Dairy Free Broccoli Soup
I first started making this dairy free broccoli soup in 2015 as a way to enjoy my favorite comfort food while adding more veggies to my diet. Growing up, my sister and I were obsessed with the broccoli cheese soup from Panera, and I wanted to recreate that rich, creamy flavor at home, without dairy. After experimenting with different ingredients, I discovered that pureed cauliflower was the perfect base. Not only does it create a velvety texture, but it also adds extra veggies without altering the taste.
Since then, I’ve made this vegan broccoli soup at least 100 times. It has become my go-to recipe when the weather cools off because it’s packed with flavor, incredibly creamy, and ready in 25 minutes. Unlike traditional broccoli cheese soup, this version is lower in calories but still satisfying, thanks to white beans, which add plant-based protein and make it extra filling. If you’re looking for a nourishing, healthy broccoli soup that’s both comforting and packed with veggies, this is it!
As someone who has spent years developing easy, gluten free dairy free recipes, I know how important it is to have reliable, satisfying meals on hand. If you love cozy soups, you also have to try my Dairy Free Mushroom Soup (which has hundreds of 5-star reviews) and my Instant Pot White Bean Soup (this is my mom’s favorite recipe of mine).
Ingredients and substitutions
- Cauliflower – fresh or frozen cauliflower works, it helps to thicken the soup and I promise you won’t taste it! For frozen cauliflower, use two 12 oz packages of cauliflower florets. Substitute with 2 peeled and diced russet potatoes.
- Vegetable Stock (or broth) – adds a depth of flavor and makes it taste like it’s been cooking all day. You could also use chicken broth if not vegan/vegetarian.
- Broccoli – the star of the soup! Be sure your broccoli is fresh and tender! If you want to use frozen broccoli you will need two 12 oz packages of small broccoli florets.
- Carrots – add natural sweetness
- White Beans (or Soaked Cashews) – the secret ingredient! White beans make the soup rich and creamy and also adds fiber and protein. Use cannellini, great northern white beans, navy beans or butter beans for the best texture. If you don’t love beans in your soup, use soaked cashews.
- Dairy Free Milk – use whatever you have on hand.
- Nutritional Yeast – gives a cheesy flavor without adding cheese.
How to make vegan creamy broccoli soup
In a large pot, add 1/2 the carton of vegetable broth and cauliflower. Cover and cook 12-15 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender. 
While cauliflower is cooking, chop broccoli and slice the carrots.
Once cauliflower is tender, blend the cauliflower in the pot with an immersion blender (or transfer to blender and blend in batches, being careful with hot liquids).
Add the remaining vegetable broth to the cauliflower puree, broccoli, carrots, garlic powder, salt, thyme and black pepper. Stir and cover for 7 minutes, or until broccoli is tender.
While the soup is cooking, rinse and drain the can of great northern white beans. Blend with 1/2 cup non-dairy milk until smooth. 
Finish the soup! Add the pureed beans, the rest of the milk and 1/2 cup nutritional yeast and stir to combine.
Step 7: Allow soup to slightly cool before enjoying.
Make this gluten free broccoli soup your way
- Make it in the Instant Pot instead (instructions in recipe card)
- If the soup is too thick: add1/4 cup non-dairy milk.
- If the soup is too thin, simmer on the stove until desired consistency is reached. You can also add 1 tbsp of arrowroot starch mixed with 1 tablespoon water.
- Need a low carb soup? Replace white beans with soaked cashews (add about 1 cup soaked cashews)
- Want the soup to be extra creamy? Add 1/2 cup of soaked cashews to the white beans when blending.
- Want a large batch for Meal prep? Double the recipe, it holds up well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Serving suggestions
This vegan creamy broccoli soup is incredibly filling but low in calories. Make it a complete meal with:
- Crusty bread or crackers (I love these Hemp Almond Flax Crackers)
- Add some additional protein with balsamic tofu croutons, another can of white beans, or a sprinkle of hemp hearts
- Air fryer roasted chickpeas for crunch and additional protein
- Top with some shredded cheese (use your favorite shredded cheddar or dairy free cheddar) for texture and more flavor.
30 Minute Healthy Broccoli Soup
Guided Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower - removed from thick stalk and cut into small pieces
- 4 cups organic vegetable stock - 1 box
- 1 medium head broccoli - removed from thick stalk, cut into small bite size pieces
- 2 medium organic carrots, sliced
- 1 15 oz. can organic northern white beans (about 1.5 cup beans) or 1/2 cup soaked cashews
- 3/4 cups dairy free milk, unsweetened, divided
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot, add 1/2 the carton of vegetable broth and florets from 1 medium cauliflower. Cover and cook 12-15 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender.
- While cauliflower is cooking, chop 1 medium head of broccoli and thinly slice 2 medium carrots (peel if necessary).
- Once cauliflower is tender, blend the cauliflower in the pot with an immersion blender (or transfer to blender and blend in batches, being careful with hot liquids).
- To the cauliflower puree, add the remaining vegetable broth, broccoli, carrots, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1-2 teaspoons salt (add less, you can always add more later), and 1/2 teaspoon thyme. Stir and cover for 7 minutes, or until broccoli is tender.
- While soup is cooking, rinse and drain a can of northern white beans. Blend with 1/2 cup dairy free milk until smooth.
- Add pureed beans and additional 1/4 cup dairy free milk to the soup once the broccoli is tender along with 1/2 cup nutritional yeast. Stir well to combine. Allow to cool slightly before enjoying.
Notes
- Too thick? Add 1/4 cup non-dairy milk.
- Too thin? Simmer on the stove until desired consistency is reached.
- Use fresh or frozen broccoli or cauliflower. Be sure to break up any broccoli florets into small, bite size pieces.
- No cauliflower? Use 1-2 russet potatoes (peeled and cubed) to get the same creamy texture.
- No white beans? Use soaked cashews (about 1 cup) to create a similar creamy texture.
- Cook cauliflower with 1 cup of vegetable broth 3 minutes at high pressure. Manually release when done.
- In the instant pot, blend the cauliflower with an extra 1 cup of vegetable broth with an immersion blender.
- Add the chopped broccoli and carrots, salt, garlic powder and thyme to the cauliflower mixture in the pressure cooker. Add the last 2 cups of vegetable broth and stir.
- Turn on the sauté function for 4 minutes, stirring regularly. After it’s done, turn off the instant pot and add the lid for 2-3 minutes to let the broccoli steam.
- Rinse and drain the northern white beans. Blend with 1/2 cup milk until smooth.
- After the 2-3 minutes of steaming, take the lid off and stir well. Add pureed beans and additional 1/4 cup non-dairy milk and 1/2 cup nutritional yeast and stir to combine.
- Fridge: This soup gets better the longer it sits. Store in airtight containers for up to 4 days. I like to use mason jars for easy storage.
- Freezer: This soup can get mushy when frozen, so I recommend blending it completely before freezing. Use freezer safe container (I don’t recommend glass jars as they can explode), I like using Soupercubes for easy portioning. Reheat from frozen or allow to thaw before reheating.
- Reheating:
- Stovetop: Reheat on the stove over medium low heat in a covered pot 8-10 minutes (or until warmed through).
- Microwave: Cook 2-4 minutes, pausing to stir once or twice while reheating
- Note: you may need to add some additional liquid when reheating if it gets too thick
Nutrition Information
Common questions
What is nutritional yeast?
- Nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast made from sugarcane and beet molasses (not to be confused with brewers yeast). It has a great nutty, cheesy flavor and it’s a great source of Vitamin B-12.
- You can find nutritional yeast in most grocery stores now or online
- If you have an MTHFR mutation, buy a non-fortified brand of nutritional yeast.
Can you make this for meal prep?
Yes, make the soup as written (you can even double it for lots of leftovers). Once done, allow it to cool then transfer it to containers for a quick grab and go meal.
I like to store soup in mason jars in the fridge or transfer to a freezer safe bag/container (I like to use Soupercubes so you can portion out the soup).
Great recipe, I was amazed when I found out I could cook this in my crock pot. Even though it took a little longer, the result was worth the wait.
Thanks for the recipe :)
Where does the 3/4 cup of flax get used???
Hey Lindsay, sorry for the confusion. The flax that you saw is flax milk in the recipe. You can use any kind of milk you like. Hope this helps!
This was my first and last recipe search for vegan broccoli cheese soup! The flavors are amazing and I think it’s better than the original full fat versions! I am actually doing a demo for people new to vegan flavors and using this soup! :-)
Thank you for making this healthy version! <3
Just made it for our dinner tonight and my hubby who is a meat and cheese eater loves it. He had it with some toast and he ended up scraping a whole bowl! I added more vegetable broth because it looked slightly too thick and added some soy sauce to give some more flavor to
It .
I’ll be making this again soon!!! Thank you for creating this yummy soup xxx
Very good soup.Since becoming vegan, I have missed Broccoli Cheese soup, not any more!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Hi Vanessa, it should keep for a week in the fridge. I haven’t tried freezing it yet.
How would you make this with flax?
I don’t know. You could use flax milk?
Just made this for myself and my under-the-weather daughter. I’m forcing her to let me inundate her immune system with vitamins. ? I puréed everything together so that it would glide more easily down her sore throat, which might be why she only said it was ok. I liked it quite a bit. (Skipped the beans.) Thanks for the recipe!
Really good! I did change the recipe a bit by adding additional seasonings and using cashews instead of beans since I didn’t have any. I will definitely be making this again!
Can I use water instead of vegetable broth??
Yes you can!
Delicious! I didn’t have cauliflower so I left it out and used garbanzo beans instead of white beans. Also added cardamom seeds to the blender and it added another level of flavor.
Wow this recipe is amazing. I just made this for dinner and I absolutely love it. Will definitely reuse this recipes many times.
Delicious! I’ve made this twice. One of my favorite recipes!
Made this for lunch and it was great! I did not have cauliflower but I substituted cashews for the creaminess. And in the end I mixed an avocado with some broth, blended it and added with the soup for even more creamy goodness and an even healthier boost. Thanks for the great recipe!
This is so good! Thanks so much! Mine was a little thin for some reason so I just doubled everything after the cauliflower extra broccoli, another can of white beans, and added some vegan cheddar cheese. Thanks again for posting this and all the steps and making it so healthy! So glad to have broccoli cheese soup again as a vegan!