The search for a super tasty, Gluten Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup ends here. Broccoli is always better with cheese, especially in a soup made from scratch.
Spring does not seem to be showing it’s face any time soon. Cold and gloomy days have seemingly set in for good and as such, a warm and comforting bowl of soup is the perfect fit. Last week we made Gluten-Free Chicken Noodle Soup, this week we’re making Gluten-free Broccoli Cheddar Soup!
If you like Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup, you will love this soup. It really is just as creamy, cheesy, and delicious. I personally have always loved Broccoli Cheese Soup, but some of my family needed some convincing. My daughter gave it a try and then promptly ate three bowls and proclaimed this her new favorite soup. My husband, who would never eat Broccoli Cheddar Soup otherwise, yielded to his hunger and actually said it was really good! I’ll take that for positive reviews!
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Ingredients in Broccoli Cheddar Soup
If you’ve got a few pantry staples and a head of broccoli, you’re well on your way to making this delicious broccoli cheddar soup from scratch!
- Broccoli: I used one pound of fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces. You can substitute frozen broccoli.
- Mild Cheddar Cheese: Freshly grated if possible, but you can use pre-shredded. You can also add in a little Velveeta if you like that flavor.
- Onion, Carrots, & Garlic: You can buy pre-shredded carrots if you want a time saver. Although, I prefer to shred the carrots and the onion at the same time in my food processor (affiliate link). Then I will also use the food processor to grate the cheese. Each batch takes about 5 seconds to process. That is a huge time saver and another reason I love the food processor. All the food processor parts can even go right into the dishwasher.
- Vegetable or Chicken Broth: I prefer the flavor of vegetable broth but either is just fine!
- Butter
- Brown Rice Flour or Cornstarch to thicken the soup.
- Half & Half: or half milk & half heavy cream.
A note on thickeners: If you think all the soup will be eaten in one sitting, the type of thickener you use doesn’t really matter. If you think you’ll be saving some for leftovers later in the week, use the brown rice flour. Cornstarch has a tendency to lose it’s thickening power and the soup will actually return to a thin consistency. I found this to be really unappealing with this soup.
Making the Soup
Of all the soups, I think Broccoli Cheddar Soup is one of the easiest to make. It’s also a pretty quick recipe, it comes together in roughly thirty minutes.
Heat the butter in a large pot and sauté the onions, carrots, and garlic. Once they’ve softened add in the broth and broccoli. Allow the broccoli to simmer until it is fork tender. About 10-15 minutes.
While the broccoli is cooking, mix the brown rice flour or cornstarch with an equal amount of the cream, this is called a slurry. Add the slurry to the remaining amount of cream and stir.
When the broccoli is tender, turn the heat to low and add in the cheese and slurry mixture. Stir gently until the soup is thick and the cheese has melted, this should only take a few minutes. Be careful not to boil the soup at this point or it could curdle. Serve immediately.
FAQ for broccoli Cheddar Soup
Yes!
You had the heat too high. When adding the cheese and cream, it’s very important to turn down the heat. Some cheeses separate and become grainy under high temperatures, which is not appetizing!
3-4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on the stove-top or in the microwave.
No, 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.
Gluten Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Quick and easy Gluten Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup comes together about 30 minutes. It is thick and creamy just like your restaurant favorite.
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 small carrots shredded, about 1 cup
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 lb broccoli florets cut into bite-size pieces
- 4 Tablespoons brown rice flour or cornstarch
- 1 cup Half & Half
- 8 oz cheddar cheese shredded, 2 cups
- 2 oz Velveeta cheese optional
Instructions
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Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pot. Add in the onions, carrots, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until onions are tender, 3-4 minutes.
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Pour 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.
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While the soup is simmering, make a slurry: mix the brown rice flour or cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of half & half. Slowly combine the slurry with the remaining cream.
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When the broccoli is tender, turn the heat to low. Pour in the slurry mixture and stir in the cheese(s). Stir gently until the soup is thick and the cheese has melted, this should only take a few minutes. Be careful not to boil the soup. Serve immediately.
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Happy Cooking!
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