This easy vegan broccoli cheese soup is the perfect nutrient-dense soup for chilly winter months. It's creamy, flavorful, and packed with plant-based protein and nutrients. Bonus? It's quick to make, perfect for busy weeknights and meal prep lunches!
Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
I remember when I was in high school and first discovered the joys of broccoli cheese soup. Soooo decadent, creamy, and luxuriously cheesy. And there was broccoli - so that meant it was healthy! Wait - right?
So, maybe some of those restaurant broccoli cheese soups wouldn't quit be considered healthy with my grown-up nutrition filter now. Between the butter, cream, and cheese, saturated fat is not lacking. Plus most store-bought cream soups are thickened with some flour, making them not a great fit for my gluten-free diet.
This vegan broccoli cheese soup is definitely on a different health level. It's full of plants from the broccoli to the tofu for the base of a creamy sauce, to the nutritional yeast that packs a subtle cheesy flavor and tons of nutrients.
How to Make Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
This easy soup doesn't take too long to make, even for a busy weeknight.
- Saute some onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven.
- Steam broccoli or saute until tender. If you're sauteing with the other vegetables, you'll want to pull out the broccoli so it doesn't get mixed in during the next step! (Unless you're okay with green soup and less chunks of broccoli in the soup.)
- In a blender, combine ¾ of the sauteed veggies (minus broccoli) with vegetable broth, silken tofu, and nutritional yeast to create a silky smooth creamy puree. The tofu adds a great creamy texture when pureed, and the nutritional yeast a cheesy flavor without the dairy. Bonus? Both the tofu and nutritional yeast are rich in protein.
- Add the creamy puree to the pot with remaining veggies and broccoli.
- Simmer to thicken slightly, season to taste, and enjoy!
If you're unfamiliar with tofu, having a tofu-based cream soup may sound a little....odd, but I promise it works! Especially the silken tofu - it does just that, adds a silky texture!
Feel free to garnish the soup however you choose. Fresh herbs, pumpkin seeds, crunchy roasted chickpeas, homemade croutons - the options are endless!
Looking for more healthy soup recipes?
If you enjoyed this vegan broccoli cheese soup, be sure to try these other Nutrition to Fit healthy, plant-based soups as well!
- Spiced Sweet Potato Carrot Soup
- 3-Ingredient Black Bean Soup
- Lentil Stew
- Zucchini Noodle Summer Corn Chowder
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Hearty Vegetable Chili
When you make any NTF recipes, be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe below! And you can always take a pic of your finished dish and share it to social media - I love to see your creations and reshare them on my social profiles. Be sure to tag me (@nutritiontofit, #nutritiontofit) so I can see! Live well!
Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1 lb silken tofu
- 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- salt to taste
- optional garnish (fresh herbs, crunchy chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, homemade croutons, etc.)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or large pot. Add onion, carrots, celery stalks, and garlic. Saute until tender (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.
- For the broccoli you can either steam it in the broccoli for a few minutes (from either fresh or frozen) or once the other vegetables are tender, you can saute them in the pot. If you saute the broccoli, you will need to use tongs to remove most of the broccoli again before the next step.
- Take ¾ of the carrot, celery, onion, and garlic mixture and add it to a blender with the silken tofu, vegetable broth, and nutritional yeast. Blend on medium speed for 30-60 seconds until pureed smooth.
- Pour blended soup into the pot with the remaining vegetables and broccoli. Stir. Add salt to taste, if needed.
- Leave mixture on the stovetop about 10 minutes to thicken slightly and heat through. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Leave a Reply