This dairy free broccoli cheese soup is cozy comfort food with great flavors. A vegan and gluten free version of the classic recipe.
recipe originally published July 31, 2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS - Jump to any section:
A dairy free version of a classic soup
This dairy free broccoli cheese soup is inspired by my favorite Friday night dinner in college. The diner with the small town vibes that everyone loved had broccoli soup as their weekly Friday special, and I always enjoyed a bowl with a deliciously fluffy dinner roll.
This dairy free update is a hearty and delicious recipe, and it honestly tastes just like I remember. All I need is one of those dinner rolls...
Best cheese to use in broccoli soup
There are many dairy free cheese options that are so tasty in broccoli soup. The one I use often that mimics the classic broccoli cheddar soup is this dairy free cheddar that I shred myself. Smoked provolone adds great flavor too.
If you want to make this recipe using whole foods, you can omit the cheese and add ⅓ cup nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a complete protein, brings extra vitamins and minerals, and adds a cheesy flavor.
To add another layer of deep, rich flavor, stir in a tablespoon of gluten free tamari (or regular soy sauce if not gluten free).
Can you use frozen broccoli in this soup?
Frozen broccoli works just fine in broccoli cheese soup, you don't even have to defrost it first. I usually rinse it under hot water for a minute, using a fine mesh strainer, but that is not a necessary step. Just add frozen broccoli in place of the fresh.
What to serve with broccoli cheese soup
Is it too much if I like to serve this soup with broccoli cheese muffins? A warm crusty baguette is a great soup dipper as well.
Since this soup is a classic comfort food, a crisp fresh salad is a good pairing. A quick and easy white bean antipasto salad is a good option. Mini wedge salads or a flavorful green goddess chopped salad work well also.
How long does broccoli soup last?
My rule for maximum flavor and freshness is to enjoy broccoli soup within three days.
Refrigerate any leftovers. Wait until it is cooled completely, and refrigerate in a glass container with a tightly fitting lid.
This soup freezes well also. Once the soup is cooled completely, transfer it to freezer safe bags and store in the freezer. Once frozen, I use frozen soup within two months.
Reheat on the stovetop in a skillet over medium heat.
Did you make this broccoli soup?
Follow spabettie on Instagram and tag us with #spabettie
We love seeing your recipe photos and remakes - thank you!
Dairy Free Broccoli Cheese Soup
This dairy free broccoli cheese soup is cozy comfort food with great flavors. A vegan and gluten free version of the Panera favorite.
Ingredients
Aromatics
- 2 tablespoons dairy free butter
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
ROUX
- ⅓ cup dairy free butter
- ⅓ cup gluten free all purpose flour
- 2 cups dairy free milk
Broccoli soup
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 large broccoli heads, trimmed and chopped into trees
- 2 large carrots. grated or sliced into matchsticks
- 2 stalks celery, trimmed and diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces dairy free cheddar
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion and sauté until softened and translucent. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Transfer onions and garlic to a bowl and set aside.
- In the same pot, make a roux: Melt the ½ cup butter. Add ½ cup flour to the melted butter and whisk until thoroughly cooked and golden brown, one to two minutes.
- Whisk in 2 cups milk. Continue whisking into a smooth sauce.
- Add vegetable broth, broccoli, carrots, celery, and previously cooked onions and garlic.
- Bring this mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer.
- Simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the broccoli is fork tender.
- Using a stick blender, carefully blend until partially smooth, leaving some broccoli and carrot pieces intact.
- Alternatively, you can use a blender: carefully transfer soup in portions to a blender jar and pulse a few times to partially blend. Return to pot. You can fully blend half the soup and return it to the other half with vegetable pieces intact, or fully blend the entire pot for a smooth soup - your preference!
- Remove from heat and add the cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until melted and fully combined.
- Serve with a crisp salad and crusty baguette, or use a bread bowl to serve.
Notes
Best cheese to use in broccoli soup
The cheese I use often that mimics the classic broccoli cheddar soup is this dairy free cheddar that I shred myself. Smoked provolone adds great flavor too.
If you want to make this recipe using whole foods, you can omit the cheese and add ⅓ cup nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a complete protein, brings extra vitamins and minerals, and adds a cheesy flavor.
Can you use frozen broccoli in this soup?
Frozen broccoli works just fine in broccoli cheese soup, you don't even have to defrost it first. I usually rinse it under hot water for a minute, using a fine mesh strainer, but that is not a necessary step. Just add frozen broccoli in place of the fresh.
How long does this recipe last?
My rule for maximum flavor and freshness is to enjoy this recipe within three days.
Refrigerate any leftovers. Wait until it is cooled completely, and refrigerate in a glass container with a tightly fitting lid.
This soup freezes well also. Once the soup is cooled completely, transfer it to freeze safe bags and lay the bags flat in the freezer. Once frozen flat, the bags of soup can be stored easily in the freezer until ready to use. I aim to use frozen soup within two months.
Reheating methods
Reheat on the stovetop in a skillet over medium heat.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 185Total Fat: 10gUnsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 455mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 5gSugar: 5gProtein: 5g
nutrition calculations results vary by calculator, are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to replace medical advice or treatment.
about Kristina:
Kristina is spabettie! She found cooking at an early age, and created spabettie in 2010 to share vegan recipes. Kristina turned her culinary training into sharing vibrant vegan food! Read more...
spabettie / Kristina Sloggett is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Michael says
This recipe sounds amazing! We're doing a fitness challenge at work and I want to bring the soup to our healthy potluck lunch. One question: do you know approximately how much broccoli 5-6 trees amounts to? Thanks for the great recipe!
Kristina Sloggett says
hi Michael, so happy you want to share this with your fitness group - it is a phenomenal flavor and I hope everyone enjoys it! I would say one tree (head) of broccoli = about 2 cups, so this recipe would use approximately 10 cups?