I recently joined Love and Lemons – which is easy to do with so many great recipes. I’ve been on a soup kick too, in case you haven’t noticed – but hey, soup is comforting and warm for these cold days, and I just love a good dairy-free recipe that tricks the taste buds and satisfies the craving for something creamy!
This soup has its “cheesy” base of potatoes and cashews, with the addition of carrots that give it the cheddar color. Apple cider vinegar gives it a spicy touch and the FRESH dill goes wonderfully with all the flavors. If you try it you won’t be disappointed! I loved this recipe so much that I even made a little video for you:
This recipe is:
- Savory
- thick and creamy
- comforting
- vegan and dairy-free
- full of vegetables and herbs
- drives away the creamy desire
Vegan broccoli cheddar soup recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (more for drizzling)
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- ⅓ cup chopped carrots
- 1 pound broccoli, stems diced and florets chopped
- 1 small Yukon gold potato, diced (about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (if sensitive, use 1-2 cloves)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
*Note: The FRESH dill really gives this soup a WONDERFUL flavor. Even if you’re not a big “dill fan,” I highly recommend you give it a try! It really adds to the “cheddar” flavor.
If you want to skip the dill, you can add a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast instead to retain the flavor.
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 small baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, celery, carrots, broccoli stalks, salt and pepper and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and garlic and stir, then add the stock and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Allow to cool slightly.
- Place the broccoli stalks in a steamer basket and set it over a pot with 1 inch of water. Bring the water to a boil, cover and let steam for 5 minutes until the broccoli is tender.
- Place the broccoli florets on the baking sheets. Toss with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until the broccoli is tender and browned around the edges.
- Place the soup in the blender and add the broccoli stalks, cashews, apple cider vinegar and mustard and blend until creamy. Work in batches if necessary.
- Add the roasted broccoli florets, fresh dill, and lemon juice and puree until the broccoli is incorporated (pureing is done so that the broccoli adds some texture to the soup and not just a smooth puree).
- The soup should be thick; If it is too thick, add ½ cup water to thin it to desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve the soup in bowls.
- Note: You can mix a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast into the soup for an extra “cheese-like” flavor. However, if you find that you can’t tolerate nutritional yeast or want to avoid it, don’t worry – it’s delicious without it! I didn’t use any and it was still cheesy and creamy.
This serves 4.
*NOTE: For those of you who get severe gas from garlic, you can reduce the garlic clove to 2 cloves, otherwise even 1 will still taste good.
If you like this broccoli cheddar soup recipe, you might also like my creamy, delicious cauliflower soup recipe – which is also dairy-free!
PS When I make these soups, I usually eat half and freeze half – then I have a nice selection of soups in my freezer for when I’m craving them or need a quick meal. I freeze soup in glass bottles – fill it to within 1.5 inches of the rim, just put the lid on lightly (DO NOT screw it on, you need to leave room for it to expand as it freezes) and place in the freezer until frozen. After it is frozen, screw on the lid.
And as always, I’d love to hear from you if you decide to give this recipe a try. Please feel free to comment below and share your experiences. If you would like to share your images with us, please email us at service@listentoyourgut.com
Jini Patel Thompson is an internationally recognized expert in natural healing for digestive diseases. She healed herself from widespread Crohn’s disease and has been medication and surgery free for over 25 years. Jini has appeared on numerous podcasts, TV and radio shows in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, giving people hope and vision on how to heal their colitis, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) using all-natural methods. Her books on natural healing of digestive diseases have been sold in over 80 countries worldwide. Jini is married and has three children, nine sheep, 11 horses, a cat and three dogs.
