Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe [Gluten-free]

A soup the whole family will love. Courtesy of Amy Dong

At first glance, Broccoli Cheese Soup appears almost too simple and humble to be worth a second look.

At least, that’s what I used to think in all my folly. I totally missed out on massive broccoli cheese soup deliciousness for too many years. One day I noticed some friends repeatedly ordering broccoli cheese soup on our lunch dates. That naturally meant I had to taste this luscious soup for myself.

Of course, that also means I had to rush back to my kitchen and recreate a recipe that would be just as good [if not even better] than restaurant versions.

It took a few tries to get the consistency and flavor just right, but once we hit the jackpot…we were instantly smitten.

I’ve been faithfully making up for all those years without broccoli cheddar soup in my life and will happily continue the trend. There’s truly no turning back once you’ve tasted the steamy, velvety, savory goodness of this easy 30-minute soup in all its glory…

Courtesy of Amy Dong

Naturally Creamy Yet Gluten-Free

More and more of my friends are either vegetarian or gluten-free. Though I’m neither of those things, I’ve been making dishes that my vegetarian and gluten-free friends can thoroughly enjoy. This easy broccoli cheddar soup recipe is a winning victory with everyone. Women, men, kids, teens…everyone devoured this creamy cheesy goodness.

After much experimenting, I settled on thickening this broccoli cheddar soup with dissolved cornstarch, which means there’s no messing with the typical flour-butter-roux. Yes, applauses all around would be very appropriate.

This soup is rich and dreamy without much elbow grease at all. You don’t even have to chop veggies with this recipe. We opt for frozen broccoli floret, pre-cut matchstick carrots, and even pre-chopped onions if your grocery store carries it. This is the spectacular broccoli cheese soup that takes only 30 minutes from stove to table.

All your hungry people won’t be mad about that at all.

Grab a blanket and cozy up to the best broccoli cheese soup that’s ever hugged your bowl. Enjoy.

Courtesy of Amy Dong

Best Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe [Gluten-free]

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins Cook Time: 15 minutes mins Total Time: 25 minutes mins Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 4 TB salted butter
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp tarragon
• 1 cup precut matchstick carrots
• 1 cup half & half, or heavy cream
• 4 cup good quality vegetable broth
• 2 large bay leaves
• 4 TB cornstarch, dissolved in 4 TB water
• 5 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
• 4 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated and lightly packed
• Optional: extra broccoli florets and grated cheese for topping, breads or crackers (GF if desired) for dipping

Instructions

In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, stirring 2-3 minutes until tender. Add tarragon and carrots, and stir 3-4 minutes. Gently stir in the half & half, vegetable broth, bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, immediately stir in the fully dissolved cornstarch and keep stirring until mixture thickens (if you want it even thicker, add another 1-2 TB of dissolved cornstarch.)

Add broccoli florets, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper and bring to a simmer. Simmer 10 minutes uncovered. Pick out bay leaves and carefully place Dutch oven in empty sink, to make it easy to blend without mess. Using an immersion blender, carefully blend the soup a little at a time, just until soup reaches desired texture with some chunkiness; go slowly, as this soup can easily turn into puree.

Place pot back on stove over medium heat. Add freshly shredded cheese and stir just until melted. Serve with additional broccoli florets and/or cheese for garnish, if desired. Serve with crusty bread (GF optional) if desired. Leftovers keep well covered in fridge.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 1225mg | Potassium: 362mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4139IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 478mg | Iron: 1mg

Course: Dinner, Main

Cuisine: soup

Method: Stovetop

This article was originally published on chewoutloud.com. Follow on Instagram