Chicken soup comes in all shapes and sizes – but THIS chicken and broccoli soup is so good it has found a permanent spot in our meal rotation! Made with shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken shines here!), soup staples like onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, plenty of broccoli florets, dried spices, chicken broth, and cashew cream to keep it dairy free. It’s simple, but so good everyone will want seconds.
The creamiest dairy free chicken and broccoli soup that is so comforting
Soup season = the best season.
Every year when the weather turns a *little* cooler, I cherish the first pot of soup made to warm us up and bring some comfort into the kitchen.
I often reach for some of our staple favorite recipes, like this Anti Inflammatory Turmeric Chicken Soup, or Cashew Cream Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup, but I also enjoy creating recipes to make room for new favorites.
Which is where this chicken and broccoli soup enters the scene!
I tested it scrupulously, to get the broth to veggie / chicken ratio just right – so you get a little bit of every ingredient in every bite.
It has all the same classic flavors of any good chicken soup, but with the addition of broccoli florets, and absolutely luscious cashew cream for that indulgent creamy vibe without the dairy.
It’s substantial (satisfying!), packed with loads of veggies, and wholesome to the bone.
If you know NK’s recipes you know what a big fan I am of using cashew cream as a dairy substitute. And it’s the perfect match for this soup recipe, too.
👉🏼 If you’re new to cashew cream and want to see what it can do, or are already a big fan, be sure to check out some our well-loved recipes like Cashew Cream Cajun Chicken Pasta, Dairy Free Ground Beef Shepherd’s Pie Soup, Creamy White Bean and Kale Soup, and our Lush & Creamy Dairy Free Sausage Gravy for more inspo!
Some of the key ingredients that make this chicken and broccoli soup so crave-worthy!
🌿 This soup recipe is made with the classic ingredients you’d find in lots of chicken soup recipes – chicken, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, with a few little extras that make it so special!
Nutritional yeast + all purpose seasoning
These two ingredients really amp up the savory flavor of the soup. The all purpose seasoning could easily be swapped for poultry seasoning instead. It’s just something to add some herbal depth of flavor to the broth!
And the nutritional yeast adds an umami-rich quality to the recipe that you’d normally get from using some type of cheese or dairy. You can skip it if you don’t want to run to the store just for that, but if you have it – I highly recommend using it.
Raw cashews
This is the ingredient that gives the perfect luscious + creamy quality to the broth.
When soaked, raw cashews blend easily into liquid (in this case, some chicken broth). They are mild in flavor so you don’t taste them in the soup, and the texture is unparalleled!
And raw cashews really are best – they soak and blend so much more seamlessly than roasted cashews.
Making this scrumptious dairy free soup
👉🏼 The most time you’ll spend prepping the ingredients for this soup is chopping up the veggies and shredding the chicken. The ingredient list really is quite fairly straightforward, and all you need is one pot and a high-speed blender to make it!
Serving suggestions and storage tips
This soup is truly a perfect meal all on it’s own. But if you want to serve it alongside something else, a bright and fresh arugula salad, classic Caesar salad, or some crusty toasted bread would be excellent pairings!
For storing, it should keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. And can also be frozen for 2-3 months to enjoy at a later date!
If you enjoyed this creamy chicken soup we’d love it if you would take a moment to rate and review it below! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 It’s also a great place for questions, and super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe.
Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!
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Seriously Good Chicken and Broccoli Soup (Dairy Free)
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Chicken soup comes in all shapes and sizes – but THIS chicken and broccoli soup is so good it has found a permanent spot in our meal rotation! Made with shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken shines here!), soup staples like onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, plenty of broccoli florets, dried spices, chicken broth, and cashew cream to keep it dairy free. It’s simple, but so good everyone will want seconds.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews (145 grams)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2–3 stalks celery, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose seasoning
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 6 cups chicken broth, divided
- 3 packed cups diced or shredded cooked chicken – rotisserie chicken works great here (about 1 pound cooked chicken)
- 5 cups broccoli florets
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak the cashews. Add raw cashews to a heat-proof bowl and cover with hot (ideally just boiled) water – allow to soak for 15-30 minutes while you start making the rest of the recipe.
- Make the flavor base of the soup. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Sauté for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally – until onions are translucent and veggies are starting to caramelize. Add black pepper, all-purpose seasoning, and nutritional yeast and sauté for 1-2 minutes more – until spices are aromatic and start to stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Add broth and cooked chicken. Add 5 cups broth along with chopped or shredded chicken to the pot scraping up any stuck-on bits from the bottom and bring to a simmer. Simmer on low, partially covered, for about 10 minutes – until veggies are tender.
- Make cashew cream. While the soup is simmering prepare the cashew cream. Drain and rinse cashews and add to a high-speed blender along with the remaining cup of chicken broth. Blend on high until smooth and creamy, with no pieces of cashew remaining.
- Finish the soup. Add cashew cream to the pot with the broccoli florets. Stir to combine and bring back to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered on low, and stir occasionally, until broccoli is tender, and soup has thickened slightly – about 8-10 minutes more. Soup can be thinned by adding a little additional broth if desired.
- Season and serve! Season soup to taste with salt and pepper, serve hot, and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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