This Creamy Vegetable Soup is a one-pot, feel-good comfort food made with a medley of vegetables and a dairy-free cream base. Easy to make with fresh or frozen veggies!
If you love thick and creamy soups as much as I do, then you’ll want to curl up with a bowl of my Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup, my Creamy Cauliflower Soup, or my Mushroom Wild Rice Soup as well.
This Creamy Vegetable Soup has been saving me during these cold and rainy winter days. Just like my Roasted Vegetable Soup, it’s one of those comfort foods made with all the veggies in my crisper, but it has an incredibly comforting creamy base. You don’t need dairy to make it either… Just blend cashews and a few cups of the soup together!
Why you’ll love this dairy-free creamy vegetable soup
- Cream-free creamy soup – Blending cashews with some of the soup is what gives this easy soup its mouthwatering creamy texture. You can also simply add some Cashew Cream, coconut milk, dairy free creamer or unsweetened almond milk.
- Swap the veggies – Make this soup with seasonal veggies, the bag of mixed frozen vegetables in your freezer, or what you need to clean out of your fridge!
- Easy one-pot meal – My favorite vegan soups and stews come together in one pot, and this recipe is no exception.
How to make creamy vegetable soup
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Add the mushrooms to a large pot over medium heat and cook until they start to soften. Now add the onion and sauté until it’s translucent. Stir in the garlic to finish.
Recipe Tip
Give the mushrooms and aromatics lots of time to cook down. Sweating the onions and waiting for the mushrooms to soften and brown is where this soup gets its amazing umami flavors.
Next, add the carrots, celery, green beans, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, broth, thyme, and oregano to the pot. Stir together, then heat the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer until the potatoes are fork tender.
Add the cashews and 2 cups of the soup to a high-powered blender. Blend until smooth and creamy, then stir the creamy mixture back into the soup.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve with my Dutch Oven Bread on the side for dunking. Enjoy!
Recipe Tip
A high-powered blender (I love my Vitamix) will be your BFF here! It easily turns the cashews and soup into cashew cream, giving the soup its deliciously thick and creamy texture. Don’t have a high-powered blender? Stir 1 cup of full-fat coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk into the soup instead.
Frequently asked questions
While I don’t recommend skipping the potatoes (they’re vital for the creaminess!), you can mix and match the other veggies depending on what’s in your fridge/freezer or what’s in season. Nearly any vegetable will work here, such as bell peppers, asparagus, peas, edamame, butternut squash, and more.
You sure can. In fact, I made this with frozen green beans, corn, broccoli, and cauliflower just to make it easier.
For a protein boost and more creaminess, blend a can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans with the cashews and soup.
To deepen the umami flavor, stir in 2 or 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast or a splash of soy sauce at the end.
If the soup still needs a little “something” after you taste it, try stirring in a splash of lemon juice or a pinch of salt.
Yes, the cashews can be swapped for 1 cup of full-fat coconut milk, unsweetened plant milk, or a store-bought brand of nut-free vegan cream.
Yes, this creamy veggie soup freezes well for up to 3 months. Let the soup cool to room temperature before transferring it to a sealed freezer-safe container. Thaw the leftovers in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the microwave or on the stove the next day.
Creamy Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup peeled and diced carrots about 2 small carrots
- 1/2 cup diced celery about 3 ribs
- 1 cup green beans bite-sized
- 1/2 cup yellow corn
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup cauliflower florets
- 2 medium yukon gold potatoes or 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- several shakes freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, and cook, stirring frequently, until they start to release their oils (about 5-8 minutes). Now add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute, being careful not to burn it.
- To the pot, add the carrots, celery, green beans, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, broth, thyme and oregano. Stir everything together and turn the heat to high. Bring the soup to a boil, them reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- To a high-powered blender like a Vitamix, add the cashews and 2 cups of the soup. Blend until smooth and creamy, then add back to the pot and stir.
- Add salt and ground pepper to taste. Serve warm with crusty bread and enjoy!
Notes
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Instead of cashews – If you can’t have cashews or don’t have a high-powered blender, you can simply stir in 1 cup of full fat coconut milk, or even unsweetened almond milk for a lower fat option. Another store-bought brand of vegan cream should also work fine.
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Use frozen veggies – I often use frozen green beans, corn, garlic and sometimes broccoli and cauliflower.
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Switch it up – Feel free to switch up the vegetables based on what’s in season and what you have on hand. Nearly any vegetable will work here, such as bell peppers, asparagus, peas, edamame, butternut squash and more.
Soup looks delicious, and I can’t wait to make it. Do you think you could do it in the Instant Pot? If so, any guess as to how long? Thank you!!
This recipe was a hit with everyone in the family, my 2 year old didn’t come up for air to polish off his HUGE bowl.
We also added chickpeas into the mix, really delicious!
Thank you!
You are welcome! I’m thrilled that the soup was a hit with your family! Chickpeas sound like a wonderful addition! Thank YOU for sharing your terrific review and comments! I love the visual of your 2 year old eating up the whole bowl! Happy cooking!
I made this soup today and it was very good, however it was very thin. I thought the cashews would make it thicker like coconut milk. Can you tell me if that’s the way it should be? Also, after putting two cups of soup in the blender I felt the soup needed more vegetables.
Hi there! Yes, my soup turns out pretty thick with the cashews. If yours was thin, I would think about a few things. Did you add the correct amount of vegetables, including the potatoes? Add even more if you want it thicker. Or add less broth, to taste. Or a combination of both of those things. 🙂 It’s pretty flexible, so feel free to adjust it to your personal tastes. Thank you!
You mentioned in your list of frozen vegetable options “garlic”. Where do you find frozen garlic, and is it minced?
I get frozen garlic that comes in a package and you can push out little minced cubes of garlic. It’s so convenient!
Do you soak the cashews before putting them in blender?
For this recipe, I do not soak them. The hot soup is enough when using a high powered blender to soften them quickly when blending. If you want to soak them first, it won’t hurt. I just don’t find it necessary.
My husband made this for dinner tonight. This was delicious. The soup is so creamy without feeling fatty. The flavor was spot on. He doesn’t like green beans in soup, so we did peas instead and that worked fine. I was really craving a creamy veggie soup and this really hit the spot.
Hi Courtney. I’m so glad that you guys loved the vegetable soup recipe! Thank you for sharing your recipe experience and wonderful review! Wishing you happy cooking!
I’m looking at the ingredients, and for the celery, the recipe says that about 3 ribs will yield 1/2 cup. Is this correct? It’s snowing here and this soup looks perfect for today.
That is correct, you want about 1/2 cup of diced celery which, depending on the size of your celery ribs, should be about 3 ribs. A little more a less is fine though. That sounds so cozy and wonderful, I hope you enjoy the soup and the snow!