Every year on my birthday, my mom would let me pick what I wanted to eat for dinner. With zero hesitation, it was almost always Mollie Katzen’s recipe for The Enchanted Broccoli Forest. But I have to give it to Mollie, how could a veggie kid not want to eat a rice casserole that had broccoli sticking out of it to look like trees? She really made a recipe that was magical and delicious. And to this day, I still have a special place for broccoli. So with that glorious green cruciferous veggie on my mind, here’s a delicious recipe for vegan broccoli cheese soup with potatoes, butternut squash, nutritional yeast, cashews, plant based cheddar and more!
This recipe serves 4.
A few things…
- ・The soy curls are optional. They’re great in this vegan broccoli cheese soup, but not essential.
- ・If you have a high speed blender (ie Vitamix or Ninja), you do not need to soak the raw cashews in water. If you are using a regular blender, you’ll need to soak the raw cashews in water for 4-6 hours, so they are soft enough to completely pulverize.
- ・As it cools, the vegan broccoli cheese soup will thicken. If you prefer a thinner consistency, stir in some water until it’s right for you, and then, taste. Adjust the flavors, if needed.
- ・This soup tastes good without the vegan shredded cheese, but I think it tastes even better with it. If you aren’t a big fan of shredded cheese, skip it.
Discover more delicious UVK recipes, like Vegan Tater Tot Casserole with Broccoli and Mushrooms, Broccoli Pasta Salad with Fresh Italian Herb Dressing, Arugula and Butternut Squash Salad, Butternut Squash Spinach Soup, or Tofu Scramble.
And please enjoy this tasty vegan broccoli cheese soup recipe!
Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yukon gold potato, cubed
2 ¼ cups butternut squash, cubed (OR a 10 ounce package of frozen butternut squash)
2 ½ cups broth (fake chicken or vegetable)
¾ cup raw cashews, soaked for 4-6 hours in water and then, drained (see note above)
1 ½-2 tsp lemon juice
1 ½-2 tsp dijon mustard
½ cup nutritional yeast
½ cup vegan shredded cheddar cheese (I used Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds – see note above)
3 ½ cups of broccoli florets (OR 1 10 ounce package of frozen broccoli florets)
1 ½ cups soy curls – optional (see note above)
Salt
1. In a large, heavy pot or dutch oven, add onions, garlic, olive oil and a pinch of salt. Saute over medium heat for ~7 minutes or until the onions are golden. Add potatoes, butternut squash, and 1 cup of broth. Bring to a boil, and then, turn heat down to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are very soft.
2. Add the butternut squash-potato mixture to a blender. Add the rest of the broth, the soaked cashews, lemon juice, dijon and vegan shredded cheddar cheese (if using). Blend until completely smooth, and then, pour it back into the pot.
3. Add broccoli and soy curls (if using), and simmer until the broccoli cooks all the way through (~10 minutes). If the vegan broccoli cheese soup gets too thick, add some water until it’s the consistency you prefer.
4. Taste, and adjust seasonings (more nutritional yeast? lemon? dijon?). Serve this vegan broccoli cheese soup with additional plant based shredded cheddar on top.
