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    Home » Recipes » Soup

    Gluten-Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup

    Published: Jan 11, 2020 · Updated: Sep 15, 2022 by Katie | Wheat by the Wayside · This post may contain affiliate links, through which I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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    Three bowls of gluten free broccoli cheddar soup. Blue pot in background.
    A big blue pot filled with broccoli cheddar soup stirred with wooden spoon.
    A big blue pot filled with broccoli cheddar soup stirred with wooden spoon.
    Gluten-free Broccoli Cheddar Soup next to broken bread and spoons..

    Warm up with a hearty bowl of Gluten-free Broccoli Cheddar Soup! Make the best broccoli cheese soup, that is flavorful and healthy, from scratch in about 30 minutes!

    Three bowls of gluten free broccoli cheddar soup. Blue pot in background.
    Jump to:
    • Why This Is the Best Recipe
    • Ingredients in Gluten-free Broccoli Cheddar Soup
    • A Note on Thickeners
    • Making the Soup
    • Top Tip For Success
    • Storage Instructions
    • Other Cooking Methods
    • What to Serve with Gluten-Free Broccoli Cheese Soup
    • Recipe
    • Comments and Ratings

    Why This Is the Best Recipe

    Spring does not seem to be showing its face any time soon. Cold winter days have seemingly set in for good, so a warm and comforting bowl of soup is the perfect fit! Of all the gluten-free soup, this gluten-free broccoli cheddar soup is as much of a classic to me as gluten-free chicken noodle soup.

    This cheesy soup is healthy, flavorful, and filling! If you like Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup, you will love this copycat! This version is just as creamy and delicious. Even better, it's gluten-free!

    This soup is perfect for busy weeknight dinners, it's made with minimal ingredients and it comes together in about 30 minutes!

    Ingredients in Gluten-free Broccoli Cheddar Soup

    If you've got a few pantry staples and a head of fresh broccoli, you're well on your way to making this delicious soup from scratch!

    Ingredients for gluten-free broccoli cheddar soup measured out in bowls.
    • Broccoli Florets: Use fresh broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces. A 12oz bag of frozen broccoli will also work.
    • Mild Cheddar Cheese: I love using freshly grated cheese, but you can also use pre-shredded cheese. If you like it extra tangy, use sharp cheddar cheese. You can even add a little Velveeta cheese if you'd like to make the soup extra smooth and velvety.
    • Carrots, Onion, & Garlic: I like to use shredded carrots in this soup. You can buy pre-shredded carrots if you like a time saver. Although, I prefer to shred the carrots and the onion at the same time in my food processor. Then I will also use the same attachment to grate the cheese. Each batch takes about 5 seconds to process. A julienne peeler or a box grater is another quick and easy way to shred carrots.
    • Vegetable or Chicken Broth: I prefer the flavor of vegetable broth but either is just fine! Always read labels on broth and stock! They are not all gluten-free! I try to find stocks/broths without natural flavorings or yeast extracts and a simple list of only a few ingredients.
    • Brown Rice Flour or Sweet Rice Flour to thicken the soup. (Read the note below.)
    • Half & Half: Half & Half is not quite as indulgent as using heavy cream but still creamier than whole milk. You could use whatever you have on hand, milk, cream, or half & half, just note that using milk may not make your soup quite as creamy as either half & half or heavy cream would.

    A Note on Thickeners

    I've made this soup many times, the only times it has failed was with cornstarch as a thickener. Cornstarch can lose its thickening power if it is stirred too much or overheated, causing the soup to return to a thin, unappealing consistency.

    For this reason, I stick with sweet rice flour! Sweet rice flour gives the most consistent results, comparable to wheat flour.

    You may also have an all purpose gluten-free flour blend in your pantry. This can be used but preferably use one without xanthan gum. The gums in these blends can give soups a weird consistency. The flour may not thicken as well as sweet rice flour either.

    Making the Soup

    Sautéing carrots and onion, adding in the broccoli.
    • Step 1: Heat the butter in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté the onions, carrots, and garlic.
    • Step 2: Sprinkle the rice flour over the veggies and cook an additional minute or two, cooking flour in fat is called a roux.
    • Step 3: Gradually stir in the broth and water.
    • Step 4: Add in the broccoli. Simmer until the broccoli is fork-tender. About 10-15 minutes.
    • Step 5: When the broccoli is tender, turn off the heat. Allow the soup to cool for a couple of minutes so that it is not boiling.
    • Step 6: Use an immersion blender, if desired, to make the soup smoother and bites of broccoli smaller.
    • Step 7: With the pan still off the heat, stir in the cheddar cheese.
    • Step 8: Stir in the milk or cream. Taste and season with additional salt or pepper if needed.
    • Serve immediately or leave over low heat to keep warm, stir occasionally.
    The soup is cooked, stick blender breaking up large chunks of broccoli, adding in shredded cheese, stirring in the cream.

    Top Tip For Success

    Remember to take care that the soup is not too hot when you add the cheese. Some cheeses, especially cheddar, can separate and become grainy under temperatures that are too high. This is why I instruct to remove the soup from heat before adding the cheese.

    Storage Instructions

    • Refrigerator: Leftovers will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
    • Freezer: Freeze soup in airtight containers. You can do this in individual servings or in one big freezer bag. Make a double-batch so you can plan to freeze some for an even easier dinner down the road!
    • Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
    A big blue pot filled with broccoli cheddar soup stirred with wooden spoon.

    Other Cooking Methods

    • Instant Pot: I do not recommend making this soup in the Instant Pot. I tried it and the broccoli gets too mushy, even at a 1 minute cook time. Using the Instant Pot would not save you much time or yield better results compared to stovetop in this situation.
    • Slow Cooker: You can use the slow cooker to keep the soup warm for serving later. I would still recommend using the stovetop cooking instructions for preparing the soup initially.

    What to Serve with Gluten-Free Broccoli Cheese Soup

    This creamy broccoli cheddar soup is a meal all on it's own, but it's nice to have some accompaniments! Some of these you can easily find at the grocery store.

    • Bread: You can make small homemade bread bowls with this gluten-free artisan bread rolls recipe, or buy crusty gluten-free french bread. I like the Udi's frozen dinner rolls or Bread SRSLY gluten-free sourdough. These gluten-free Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuits are also delicious to serve with this soup!
    • Crackers: There are several delicious gluten-free crackers that are perfect for soup! I like Schar table crackers, they're similar to saltines, or Milton's Craft Bakery gluten-free crackers.
    Three bowls of gluten free broccoli cheddar soup. Blue pot in background.

    Thank you for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Find even more great gluten-free recipes here!

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    If you made this recipe, leave a comment and add a star-rating below!
    Thank you for your support! ♡

    I hope you enjoy this easy broccoli cheddar soup recipe! Especially if you used to love Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup, I know you'll love this recipe! For another simple soup, check out my gluten-free potato soup! It's also easy to make and perfect for a cold winter day!

    Recipe

    Three bowls of gluten free broccoli cheddar soup. Blue pot in background.

    Gluten-Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup

    Katie | Wheat by the Wayside.com
    Warm up with a hearty bowl of Gluten-free Broccoli Cheddar Soup! Make this flavorful and healthy soup from scratch in about 30 minutes!
    5 from 11 votes
    Pin Recipe Print Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Main Course
    Diet Gluten Free
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 295 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark.

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 Tablespoons butter, or olive oil
    • 1 small onion, diced
    • 3 small carrots, shredded, about 1 cup
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 4 Tablespoons sweet rice flour
    • 4 cups vegetable stock or broth, or chicken
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 pound broccoli florets, chopped into small, bite-size pieces
    • 1 cup half and half, or ¼ cup heavy cream
    • 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, about 2 cups

    Instructions
     

    • Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pot. Sauté the onions, carrots, and garlic in the butter until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
    • Sprinkle sweet rice flour over the softened vegetables, stir to cook for about 1-2 minutes.
    • Gradually stir in the vegetable or chicken stock and water.  Add in the broccoli.  Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until broccoli stems are fork-tender.
    • When the broccoli is tender, remove the pan from heat and allow to cool for a minute or two. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup a bit, if desired.
    • Stir in the cream and then the shredded cheese. Serve immediately or keep warm on the stovetop over low heat.

    Notes

    • Take care that the soup is not too hot when you add the cheese. Cheddar cheese can separate and become grainy under temperatures that are too high. Remove the soup from heat before adding the cheese.
    • Leftovers last 3-4 days in the fridge or can be frozen for longer periods.
    • Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
    • The Instant Pot is not recommended for this recipe. The broccoli gets too mushy.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 295kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 13gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 745mgPotassium: 450mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 4056IUVitamin C: 53mgCalcium: 277mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and star rating below!

    More Gluten-free Soup Recipes

    • Gluten-Free Tortellini Soup with Spinach: Easy 30-Minute Recipe
    • Gluten-Free Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
    • Gluten-Free Chili with Beef and Beans
    • Gluten-free Potato Soup

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    1. Kathy

      January 13, 2020 at 7:01 am

      5 stars
      This looks great. And easy! Thanks for posting. Adding ingredients to my grocery list.

      Reply
    2. Kat

      July 12, 2020 at 8:01 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for my parents and boyfriend. They all loved it! I added extra broccoli and it was very filling.

      Reply
      • Katie Olesen

        July 20, 2020 at 5:39 pm

        Yay, Kat! Thanks for sharing!!

        Reply
    3. Caitlyn

      March 02, 2021 at 9:16 am

      Amazing soup! So glad I found your account! Ok

      Reply
      • Katie | Wheat by the Wayside

        March 03, 2021 at 9:15 am

        So glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    4. Lisa

      June 21, 2021 at 2:19 pm

      Can I use cornstarch instead if brown rice flour?

      Reply
      • Katie | Wheat by the Wayside

        June 23, 2021 at 10:46 am

        You can use cornstarch, but I would mix it with a little water and add it at the end. The only time the soup ever lost thickness was when I used cornstarch. This can happen if the soup is too hot or stirred too much after adding the cornstarch. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    5. Christine

      December 22, 2021 at 11:36 am

      Happy to find you … 2 of my grands have Celiac so as a grandma who is sensitive to making safe and tasty food for them as well , I was happy to find you . I’m making the Broccoli 🥦 cheese soup for Christmas Eve supper. Want to know if I can reheat this in a crockpot on low ????

      Reply
      • Katie | Wheat by the Wayside

        January 03, 2022 at 1:53 pm

        Sorry for the late reply, but yes that should be fine to do! Hope you had a nice Christmas!

        Reply
    6. Donna

      October 23, 2022 at 1:50 pm

      Could I use some instant mashed potatoes to give it thickness?
      I’m thinking that this would work,
      What do you think?

      I’m so glad I found your website !!
      It’s so hard to find ready made or instant meals that don’t cost an arm and a leg😳

      Reply
      • Katie | Wheat by the Wayside

        October 28, 2022 at 9:19 pm

        That's a great idea. Let me know how it goes!

        Reply
      • Lee

        December 27, 2022 at 4:57 pm

        Just wondering if you used the instant potatoes? If so, how much did you use?

        Reply
        • Katie | Wheat by the Wayside

          December 28, 2022 at 2:57 pm

          Next time I make this I have to remember to try this! I would personally start with 2-3 tablespoons and adjust accordingly.

          Reply

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    Hi, I'm Katie! I'm the blogger behind Wheat by the Wayside. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2018 and have been following a strict gluten-free diet ever since. The goal of WBTW is to share tried and tested, easy, and delicious gluten-free recipes to give you confidence in the kitchen! 

    More about me →

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