Home » Recipes » soup
Created by Laura Wright
Jump to Recipe
Pin Recipe
4.95 from 72 votes
This vegan broccoli dill pickle soup with white beans is creamy, tangy, and exploding with flavour from garlic, spices, dill pickles + brine, fresh dill, and more. Ready in 1 hour in 1 pot, and super hearty on its own.
Ready within 1 hour, this hearty and wholesome broccoli dill pickle soup is the perfect cold weather cozy dinner–just add some crusty bread for dipping. This vegan soup is made with simple ingredients like onions, carrots, potatoes, canned white beans, dill pickles, garlic, and vegetable stock, and happens entirely on the stovetop in 1 pot. Filled with creamy and tangy flavours, plenty of vegetables, protein from white beans, plus a finishing kiss of dill pickle brine to lift everything up, this easy and creamy vegan broccoli soup is perfect for dinner on a cold night. Definitely not your typical vegan broccoli soup!
I have had versions of vegan dill pickle potato soup before and absolutely loved it. I’m a fan of anything dill pickle-flavoured so the creamy and slightly chunky soup is such a slam dunk. It has a strong satiation factor that is so crucial in the winter months.
The inspiration for this vegan broccoli dill pickle soup:
- The traditional Polish recipe ogórkowa zupa is a big reference point here. This soup usually contains potatoes, root vegetables, onions, chopped/grated dill pickles, sometimes meat, sometimes sour cream, and also dill pickle brine. The pickles are sometimes cooked in fat with stock in a separate pot (before being poured into the final soup).
- Versions of this soup are popular in Ukraine and Russia as well.
- My recipe here is not traditional or meant to be a recreation of creamy dill pickle soup as discussed above. The flavour combination of dill pickles with an aromatic potato base is inspired by it though!
- For a more traditional recipe, check out this version from the Eating European blog. This brothier recipe from the New York Times also looks good and may be easier to veganize.
I often find myself making soups as a strategy to use up what’s in my fridge. That’s where this recipe’s journey began. I wanted a broccoli and potato soup with a bit of a different flavour profile and some added bits for plant-based protein so that it could be more of a complete meal. I took inspiration from dill pickle potato soup and added lots of chopped broccoli and white beans. Soaked raw cashews add more creaminess after a quick blend. Flavour boosts come in from garlic, Dijon, nutritional yeast, miso, pickle brine, mustard, and plenty of fresh dill. The broccoli sparkles in this flavour combo!
My favourite thing about this soup is that it really does eat like a complete meal. I also just love the mega tang quality from both the pickles and brine–this can of course be modified to your tastes. We will always take a little bit of extra comfort with our vegetables this time of year, and this soup fits the bill. I hope that you love it!
More dill pickle goodness! Vegan Dill Pickle Dip, Chopped Dill Pickle Salad, Pickle Panzanella Salad, Dill Pickle Broccoli Slaw, and Vegan Potato Salad with Dill Pickle Dressing.
Free Pantry & Kitchen Equipment Guide
Everything you need for flavourful vegan meals that everyone will love, from my kitchen to yours.
Broccoli Dill Pickle Soup with White Beans & Potatoes
This vegan broccoli dill pickle soup with white beans is creamy, tangy, and exploding with flavour from garlic, spices, dill pickles + brine, fresh dill, and more. Ready in 1 hour and super hearty on its own.
4.95 from 72 votes
Print Recipe
Prep Time: 25 minutes mins
Cook Time: 35 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr
Servings 4 -6
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
- 2 sticks celery, small dice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch chili flakes, optional
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, chopped (480 grams/3 cups chopped potatoes)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 bunch broccoli, stems and florets chopped (about 375 grams)
- 1 ½ cups cooked white beans (from a 15 oz can)
- ½ cup chopped dill pickles
- 1-2 cups baby spinach, optional
- ½ cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
- 1 tablespoon light miso
- pickle juice/brine, to taste (see note)
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh dill
Equipment
Notes
- I use 2 tablespoons of pickle brine and find that to be perfectly tangy for my tastes–I say this as someone who really loves pickles and acidic food in general.
- Soaked sunflower seeds or macadamia nuts stand in nicely for the cashews. Soak macadamias for a full 8 hours though.
- I add the baby spinach to the blended portion of the soup because I love the pretty green colour and extra veggie boost. Of course you can leave it out and the soup will still be great!
Instructions
Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Pour in the olive oil and swirl it around.
Add the onion and celery to the pot and stir. Sauté until celery is bright green and onions are translucent and soft, about 6-7 minutes.
To the pot, add the garlic, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, chili flakes (if using), and bay leaves. Stir and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the chopped potatoes and Dijon mustard. Season liberally with salt and pepper and stir. Pour in the vegetable stock and stir once more. Place a lid on top of the pot and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, move the lid slightly so that some steam can escape. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Once potatoes are tender, add chopped broccoli, white beans, and chopped dill pickles. Stir and bring up to a simmer again. Partially cover with a lid and cook until broccoli is tender, about 8 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and discard them.
If using, add the baby spinach to an upright blender pitcher. Carefully ladle half of the hot soup into the blender pitcher as well. Add the drained cashews and miso. Blend this mixture on high until completely smooth and bright green, about 1 full minute.
Pour the blended portion of soup back into the pot and stir. Give the soup a taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. From here, add pickle brine to taste and the chopped fresh dill. Stir once more, bring it back up to a boil, and then serve the soup hot.
Author: Laura Wright
Course: Main Course, Soup
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: baby spinach, bay leaves, blender, bread, broccoli, butter beans, cashews, celery, chili, dijon mustard, dill, dill pickles, dutch oven, fall, garlic, garlic powder, miso, nutritional yeast, onion powder, onions, potatoes, spring, white beans, winter, yukon gold potatoes
03/01/2024 (Last Updated 01/05/2024)
Posted in: autumn, broccoli, cashews, creamy, gluten free, main course, refined sugar-free, salty, soup, sour, spring, umami, vegan, white beans, winter
41 comments
-
Dolores M. 
Great flavors and color! Followed recipe except omitted nutritional yeast. I included 2 C baby spinach. I saved the drained water from the cashews and added to thin soup to consistency I wanted. Instead of only blending half of the soup, I mistakenly blended the entire pot. So the texture/chunk of broccoli, beans and potatoes was missing, but the flavor was still spot on. Next time I will make sure to only blend half the pot of soup. This is definitely a keeper.
This is the 2nd soup recipe I’ve tried and both have blown me away — wonderful recipes.Reply
-
Violet
Why has no one mentioned how incredibly cheesy this tastes?! Vegans rule. This is more delicious than any broccoli cheddar soup and far more nutritious. First recipe from your website, fan for life!Reply
-
Laura Wright So glad that you enjoyed it, Violet! Thanks for this comment and review :)
-LReply
-
Marysa Such an interesting combination of flavors. I love the beautiful color and how flavorful the ingredients sound. I don’t use white beans often and this sounds like a great way to use them.
Reply
-
Amy
Not sure why I’m the lone man here but this soup turned tragically more terrible with each step. Particularly, blending as instructed gave me a gritty and ill-coloured puree that just was not at all appealing. Flavour was decent enough but we could still only do a few bites. Haven’t had a fail like this in a while! I wanted to love it!Reply
-
Kayla
ALL MY FAVORITE THINGS IN ONE
Wow. It is so good. The mustard takes it up a notch with the pickle and its perfect for us veg heads. I didn’t even need bread (although yes next time i will have a crusty loaf) thank you for sharingReply
-
Lisa
I used “giardinera” rather than pickles because it’s what I had. And cranberry beans rather than white, for the same reason. This was AMAZING. Excited to explore more recipes on this site!I am not sure what the nutritional yeast does in soups, I have never seen it in soup recipes prior to The First Mess but I have the sense/guess that it adds depth and umami. Really yummy.
Reply
-
Laura Wright Thanks for sharing your experience with a few modifications, Lisa! Nutritional yeast just deepens the savoury flavour here :)
-LReply
-
Kimberly
I was completely intrigued by this recipe! SOOOO GOOD!!! I brought some to work for my co-workers and everyone loved it and asked for the recipe! This is quickly becoming one of my favorite sites. Thank you! :)Reply
-
Jessica
This was very good! And even the leftovers were very goodReply
-
Dawn
Another delicious soup recipe, Laura! Loved all the flavors and textures. I will be making this often! This is my go-to site for healthy vegan recipes.Reply
-
Christine
This was FANTASTIC! All of my favorite things in one pot… as a runner my friends and I are addicted to both pickles and potatoes, so to have them in a soup in a cold snap is just awesome! I blended a little too much of mine but good to know for next time. And surprisingly this was less “pickly” than I thought it would be! Like more cowbell, I could do more pickle next time. Thank you!! (and if you haven’t tried them, the dill pickle dip and the chopped salad are also both winners!)Reply
-
Kristine Hi Laura, Can you recommend a substitute for the mustard (I’m allergic to mustard)? This soup looks amazing and I look forward to making it. Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes!
Reply
-
Christine In case Laura doesn’t get back to you, I’m sure you could just leave it out. There’s not much in the recipe – and make sure you buy pickles that don’t have mustard seeds!
Reply
-
Laura Wright Yes, you can definitely leave the Dijon out! There’s lots of flavour going on without it :)
-LReply
-
Brooke Would the same be true for the miso?
Reply
-
Laura Wright No, the same is not true for this miso in my opinion. Miso adds a lot of umami and depth to the finished soup. A splash of soy sauce/Tamari is a decent substitute if you don’t have miso on hand.
-LReply
-
Erin
Don’t hesitate, just make this soup!! The flavors blend so nicely together for a salty/tangy/creamy and totally savory bowl of soup that I’ll be eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!Reply
-
Suzanne
Best soup I’ve ever made. The flavors work so well together – love the additional pickle brine at the end. I would definitely recommend the spinach option- it added so much flavor and the color was beautiful! So delicious and so healthy. This one will definitely be in my regular rotation.Reply
-
Emma
Wow!! I think this is one of my favourite soups ever – the flavours all together are amazing. It was also my first time trying butter beans (love them). I measured the chili flakes, spinach, and pickles with my heart. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will be making it again.Reply
-
Sloane
Can this be made in an instant pot?Reply
-
Dana Do you think I could replace the potatoes with sweet potatoes and chickpeas instead of white beans??
Reply
-
Laura Wright I think the chickpea swap would be fine, but the sweet potato flavour may not go great with everything else. If you don’t want to use potatoes, I’d recommend celery root, turnip, cauliflower or zucchini instead (or even a combination).
-LReply
-
Maarika
First mess never misses! :)
Delicious – great flavor profile, easy and makes a big batch.Reply
-
JR
This soup is so delicious. I added a leek and a zucchini and used frozen, thawed broccoli and spinach and holy cannoli, it was beautiful. I’m not much of an internet commenter but this was that good. Thanks!Reply
-
Tanya
Just made this- delicious! Thanks for the recipe!Reply
-
Megan
This recipe is fantastic! For personal taste, I omitted the beans and doubled the chilli flakes. Used 4 teaspoons of dried dill weed since I didn’t have fresh. Will definitely make again.Reply
-
LisaH
This soup was really delicious! Adding the spinach makes this soup the most beautiful green color. I highly recommend adding all the options, since it gives the soup a more complex flavor. I have never used pickles in a soup before, so it was fun trying something new. Thanks for such a great recipe!Reply
-
If you are not Vegan can you add cream or half&half instead of soaked cashews If you are not Vegan can you use cream instead of the soaked cashews.
Reply
-
Laura Wright Yes you can!
-LReply
-
Alaina
I’ve never reviewed a recipe but I never would have thought to put pickles in soup (even though I love pickles). I was so very pleasantly surprised by how this came together.Reply
-
Jacquie
Made this tonight and it is a delicious and gorgeous looking soup! Will definitely be added to my favourite soups list.Reply
-
Debby
Broccoli, Beans, & Pickles—I HAD TO TRY IT! My husband & I tag-teamed in the kitchen, sharing the chopping & preps. This was a HUGE WINNER!. I used all the options: the pickles, the brine, 2 cups of spinach, dill, Dijon,etc. I’LL definitely make it again! It’s a mega-nutritious delight. Thanks for your creativity!Reply
-
Ann-Marie
This recipe is exact and although the ingredients seem unusual it turns out delicious. Thank you for this creation.
Ann-MarieReply
-
Sarah
WOW!! This soup is transcendent. It’s all bright and sparkly, and the flavors are deep and layered with richness and complexity. It tastes like the best parts of a baked potato but healthy and infused with the truly brilliant undertones of the much loved pickle. Nothing short of a dream here, folks!Reply
-
Katie Can’t wait to try! What kind of white beans are you using here? I may have missed it, but didn’t see it in the recipe or notes. Thanks!
Reply
-
Laura Wright Hi Katie!
I used butter beans in these photos. Navy or cannellini beans are also great in this soup recipe.
-LReply
-
LisaH I would love to try this recipe, but just wondering if you used salt-brined or vinegar-brined pickles?
Reply
-
Laura Wright Hi Lisa!
Excellent question. I’ve tried both in tests! The vinegar ones (and brine/juice) are definitely more intense and sour. Honestly I liked both. If you’re using salt brined pickles, you may want a bit more brine added at the end.
-LReply
-
Ron
OMG, I can’t wait to try this tonight! Looks absolutely heavenly! Thanks so much for sharing!Reply
-
Laura Wright Hope that you love it, Ron!
-LReply
