bread, drop biscuits, or chickpea flatbread.
This soup is also delicious with vegan twice-baked potatoes for a complete meal.
❓Frequently asked questions
To make this into broccoli cheese soup, add a cup of vegan cheddar cheese at the end of cooking and stir well. Top each bowl with an additional sprinkle of cheese. Use your favorite variety or make your own using my vegan cheddar cheese or vegan mozzarella recipes.
You can make a roux using gluten-free flour instead of wheat flour. Just be sure to use a gluten-free flour mix that does not contain sorghum flour. When I tried it using any mixes with sorghum flour, it had a weird slimy texture. You can also thicken the soup by mixing 1/3 cup of corn starch or potato starch with 1/2 cup of cold water and then add it to the soup towards the end of cooking.
This recipe makes a large pot of soup (about 8-10 bowls) but everyone goes back for seconds and thirds so my family of 4 usually ends up finishing the whole pot! If you don’t, no need to worry, like most soups, it is even better the next day for lunch!
🥡 How to store and reheat cream of broccoli soup
Refrigerator: The vegan cream of broccoli soup will keep well in the fridge for 3 - 5 days in a sealed container.
Freezing: This soup can be stored in the freezer for later, just be sure to use an airtight container or freezer bag and it will keep well up to 3 months in the freezer! You can also freeze individual servings of the soup in souper cubes. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Defrosting: Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat in the microwave for 3-4 minutes or in a pot on the stovetop until warm. You may want to add a few tablespoons of water if reheating on the stovetop to account for evaporation.
🌟 More creamy vegan soup recipes
If you love broccoli, be sure to try my vegan beef and broccoli, cheesy vegan baked broccoli, vegan broccoli pasta, broccoli alfredo, or vegan broccoli salad with cranberries. Your whole family will devour them all!
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
📋 Vegan cream of broccoli soup recipe
Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2-3 cloves minced garlic
- 4-5 cups broccoli chopped
- 1 medium carrot about 1/2 cup peeled and chopped
- 5 cups water
- 2 cubes not chick’n bullion cubes or other equivalent vegan chicken broth powder
- 2 cups plain soy milk or other milk of choice
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 sprinkle salt to taste (amount needed will depend on the saltiness of the broth).
For the roux
- 1/4 cup vegan butter or margarine or oil of choice
- 1/3 cup flour or 1/3 cup gluten-free flour
For the starch method of thickening (if not using the roux)
- 1/3 cup potato or corn starch
- 1/2 cup cold water
Instructions
- Saute 1 medium onion in 1 tbsp of oil over low heat for about 5 minutes and sprinkle with a little salt.
- Add 2-3 cloves of garlic, 4-5 cups of broccoli, and 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped. Saute for another 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in your broth of choice and let it simmer for about 15 minutes until the broccoli is tender, but not mushy.
- Add 2 cups of plant-based milk and 1/4 cup nutritional yeast to your broth and continue to simmer, but not boil.
Thicken your soup with a Roux
- Heat 1/4 oil or butter in the bottom of another soup pot and add 1/3 cup flour (regular or gluten-free) to the oil/butter. Stir with a whisk until it starts to sizzle.
- Scoop out the broth, being careful to not get large pieces of the broccoli, and add it to the roux one ladle at a time.
- Stir well with the whisk between each scoop to keep it creamy.
- Repeat until most of the broth is incorporated and then add the remaining soup into the 2nd pot.
Or thicken with the starch method
- Mix 1/3 cup potato or corn starch and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl. Add it to the hot soup near the end of cooking.
- Stir well and heat soup again until it just begins to boil, while stirring frequently.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- This soup is also delicious with cooked cubed potatoes added.
- If you are using gluten-free flour, make sure to use a type without sorghum or garbanzo bean flour.
- When making it gluten-free, make sure to stir well between each scoop of broth. GF flour tends to clump up if not stirred well enough.
- I have found the gluten-free all-purpose flour mix from Trader Joe's makes the best gluten-free roux.
- Or simply use the starch method for an easy gluten-free method.
- Add a cup of vegan cheddar cheese to the pot of soup at the end of cooking and garnish with additional cheese when serving.
Nutrition
Updated March 10, 2020, from the original post from May 16, 2017, to include new images and more detailed instructions.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Click the stars above or leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!
Soups like this can also be thickened by either, 1. Adding in potato flakes (about 1/4 cup or less at a time) near end of cooking, stir after each addition and wait 1-3 minutes to see if thick enough before adding more. Also taste test to see if more seasoning is required since potatoes are absorbent.
2. Leftover mashed potatoes can be thinned with some of the broth that will be added to the soup, then just add this, the rest of the broth and milk per normal.
Don't forget to taste test to know if you need extra seasoning! 🙂
Hello, Delicious looking recipe. I will have to try it out when I get some broccoli again. I just read your recipe and noticed you said not to use sorghum flour in the starch. Could you please explain why? (I make up a blend and use sorghum in it, so it caught my eye) Thank you!
Hi De, I've found that blends with sorghum flour in them get a slimy texture when I use them for making a roux. I hope that you enjoy the soup. 🙂
The best I’ve tried for broccoli cheese vegan gluten-free!! Thank you so much!
I'm so happy that you liked it, Nancy! 🙂
Made this, this evening, I used 4 cups veggie stock +1 cup water as that's what I had on hand, and then added garlic powder and onion powder. So good, delicious!
I'm so happy that you liked it! 🙂
Made this soup today , it is very tasty . will make it again , thanks...
I'm so happy that you liked it, Kathy.:)
I made this soup , it was so good. I had some left over roasted cauliflower that i added. Also instead of the thickener, i took some broth and blended it with hemp seeds to make the soup creamy . I have a video.
I'm glad that you liked it, Joellen! Tag me on Instagram or FB if you post your video. I would love to see it! 🙂
How much hemp seed did you use?
Just made this for lunch and it went together quickly. It was excellent and I went back for a second bowl. I added celery because I had some that needed to be used. Otherwise I flowed the recipe. I did use the immersion blender. I love what that does to soups..
I’m so happy that you liked it Nancy! 😀
This recipe sounds good. Sorry for the question, but I’m just learning how to cook. How much garlic should I use? 2-3 cloves?
Yes, 2-3 cloves is perfect. Sorry that I didn't make that more clear in the recipe. Hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
For the starch method, how much corn or potato starch should I use?
Hi Beth, sorry that I didn't make that more clear. For the starch method, you will want to omit the butter and flour and instead combine 1/3 cup of potato starch with 1/2 cup cold water and then add it to the hot soup near the end of cooking. Then stir well until it thickens. Enjoy! 🙂
Thank you! I’m making this for dinner tonight and can’t wait to try it! 🙂
Hi!
There's no direction for the turmeric, so I'm not sure when to add this in.
Sorry about that, I'll update it. You can just add the turmeric in when you add the broth. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Just made this for dinner! It was so good, not to mention quick and easy! Thank you for sharing. Tomorrow I’m going to make your quinoa crackers... already know they’ll be yummy~
Gina
Hi Gina, So happy that you made it! I love this soup! I think that you'll like the quinoa crackers too. It's really fun to see whole quinoa transform into a cracker! 🙂
I’m thinking of adding some potatoes to this as you suggested. Would I add those (diced/cubed) with the broccoli or at another point? Other adjustments I would need to make? Thanks!
When I add potatoes, I peel and dice about 4 medium potatoes and boil them separately in some salted water. Then drain and add them to the soup towards the end of cooking so they don't get too mushy. (You can just add them with the broccoli if you cut them small so they cook in the same amount of time as the broccoli, but I find that they change the flavor of the broth if you cook them from raw in the soup). You shouldn't need to make any other adjustments. I hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
There's nothing better than cream of broccoli soup...without the cream that is! I know the family will devour this when I WILL make it soon!
Thanks Jules! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Gorgeous looking soup! I love making cream of broccoli soup as well, just one (or maybe two!) of our kids not big fans. But it's SO good.
Thanks so much! I hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
I just made this soup for lunch. It was so good! It really didn't taste vegan since it was so creamy! I'm freezing the leftovers, can't wait to eat it again in the coming weeks!
Hi Maggie, I'm so happy that you liked it so much! You will be so happy when you take it out of the freezer and have a delicious soup ready to eat! 🙂