I love broccoli cheddar soup. Honestly. I used to eat it all the time when I’d go to restaurants. And then, I became a vegetarian and know that a lot of places make their soups with chicken stock. To top it off, I then found out I had a gluten intolerance, and most creamy soups are made with flour.
This one is no exception, except I substituted the flour for a gluten-free all-purpose flour and vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. What emerged as it simmered away on the stove was a vegetarian and gluten-free version of a classic soup. And yes…it tasted absolutely fantastic!
Recipe: Gluten-Free Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Servings: 6
Time: Prep 20 minutes; Cook 60 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon melted butter (I used Smart Balance)
- 1/2 medium chopped onion
- 1/4 cup melted butter (I used Smart Balance)
- 1/4 cup flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour)
- 2-1/2 cups half-and-half (I used Horizon Organic half & half)
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 lb. (16 oz.) fresh or frozen broccoli florets
- 1 cup grated carrot
- Kosher salt and freshly grated pepper, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
Directions:
Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat, and sauté onion until soft, about 3 minutes. Add additional butter and flour, whisking for 3-5 minutes to create a roux. Whisk while adding the half-and-half and vegetable stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in the broccoli florets and grated carrot. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Simmer over low heat for 30-35 minutes.
Remove soup from heat and pulse with an immersion blender until smooth. Or, puree the soup in batches in a food processor until smooth, adding mixture back to the pot.
Return pot to low heat and stir in cheddar cheese. Simmer for 10 minutes, and serve.
Enjoy!
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I have Pinterest to thank for bringing this recipe to my attention. I adapted it for my own dietary needs. And it really was a fantastic, creamy, delicious soup. Perfect for these winter days. And it was so easy to make. The most labor intensive part was shredding the cheese and carrot. The rest…simple.
It’s winter. That means soup’s on. So go ahead and make up your own batch tonight!
The Celiathlete 