Vegan Broccoli Soup {Gluten-Free, Paleo, Whole30}

Vegan broccoli soup that is nutritious and delicious. Paleo Whole30 & Gluten Free. Made creamy with the help of pistachios, nutritional yeast and coconut milk. No heavy cream or cheese needed for this vegan cream of broccoli soup! A super clean soup recipe the whole family will love. Cream of broccoli soup for lunch today! Yay! Summer or not I still need a good hot soup recipe every here and there and I love a good vegetarian broccoli soup. Growing up I never had pureed silky smooth soups – it was more Russian classics in my household – think borscht; the famous Russian beet soup. The soups were always chunky with lots of different veggies and sometimes meat and fish. I loved all of them but it wasn’t until I was all grown up that I discovered the magic of silky smooth pureed soups.

Now that opened up a whole new world of soup eating for me. A rich silky, creamy soup had a completely different addictive texture. I could eat bowl after bowl. In college I used to get my fix of creamy soups from Panera Bread and then finally post college I made my own copy cat version of their broccoli cheddar soup.

Once you start making your own creamy pureed soups you realize just how easy they are. You can make a huge batch in just 30 minutes and have it for days. Or you could freeze these too for easy reheating in the future!

Now that I’m even more grown up and somewhat more health conscious I’ve now moved on to a superfood loaded vegan broccoli soup. My body no longer needs all that heavy cream and shredded cheese. Nope, if I can go without, yet without sacrificing any flavor, count me in.

And with this cream of broccoli soup I did it, creamy and vegan all in one bowl. Surprise surprise you don’t necessarily need cheese to get that silky texture I loved so much in Panera’s soup. You can have a cheesey tasting soup with no real cheese at all!

Years ago I discovered the Love and Lemons blog and have been crushing on it hard core. Jeanine has some fabulous recipes and I’ve been inspired by more than a few of them in the past – this soup being the first of them.

I saw a broccoli pistachio soup recipe on her blog and thought it had just the right ring to it. More grown up sounding than broccoli and cheddar, that’s for sure. I made a few alterations of my own and within minutes, this cooks fast, I was slurping up my very own bowl of vegan cream of broccoli soup.

The pistachios, nutritional yeast and coconut milk give the soup a silky nutty just creamy enough texture. The pistachios truly take this dish to the next level and add a surprising depth of character to the soup. See if your guests can identify this hidden surprising ingredient.

While they’re doing that I’ll be over here slurping my second, no, third, bowl of vegan broccoli soup.

So if you’re looking for an easy, feel good, healthy cream of broccoli soup here I’ve got you covered!

Why this vegan broccoli soup is the best:

• ready in 30 minutes
• super silky, rich and creamy
• healthy yet still cheesey
• ultimate comfort food
• great for meal prep or as a freezer friendly meal

Soup Ingredients:

• onions
• garlic
• celery
• turmeric
• broccoli
• broth
• pistachios
• coconut cream
• nutritional yeast

How to make my vegan broccoli soup:

Whenever I make pureed soups I always started by sauteing my veggies in olive oil first to maximize flavor. Start by sauteing diced onions in olive oil.

After a couple minutes add garlic, celery and turmeric. Next add the broccoli and the broth, pistachios and salt/pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the broccoli is soft when pierced with a fork – about 7-12 minutes. Puree soup until smooth with an immersion or regular blender.

Add coconut milk/cream and nutritional yeast, bring to a boil, stir and remove from heat. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and optional garnishes – roasted broccoli, crushed pistachios, drizzle of olive oil, etc.

Variations:

• If you are not following a Vegan/Paleo/Whole30 diet you can use regular heavy cream in place of coconut milk & pistachios, and shredded cheese in place of nutritional yeast
• If you have a nut allergy you can omit the pistachios
• If you don’t have pistachios you can substitute raw, soaked and drained cashews

Soup Toppings:

I love a creamy pureed soup plain but if you want some toppings ideas you can sprinkle with oven roasted broccoli florets, lemon zest, crushed pistachios, and/or drizzle of high quality olive oil.

FAQS:

Can you use frozen broccoli instead of fresh in this recipe?

Absolutely! You will just need to adjust the cooking time and cook the soup for a few extra minutes.

Can you make instant pot broccoli soup instead of stove top?

Definitely! Start with the Instant Pot on High Saute. Add in olive oil and veggies, and saute for a few minutes.

Add in broccoli, broth, pistachios and salt/pepper. Turn off Saute function, seal the lid and cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.

Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes and then turn the valve to venting to release remaining pressure. Remove lid, and add coconut cream and nutritional yeast. Stir and puree until smooth.

My soup isn’t thick enough? How to thicken soup?

If your soup isn’t as thick as you would like, make a paste out of 1/4 cup cornstarch or cassava flour and a few tablespoons of the soup liquid. Mix until smooth and add back to the pot. Mix until thoroughly combined and soup has thickened to your liking.

Looking for other soup ideas? Check out my :

• Vegan Asparagus Soup
• Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Soup 
• Vegan Pumpkin Soup 
• Spaghetti Squash Soup 

5 from 3 votes

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Vegan Broccoli Soup Recipe {Gluten-Free, Vegan}

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Vegan broccoli soup that is nutritious and delicious. Vegan + Gluten Free. Made creamy with the help of pistachios, nutritional yeast and coconut milk. No heavy cream or cheese needed! A super clean soup recipe the whole family will love.

Course: Lunch, Soup

Cuisine: Healthy, Vegan

Keyword: broccoli soup

Servings: 6

Calories: 326 kcal

Author: Vicky Berman

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/4 cup onion 1 onion
• 7 cloves garlic minced 1 tablespoon
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 1 tsp turmeric optional
• 7 cups broccoli florets
• 7 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 tsp salt to taste
• 3/4 cup shelled toasted pistachios
• 3/4 cup coconut cream
• 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Instructions

1. In a pot heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions. Cook for a couple minutes until translucent and add garlic, celery and turmeric.
2. Cook for a couple more minutes until garlic is aromatic. Add broccoli and cook for a couple minutes until broccoli starts to turn a vibrant green.
3. Add vegetable broth, pistachios and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until broccoli is soft and cooked through (should only be a few minutes).
4. Puree soup with an immersion blender.
5. Add coconut milk and nutritional yeast, bring to a boil. Mix. Remove from heat and serve.

Recipe Notes

Recipe Inspired By Love and Lemons

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Broccoli Soup Recipe {Gluten-Free, Vegan}

Amount Per Serving

Calories 326 Calories from Fat 198

% Daily Value*

Fat 22g34%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Sodium 1145mg50%

Potassium 847mg24%

Carbohydrates 24g8%

Fiber 7g29%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 11g22%

Vitamin A 1370IU27%

Vitamin C 100.4mg122%

Calcium 89mg9%

Iron 2.8mg16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.