15 Minute Creamy Broccoli Soup [Vegan]

Today we’re making rich, luscious, full-flavored, creamy broccoli soup with just four base ingredients + a few simple spices. And it literally takes 15 minutes to make.

Yes, really.

Here’s what you need to make it happen:

Broccoli (duh). I’m using about 3 cups of chopped broccoli, which is what you’ll get from a standard medium-large grocery store broccoli crown.

Vegetable Broth. You can make your own or just buy a box at the store! Pro tip: I keep a bag in the freezer labelled ‘veggie scraps’ where I toss all the raw vegetable bits and ends leftover from cooking, and when the bag gets full I turn it into broth!

Raw Cashews. It might sound odd, but these are what make this soup so rich and creamy! Blended up with hot broth, they turn into a cashew cream that is undetectably cashew flavored, but perfect for making a dairy-free/vegan-friendly soup.

Olive Oil. Just a tiny bit (like, legit 1 teaspoon) adds a little extra depth of flavor and complexity to this minimal ingredient soup.

Simple Spices like salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Optionally: nutritional yeast. This is an ingredient I always have in the pantry that lends a slightly cheesy flavor to vegan dishes- and also happens to be full of protein + nutrients, and I think it tastes really good- but you can totally leave it out if you don’t have any, or even use shredded cheese for a (obviously non-vegan) cheesy version of this soup!

It doesn’t even seem possible that so few ingredients would turn into this gloriously rich, creamy soup, but….that’s it! Boil the broccoli, broth, and spices together for 5 minutes, make the cashew cream in your blender (with just cashews, a few scoops of the hot broth from the pot, and nutritional yeast, if you’re using it), then combine the two, heat, and serve.

Despite being made from literally just a few basic ingredient, this soup is so very satisfying. It’s warm, savory, creamy, salty, and absolutely loaded with tender broccoli pieces.

Once you’ve mastered this basic version, I encourage you to experiment and make this soup your own: add in extra nutritional yeast or a few handfuls of shredded sharp cheddar for maximum cheesiness, blend up a few handfuls of baby spinach with the cashews to turn the soup green, stir in some frozen peas at the end, toss in leftover roasted veggies from dinner the night before…the sky is really the limit with this soup. I’ve even added chickpeas and curry powder to this soup and regret absolutely nothing.

If you make this 15 Minute Creamy Broccoli Soup, let me know how it turns out by leaving a comment below, or taking a picture of your soup and sharing it with me on Instagram so I can see!

15 Minute Creamy Broccoli Soup [Vegan]

Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 medium-large broccoli crown (to yield ~3 cups, chopped)
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast (optional-gives a cheesy, umami flavor)

Instructions:

1. Pour broth into a medium-sized pot, and turn heat to high.
2. While broth heats, roughly chop the broccoli into 1-inch pieces, discarding any tough stem pieces.
3. Once broth is boiling, add chopped broccoli, olive oil and spices to the pot. Let boil for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat.
4. Place cashews and nutritional yeast (if using) into the bowl of your blender or mini food processor. Use a ladle to scoop about 1 cup of hot broth from the pot into the blender (this should be 2-3 ladles-full, depending on the size of your ladle. You don’t need to be exact here, and don’t worry if you get a few broccoli pieces in the blender). Blend on high until completely smooth.
5. Pour cashew cream into the soup pot, turn the heat back on to high, and bring to a boil once again. Cook for another minute, stirring often, to help thicken the soup slightly.
6. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if needed. Serve immediately. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat gently on the stove, as to not overcook the broccoli.

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