What is it about Broccoli and Cheese that makes them taste so darn good together? Does anyone besides me remember eating that yummy Broccoli Cheddar Soup from Panera Bread? So thick and creamy? Well I’m happy to say I made a copycat recipe for Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup the other night – and it is PERFECT!
It’s thick, and creamy, and cheesy, and loaded with lot of broccoli……..just like the real thing.
Of course there’s not really any cheese in it. Instead I use a medley of vegetables and spices to give it that yummy Cheddar Cheese flavor. And although the original soup was probably never labeled as a healthy soup, I can guarantee you this one is!
Cauliflower
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Celery
Shredded Carrots
Onion
Garlic
Broccoli
Sounds more like Vegetable Soup doesn’t it? But I guarantee you when you blend all those yummy vegetables together and add in some spices, it turns into the yummiest Vegan Cheddar Broccoli Soup you’ve ever had.
In fact, my wife declared this her new favorite recipe !
Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup | Brand New Vegan
To make this soup you’ll need a cutting board, one soup pot, and either a blender or an immersion blender. I have to say, my wife spoiled me this year on my birthday by buying me an immersion blender – and it did the trick perfectly!
Start by cleaning and chopping a medium head of Cauliflower. Break apart the florets and discard the thick core. Add the Cauliflower pieces to your soup pot with 4 cups of Low Sodium Vegetable Broth.
Add 1/4 of a rough chopped onion, 3 stalks of chopped celery, 1 chopped Yukon Gold Potato, and about 1 cup of shredded carrot.
Bring that to a boil and cook for 15-20 min or until the veggies are nice and soft.
You can use your blender, just make sure to do it in small batches and be aware of the pressure that usually builds up while blending hot soups.
Be Careful!
The other option is to use an immersion blender. This is simply a blender on a stick that you immerse right into your pot. It sure makes blending hot soups easy and I can’t recommend one enough.
The following link is for the Kitchen Aide Immersion Blender I received on my birthday. Keep in mind this is an affiliate link – so I will make a small commission if you buy one.
Once your soup is completely blended (some small chunks of carrot or celery are fine), lets start adding our milk and seasoning. Add the Almond Milk, Nutritional Yeast, Garlic Powder, Salt, Pepper, Lemon Juice, Apple Cider Vinegar, and Thyme and stir well to mix.
You can make minor adjustments as necessary for your own individual taste. Once you get it just right – add in a 10oz bag of Frozen Broccoli Florets and cover. Let it simmer on low heat for 5-10 min until the broccoli is heated through.
Serve with a thick slice of your favorite crusty bread and enjoy!
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 50 mins
Serves: 6-8 Servings
- 1 med head of Cauliflower
- 4 cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
- 10oz Frozen Broccoli
- 1 cup Shredded Carrot
- 1 Yukon Gold Potato
- 3 Stalks Celery
- ¼ Onion
- ½ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
- ½ cup Nutritional Yeast
- 2 Tbs Lemon Juice
- 1½ Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- ¾ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Ground Pepper
- ¼ tsp Thyme
- Chop all vegetables (except broccoli) and add to soup pot.
- Add 4 cups of Vegetable Broth and bring to a boil.
- Cook until vegetables are soft and then carefully blend soup using blender or immersion blender.
- Stir in milk and all seasonings and mix well.
- Adjust any seasonings as necessary and then add frozen broccoli
- Simmer on low heat for 5-10 min until broccoli is heated through
- Serve with your favorite bread or side dish
