This Vegan Smoky Broccoli Potato Soup is low-fat, dairy-free, gluten-free, oil-free and features roasted broccoli and roasted potatoes on top for the most delicious flavor and texture. It uses only 8 ingredients and is ready in less than an hour.
VEGAN BROCCOLI POTATO SOUP
How can a soup be so incredibly delicious when it is totally dairy-free, oil-free and low-fat?! Well, this one is! We are talking smoky flavor, cheesy flavor, exceptional creaminess and so much roasted, crispy texture instead of just a plain old boring pureed potato soup. This vegan broccoli potato soup has almost a bacon type flavor from the smokiness and is so easy, being only 8 ingredients!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
(full measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below)
- Russet potatoes: Potatoes are the creamy base of the soup, but I take it a step further and roast some extra to top the soup with. You end up with SO much awesome texture and flavor!
- Broccoli florets: Roasting these and then adding to the end of the soup gives more flavor and texture.
- Nutritional yeast: This imparts a cheesy flavor to the soup.
- Smoked paprika: This spice obviously yields a wonderful smoky flavor to the soup.
- Garlic cloves: For extra yummy depth of flavor.
- White or yellow onion
- Dill pickle juice: From a jar of dill pickles. This is an odd ingredient, but trust me, it imparts extra depth of flavor and lends to its cheesiness!
- Canned lite coconut milk: There is only a small amount of milk used for this recipe, which keeps it low-fat. But the coconut milk is wonderfully creamy and leaves no coconut taste since it is the lite version.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN BROCCOLI POTATO SOUP
Step 1: Add only the potatoes to a medium pot. Add the water, salt/pepper, onion, garlic and smoked paprika. Stir well and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are really tender.
TIP: For the crispy potatoes on top as well for extra texture, measure out 2 cups extra of chopped potatoes. You will bake them at the same time as the broccoli below.
Step 2: Spread the broccoli out evenly on a lined pan with parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper and bake at 375°F for 15 minutes.
Step 3: For the extra potatoes for garnish, add them to a separate pan, season with salt and pepper and place them on the bottom rack.
Step 4: Once the potatoes in the pot are tender, add the coconut milk, nutritional yeast and pickle juice. Using a handheld immersion stick blender, blend until all the potatoes are smooth and creamy.
Step 5: Stir in the broccoli and top with extra baked potatoes.
LOW-FAT BUT FULL OF FLAVOR
Low-fat doesn’t mean boring or bland though, I can assure you. This soup is super creamy and full of flavor and yet, only has about 2 g fat per cup! Potatoes are my favorite food in the entire world….as if you hadn’t already figured that out by my recipe index. This is because they are basically fat-free, full of vitamins, so incredibly healthy, filling, give us fuel and energy, healthy carbs and fiber-rich, so they are slower to digest, keeping us full longer. The longer we are full, the less we are likely to indulge on unhealthy junk food. I don’t need to explain how much potatoes have healed my hubby’s gout either. No other food satisfies me like a potato. I got much love for the spud. Don’t be afraid of these types of carbs!
I debated on calling this a “cheesy” broccoli potato soup, but it only has a mild cheesy flavor, so I didn’t think it fit the title. I didn’t want to go overboard on the cheese flavor, but feel free to increase that cheese part if you like. Due to my recent discovery of pickle juice in cream cheese, I added a good amount to this soup and it really boosts the flavor and lends a bit of cheesy flavor.
This Vegan Broccoli Potato Soup comes together with very easy, basic ingredients and in under an hour.
MORE VEGAN SOUP RECIPES TO TRY
- Hearty Italian White Bean Basil Soup
- Easy 1 Pot Creamy Curry Rice Soup
- Sweet Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
- Hearty Veggie Potato Stew
- Healthy Potato Carrot Tomato Soup
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Vegan Smoky Broccoli Potato Soup (Low-fat)
Ingredients
- 4 heaping cups of chopped 1/2 inch pieces of russet potatoes (these produce the best texture result (with skins on, 570g, plus 2 extra cups {280g} for baking & garnish later)
- 2 cups (480g) water or low-sodium veggie broth
- salt & pepper (1 teaspoon salt and 1/8-1/4 teaspoon black pepper, to taste)
- 1/2 packed cup (80g) finely chopped onion
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 heaping cups (170g) broccoli florets, I used frozen
- 1/2 cup (120g) "lite" canned coconut milk (if you don't want to use coconut, make sure to select another creamy plant-based milk, such as cashew or soy. I wouldn't suggest almond b/c of the strong taste)
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons (30g) dill pickle juice (sounds odd I know, but it gives depth of flavor & aids in giving a somewhat cheesy flavor)
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Add only the 4 cups chopped potatoes to a medium pot. Add the water, salt/pepper, onion, garlic and smoked paprika. Stir well and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and turn to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are really tender. Note: For the crispy potatoes on top as well for extra texture, measure out 2 cups extra of chopped potatoes. You will bake them at the same time as the broccoli below.
- Note: For the crispy potatoes on top as well for extra texture, measure out 2 cups extra of chopped potatoes. You will bake them at the same time as the broccoli below.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a pan with parchment paper. Spread the broccoli out evenly and lightly season with salt and pepper. If baking extra potatoes for garnish, add them to a separate pan, season with salt and pepper and place them on the bottom rack.
- Bake the broccoli on the middle rack for 15 minutes and remove. You will be leaving the potatoes in the oven for 10 minutes or more until golden brown. After you remove the broccoli, you can move the potatoes to the center rack to continue cooking.
- Once the potatoes in the pot are tender, add the coconut milk, nutritional yeast and pickle juice. Using a handheld immersion stick blender, blend until all the potatoes are smooth and the soup is creamy and thick. Taste and adjust spices if necessary.
- Stir in the broccoli and top with extra baked potatoes.
- This soup will thicken a lot in the fridge overnight, so you can add a little broth to thin it out if desired and reheat on very low heat on the stove.
Oh so good! I am a fan of pickle juice, and it does add a depth of flavor to this recipe. Was thick enough to eat with a fork tho, so next time I’ll start with 3 cups of the broth. Also both potatoes and broccoli needed more
cook time than stated. Does altitude have an effect? I’m in coastal Carolina. This will be part of our regular rotation!
Does the pickle juice come through in the flavor? I hate pickles and all vinegary flavor. Just want to eliminate it if it come through in the final flavor. 🙂
I don’t taste it, it just gives a cheesy flavor! You can try a reduced amount and taste if you like.
Are you supposed to drain the water from the potatoes are you blending them with the water?
No, don’t drain!
This recipe is so good! Big hit with the hubby and kids. Thank you for sharing!
Yay, glad to hear it Trisha!
OMG… I could tell by the ratings that this was going to be good, but I’d have never imagined it would be THIS good!! Not to mention it’s easy to make and doesn’t use a lot of dishes to prep, always a plus!! Thank you!
Forgot to mention both the potato AND broccolis were tougher than I’d like….almost leathery. I wAs expecting them both to have that slight tender resistance when bit but both were rather tough and dry. The broccolis were fresh and cooked within the prescribed time. The potatoes i had to bake an extra close to 10 minutes tom get that golden brown skin as i mentioned in a previous posting here. Hope you can give some tips and thanks again for this excellent recipe!
That is very strange, it sounds like they were not cooked long enough. Depending on the size of your potatoes and broccoli pieces, oven time can always vary. Always judge when they are done by piercing with a fork.
DEEEELICIOUS once more! ill now look into loading up on russet potatoes coz of this. Ha ha. 2 questions. 1) would this also work with liquid smoke instead of paprika and if so, how much would you recommend? 2) the potatos got really tough by the time they turned golden brown (about 20 mins). I guess the temp was too low? Or are there other better potatoes to try if i don’t like em tough?
What can you substitute nutrtional yeast with?
It provides a lot of flavor and cheesiness, so maybe a vegan parmesan or just add more spices and salt, to taste. It will taste more bland without it. Maybe a touch of miso would work, too.
I’m so excited about this soup! I made it tonight for lunch the rest of the week and can’t wait to eat it tomorrow! I doubled the recipe and didn’t have any dill pickle juice but it still turned out great and had hints of cheesiness to it. Thanks for the recipe!
I enjoyed the flavors, but this came out entirely too thick. I’d recommend doubling the liquid and adding garlic powder to the roasted potatoes for more flavor. Also, I’ll try it again roasting jalapeños and tossing them into the pot just before pureeing, then adding the rest of the roasted veg. Overall, great recipe and the pickle juice definitely adds flavor without being recognizable. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it! It’s supposed to be thick, but not overly so. Did you use regular coconut milk by chance? You can always add an extra splash of broth at the end if desired, but I wouldn’t double it or it will dilute the flavor. Thank you for making it!
This is so delicious. Second time I have made it. This time I roasted some chopped carrots on the same sheet with the potatoes. Nice addition. Glad I found this vegan keeper.
That’s so wonderful to hear Becca!!
Is there an alternative for nutritional yeast?
It does add a lot of flavor and cheesy bite, so without it, the flavor will be lacking. You could up the salt, garlic or add some vegan Parmesan or vegan Worcestershire sauce for added depth.
Your nutritional yeast substitution worked for us! Thank you. the soup is delicious. Hubby is having seconds now…
Yay, so glad to hear it, thank you so much Kay!
LOVED this soup! Especially the addition of pickle juice, I even added a little bit more. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you for the awesome recipe!
Eager to make this! Question: When you adjust the serving size scale in the ingredients, it does not adjust the actual recipe’s directions. Is there an adjustment that can be made so the quantity of ingredients in the instructions changes also if someone changes the serving scale? Thank you!
Hi! So sorry, the serving adjustment calculator is not supposed to be on there, I need to fix it. It isn’t on there since it does not adjust according to the gram weights. If you want to double it, just double the gram weights I have listed.
I have never left a comment on a recipe before this. This soup is delicious!! I only had the full fat coconut milk, so I scooped out the fat on top and figured that made it low fat! I love potato soup, but can’t handle the dairy and sodium in regular soup. I can’t wait for my husband to try it tonight!
Please please please whoever read this comment you should make this soup. It’s the most delicious creamy soup ever. Thank you Brandi. Amazing flavours and easy to make.
Unbelievable! This soup is SO GOOD. All the tastiness of cheddar potato broccoli soup without the nasty dairy products! I didn’t have any smoked paprika on hand, so I subbed with the same amount of regular paprika and about half a teaspoon of liquid smoke. Definitely bookmarking this one!
Aww yay!! So glad you loved it so much Alison!! I love liquid smoke so much, so I’m glad you had that and were able to sub it, thank you so much for making it!