Broccoli “Cheese” Soup – Dairy-Free and Easy

Broccoli cheese soup is one of my comfort foods – cheesy, creamy and full of flavor.  Here is a dairy-free version that you can make in a slow cooker or Instant Pot and is sure to be a hit at your house like it is in mine!

Eat Your Broccoli

Broccoli is a staple vegetable in our house!  It's on my grocery list every single week.  I do pick up other seasonal vegetables to mix it up, but broccoli is ever present.  I prefer to buy organic broccoli, but it's not a must.  It's not on the 2016 “Dirty Dozen” list so I tend to give myself a break if conventional broccoli is the only thing at the grocery store that day.  However, lately I've been buying a three-pound bag of organic broccoli florets from Costco.  I cannot pass that up and since it's already washed and trim it makes it super simple to throw into a recipe or for snacking.

How to get creative with those little green trees 

Since we usually eat our way through 3-4 pounds every couple of weeks, I have had to get creative with it.  I mean, you can only eat steamed broccoli so many days in a row.  I love adding it to stir frys, scrambled eggs and casseroles.  But, my favorite way to use broccoli is in soups!  I love adding a couple handfuls of florets to most any soup and of course making it the star of the show in broccoli cheese soup.

Dairy-Free, but still very creamy

As a paleo/primal/real food family we've dramatically cut back on our dairy consumption.  Aside from the occasional sprinkling of raw cheddar and of course, grass-fed butter, we're dairy-free.  This recipe is a faux broccoli cheese soup that will have your family thinking it must be full of cheese.  I use a not-so-secret ingredient to get that nutty, cheesy flavor that is so familiar in this old favorite.  And bonus…you can make this in your Instant Pot in about 15 minutes.  Don't have an Instant Pot?  Well, put it on your wish list!  It's a game changer in my real food kitchen.  It can dramatically cut down on cooking time and pot-watching.  However, if you don't have an Instant Pot or pressure cooker this can easily be done in a pot on the stove.

Nutritional Yeast

No dairy here, folks.  I love to use nutritional yeast in this (and many other recipes) to give it a cheesy flavor without using actual cheese.  Nutritional yeast is a yellow flake that resembles fish food.  But don't worry, it's much tastier.  It's a yeast that is grown on molasses.  It's harvested, washed and dried with heat to “deactivate” the yeast.  The result is a unique seasoning that vegetarians and vegans have loved using for a long time.  Nutritional yeast boasts high levels of B-12 and has eight grams of protein per 1/4 cup serving.  This is a great pantry staple to have on hand.  I love sprinkling it on stove-top popcorn and vegetables (even boring steamed broccoli).

I hope you give this simple soup a try!