This Dairy Free Potato Soup with Broccoli & “Cheese” is a lightened up version of two soups you grew up loving! It has all of the flavors of Broccoli Cheese Soup + Loaded Baked Potato Soup without any dairy or gluten. 

dairy free potato soup with broccoli in a bowl topped with bacon

What Makes This Recipe Great

This Dairy Free Potato Soup with Broccoli and “Cheese” tastes like your favorite cheesy potato soup you loved growing up, except without the dairy and gluten! It’s a combination of broccoli cheese soup and creamy potato soup topped with bacon and green onions. Basically the stuff dreams are made of and one of my favorite comfort foods! Nothing better than a warm bowl of soup on a cold day. Hearty soups like this are also a great complete meal on their own served with some crusty bread – gluten free of course. This soup comes together in just 30 minutes and makes amazing leftovers, as well. It is also Whole30 friendly and packed with nutrient-dense, good-for-you ingredients.

Recipe Highlights

  • Gluten free & dairy free
  • Easy soup recipe
  • Made with simple ingredients
  • Great for lactose intolerance
  • No heavy cream needed
  • Whole30 & Paleo friendly
  • Tastes like homemade cheesy potato soup without the cheese
  • Nut free option included
  • Perfect weeknight meal for the whole family
broccoli cheddar and potato soup in a bowl topped with bacon and green onions

Ingredient Notes

Bacon: I like to use sugar free bacon from Butcher Box.

Ghee: This is clarified butter and you can find it at your local grocery store. Use olive oil or dairy-free butter for dairy allergies.

Onion: White or yellow onion both work!

Carrots: Baby carrots or full peeled and chopped carrots will work.

Potatoes: I’ve found that russet potatoes work best for this recipe and give it a nice smoothy & creamy texture. I have not tried it with red potatoes, but yukon gold potatoes could also work.

Chicken broth: Chicken stock also works. Veggie broth can be subbed for a vegetarian version of this dairy free potato soup. My favorite brand is Kettle and Fire – they make a great Whole30 compliant chicken broth.

Broccoli florets: Pre-chopped bagged, or fresh chopped from a head of broccoli will both work.

Cashews: These make an incredible dairy free cream sauce when pureed. Make sure to use raw and unsalted. See recipe card for a nut free option.

Nutritional yeast: This is deactivated yeast, and it gives dishes a “cheesy” flavor without the dairy! It’s also loaded with vitamins.

Lemon juice: You can also sub a splash of apple cider vinegar if you do not have lemons.

How To Make This Dairy-Free Potato Soup

Step 1

Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak while you make the soup.

Step 2

Set your oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Lay the bacon pieces out flat on the baking sheet and cook until crispy, approximately 12-15 minutes. (No need to let the oven pre-heat first – just pop the pan in!) When the bacon is done, remove the pan from the oven and drain them on a paper towel-lined plate.

Step 3

While the bacon is cooking, chop your onions, carrots, and potatoes. Heat your cooking oil of choice in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add in onions, carrots, and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften. Add in the potatoes, chicken broth, paprika, onion powder, 1 tsp of the sea salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

Step 4

Stir in the broccoli and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Step 5

Remove 1 cup of diced potatoes from the pot using a slotted spoon and place them into a high-powdered blender. Drain the cashews and add them to the blender along with the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, remaining 1 tsp of sea salt, and water. Blend on high for 1 minute or until it becomes very thick and creamy. Pour the mixture into the soup pot and stir well until combined. Taste test and add more salt and pepper if needed. I recommend using a high-speed blender and not an immersion blender for this.

Step 6

Break the bacon into pieces. Serve the soup topped with bacon bits and chopped green onion.

a white bowl of potato soup with bacon and green onions with a silver spoon

Tips, Tricks & Variations

Thickness: If it’s too thick for your liking, you can add additional chicken broth at the end to thin it out.

No oven version: To avoid using the oven, you can cook the bacon pieces first directly in the stock pot while you are chopping the vegetables. Remove the bacon pieces using a slotted spoon and set them aside to drain. Use the rendered bacon fat to sauce the onions, carrots, and garlic and omit the cooking oil. This will increase prep time by 5 minutes.

Nut free: To make this nut free, you can use 1 cup full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream in place of the cashews. Reduce water to 1 cup. I personally do not think it gives this soup a strong coconut flavor. You can also use light coconut milk, if preferred.

Vegetarian: To make this into a vegan potato soup recipe, use vegetable stock instead of chicken broth and omit the bacon. You could also use vegan bacon.

Storage: Store leftover dairy free potato soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Recipe FAQ’s

Can you freeze dairy free potato soup?

Yes, you can! Simply add the dairy free potato soup to an airtight freezer container and freeze for up to 6 months.

How to make creamy soup without dairy?

The cashew cream in this recipe is the perfect non-dairy mixture to make creamy soup without the dairy!

More Gluten Free Soup Recipes

Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Zuppa Toscana

Unstuffed Cabbage Soup

Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup with Pastina

Copycat Chick Fil A Tortilla Soup

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section. Or, follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram today!

This Dairy Free Potato Soup with Broccoli & “Cheese”

This Dairy Free Potato Soup with Broccoli & "Cheese" is a lightened up version of two soups you grew up loving! It has all of the flavors of Broccoli Cheese Soup + Loaded Baked Potato Soup without any dairy or gluten. 
4.94 from 81 votes
Leave a Review »

Ingredients

  • 8 strips sugar free bacon, omit for vegan
  • 1 tbsp ghee or olive oil
  • ½ medium onion, diced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 lbs russett potatoes , (3 medium or 4 small), peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 4 cups chicken broth, + more to thin it out
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp sea salt, divided
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
  • 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews*, see notes for sub!
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 2 green onions, diced, for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak while you make the soup.
  • Set your oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Lay the bacon pieces out flat on the baking sheet and cook until crispy, approximately 12-15 minutes. (No need to let the oven pre-heat first – just pop the pan in!) When the bacon is done, remove the pan from the oven and drain them on a paper towel-lined plate.
  • While the bacon is cooking, chop your onions, carrots, and potatoes. Heat your cooking oil of choice in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add in onions, carrots, and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften. Add in the potatoes, chicken broth, paprika, onion powder, 1 tsp of the sea salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Stir in the broccoli and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
  • Remove 1 cup of diced potatoes from the pot using a slotted spoon and place them into a high-powdered blender. Drain the cashews and add them to the blender along with the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, remaining 1 tsp of sea salt, and water. Blend on high for 1 minute or until it becomes very thick and creamy. Pour the mixture into the soup pot and stir well until combined. Taste test and add more salt and pepper if needed.
  • Break the bacon into pieces. Serve the soup topped with bacon bits and chopped green onion.

Video

Notes

Thickness: If it’s too thick for your liking, you can add additional chicken broth at the end to thin it out.
No oven version: To avoid using the oven, you can cook the bacon pieces first directly in the stock pot while you are chopping the vegetables. Remove the bacon pieces using a slotted spoon and set them aside to drain. Use the rendered bacon fat to sauce the onions, carrots, and garlic and omit the cooking oil. This will increase prep time by 5 minutes.
Nut free: To make this nut free, you can use 1 cup full fat coconut milk in place of the cashews. Reduce water to 1 cup.
Vegetarian: To make this vegan and vegetarian, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and omit the bacon.
Storage: Store leftover dairy free potato soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 643kcal, Carbohydrates: 63g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 39mg, Sodium: 2385mg, Potassium: 1845mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 8041IU, Vitamin C: 110mg, Calcium: 103mg, Iron: 5mg

This recipe was originally published on November 24, 2019 and updated with new content on January 18, 2024.