Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup [Gluten-Free]

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This Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup tastes so much like the traditional, you won’t believe it’s both dairy-free and gluten-free. And for those with allergies, it’s nut-free too! For this veganized, gluten-free version, we’ve replaced dairy milk with plant-based milk, dairy butter with vegan butter, cheddar cheese with vegan shreds, chicken broth with vegetable broth and all-purpose flour with chickpea flour. This cheesy vegan broccoli soup is rich, hearty and creamy and makes for the perfect comfort meal when paired with your favorite gluten-free, vegan bread. 

First, let me sing you a little diddy…

♪ I went downtown. 

I bought some broccoli.

I brought it home.

And now…

via GIPHY

But wait there’s more…

Then I cooked it.

♪ Cookin’ brocco-li

Then I ate it.

♫ Eatin’ brocco-li

via GIPHY

Okay, that’s enough for now. Plus, I didn’t really eat it by itself…I ate it in a bowl of this glorious, creamy, cheesy broccoli soup! 🙂

I don’t want to mislead you though. To make this soup, I also found myself choppin’ carr-ots and choppin’ oni-ons.

What? You don’t like my puns? Well, then…NO SOUP FOR YOU!

Alright, alright…I’ll stop for real this time. 😉

Let’s just get right to it, shall we…

how to make vegan broccoli cheese soup 

Of course, it starts with the broccoli!

How to chop broccoli

First, wash your broccoli by rinsing under cold, running water and patting dry. Next, slice through the broccoli stalk near where the stalk begins to branch into florets, as close to the florets as possible.

Some florets will fall off, while some will still be attached.

Remove the remaining florets from the stalk.

Then, chop the broccoli florets into small pieces.

Broccoli steaming methods

Microwave (my preferred method): Add the chopped florets to a microwave safe bowl with 1/4 cup water. Microwave covered on high for 4 minutes and set aside.

You can also steam the broccoli in a rice cooker using the steaming feature.

Refer to your rice cooker’s instructions for water measurement and steaming time.

Another method is to cook on the stovetop using a steamer basket.

Next, it’s time to chop the carrots and onion.

Then, heat vegan butter in a pot over medium heat.

Once butter is melted, add the carrots and onion and cook over medium heat until tender.

Stir in chickpea flour (my personal favorite flour for making a gluten-free roux), salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Gradually stir in plant-based milk.

Then, gradually stir in vegetable broth.

Bring soup to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Lower the heat to medium and cook for 1-2 minutes to thicken, stirring constantly. 

Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture, being careful not to splash hot liquid.

You can also use a regular blender instead of an immersion blender by carefully pureeing the soup in batches, again being careful not to splash the hot liquid.

Refer to your blender’s instruction manual for pureeing hot liquids before doing so to ensure safety.

Personally, I find the immersion blender makes for an easier cleanup.

Once there are no chunks remaining, return the soup to medium-high heat. Stir in the chopped broccoli florets.

Then, stir in the vegan shredded cheese.

Continue to cook until cheese melts and soup is thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. 

what cheese works best in this recipe?

I used Violife brand, but you can use your favorite cheddar-style shreds such as Daiya or another brand as long as it melts well.

Serving Suggestions

For the ultimate comfort meal, this soup is best paired with your favorite gluten-free, vegan bread.

I typically purchase mine from a local baker; however, you can use your favorite store-bought brand too, such as Schar’s baguette.

Serve bread warm and dunk it right in your soup or enjoy on the side with some vegan butter. 🙂 

Now, it’s time for you to get downtown and buy some brocco-li! Sorry, I just…couldn’t…help…myself. 😉

If you’re into cheesy food puns, I mean meals, check out these cheesy vegan dishes:

• Vegan Mashed Potatoes
• Vegan Quiche

If you’re looking for more vegan and gluten-free soup recipes, try these next:

• Chickpea Noodle Soup
• Pasta Fagioli Soup
• Creamy White Bean Soup
• Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

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5 from 1 vote

Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup

This Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup tastes so much like the traditional, you won't believe it's both dairy-free and gluten-free. And for those with allergies, it's nut-free too! For this veganized, gluten-free version, we've replaced dairy milk with plant-based milk, dairy butter with vegan butter, cheddar cheese with vegan shreds, chicken broth with vegetable broth and all-purpose flour with chickpea flour. This cheesy vegan broccoli soup is rich, hearty and creamy and makes for the perfect comfort meal when paired with your favorite gluten-free, vegan bread. 

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American, Gluten-Free, Vegan

Keyword broccoli, chickpea flour, dairy-free, gluten free, soup, vegan, vegan cheese

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Standing Time 5 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Author Sherri Hall

Ingredients

• 3 cups chopped broccoli florets (approximately 2 small heads of broccoli)
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped onion
• 2 cups finely diced carrots
• 1/4 cup vegan butter, cut into pieces (I used Earth Balance buttery sticks; use soy-free if needed)
• 6 tbsp chickpea flour (aka garbanzo bean flour)
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3 cups unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk (I used Oatly brand oat milk; if you use oat milk, ensure the brand you are using is certified GF if necessary)
• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free, low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup vegan cheddar-style cheese shreds (I used Violife)

Instructions

• Add chopped broccoli florets to a microwave safe bowl with 1/4 cup water. Microwave covered on high for 4 minutes and set aside.
• Heat vegan butter in a 3-quart or 4-quart stainless steel soup pot.
• Once butter is melted, add chopped onion and carrots. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally (approximately 8-10 minutes).
• Stir in chickpea flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg until blended together.
• Gradually stir in plant-based milk and vegetable broth.
• Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once the soup comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium and cook for 1-2 minutes to thicken, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture, being careful not to splash hot liquid. Once there are no chunks remaining, return the soup to medium-high heat. Stir in the chopped broccoli florets followed by vegan shredded cheese. Continue to cook until cheese melts and soup is thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.

Suggested Equipment/Tools

4-qt. Stainless Steel Pot

Immersion Blender

Notes

Soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It can be reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave in a covered microwave-safe dish.

If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender by carefully pureeing the soup in batches, being careful not to splash the hot liquid. Refer to your blender's instruction manual to ensure safety.

If you do not want to steam the broccoli florets in the microwave, you can also steam them on your stovetop using a steamer basket or in your rice cooker using the appliance's steaming feature.

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