Creamy Broccoli Potato Soup

February 18, 2020

This broccoli potato soup is intensely creamy, satisfying, and 100% plant based! It’s an easy healthy soup that everyone loves.

Hold onto your hats! Here’s a creamy broccoli potato soup that will blow your mind. (We hope.) It’s impossibly creamy, whole food plant based (WFPB), and it tastes like the coziest bowl of comfort. And it’s 100% made of veggies! How’s that for amazing? This easy and healthy soup is vegan and gluten-free, so it works for a variety of diets. But it tastes like an elevated version of broccoli cheese soup from a can (you know the one). Here are all the secrets to making this crowd-pleaser…everyone will ask for the recipe.

What’s in this broccoli potato soup?

This a vegan broccoli soup, but it looks legit cheesy, doesn’t it? This recipe was born out of an idea to make the dairy-filled version. But then I sat back and thought about how my stomach would feel after eating a rich, creamy soup. Is there broccoli potato soup that’s creamy and plant based? Oh yes, it can be done. Here’s what’s in this soup:

Yukon gold potatoes make for a creamy base
Cashews achieve a rich, shiny texture
Frozen broccoli makes for the easiest soup possible (embrace it!)
Onion & garlic add big flavor
Dried thyme & dill add just the right herby punch
Veggie broth, white wine vinegar & Dijon mustard round out the broth

Frozen broccoli makes it fast and easy!

Frozen vegetables don’t make a lot of appearances in Alex and my recipes. Every single broccoli recipe on this website uses fresh broccoli. BUT! In a broccoli potato soup like this one, you want the broccoli to be basically overcooked: super tender, so it melds into the texture of the soup.

So why use fresh broccoli when frozen is already cooked? Frozen veggies still retain most of the nutrients you’d find in the fresh version since they are flash-frozen. Use any type of frozen broccoli: this recipe calls for a 1 pound bag.

Want to use fresh broccoli? Here’s how.

Got fresh broccoli on hand and want to use it here? Go for it! Here’s what to do:

Chop it: Chop the broccoli into small florets. You’ll need 4 cups.
Steam it (& cook longer): Steam it like in our Best Steamed Broccoli recipe, but cook it several minutes longer than the recipe specifies. You’ll want it very tender, not crisp tender. This simulates the texture of frozen and what you’ll need for this soup. Also leave out any seasoning, since you’ll add salt as part of the soup recipe.

The trick to making broccoli potato soup creamy?

There are a few tricks, really! Here’s what makes the impossibly creamy base of this tasty broccoli potato soup:

Yukon gold potatoes: Cooking up potatoes and then blending them with spices helps to make a super creamy body of the soup. But they’re nothing without…
Cashews: Cashews are the trick to making recipes creamy without dairy! (Here are all our favorite creamy cashew recipes.) They add a richness and shine to the broth, so they cannot be omitted here. If you have a nut allergy, we’d recommend trying some of our other soup recipes instead. The cashew trick is just too good here! Using only potatoes would result in a dull and blander soup.

It’s kid friendly, too!

Our son Larson loved this one, so thought we’d mention it’s also great for kids! He loves eating soup, so we love making this one for him. A few other kid friendly recipes he particularly enjoys lately: Vegan Sloppy Joes, Peanut Butter Dip and Baked Taquitos.

What to serve with broccoli potato soup?

Want to make this broccoli potato soup into a meal? This healthy soup is a fabulous way to eat all the best veggies. Here are a few ideas for sides to serve with it:

Bread: Crusty bread would be a lovely add on: try our Sourdough Bread, Vegan Bread, or Artisan Multigrain Bread. (Or Garlic Bread if you eat a little cheese.)
Salad: A refreshing salad makes the best pair! Try our Fennel Orange Salad, Asparagus Salad, or Spinach Apple Salad to add even more veggies.
Biscuits or Cornbread: Because…what’s cozier? Try our Vegan Cornbread or Vegan Biscuits if you eat plant based; Best Homemade Cornbread or Flaky Homemade Biscuits if you don’t.

This broccoli potato soup recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.