Gluten Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This gluten free broccoli cheddar soup is rich, creamy, and tastes just as good as any restaurant version. Maybe even better, because you made it yourself.

It’s one of those cozy recipes that works perfectly on a cold day or whenever you just want something warm and comforting for dinner.

The best part is that it’s completely gluten free. No weird aftertaste, no strange texture. Just a thick, cheesy soup that everyone at the table will enjoy, whether they eat gluten free or not.

You’ll start with a simple roux using a gluten free flour blend, then build up layers of flavor with broth, cream, and plenty of sharp cheddar cheese.

The whole thing comes together in about 30 minutes in one pot. Simple, satisfying, and honestly hard to stop eating once you start.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s 100% Gluten Free – This broccoli cheddar soup uses a gluten free flour blend to make the roux, so you get that same thick and creamy texture without any gluten.

Incredibly Creamy and Cheesy – With whole milk, heavy cream, and two and a half cups of sharp cheddar cheese, this soup is rich, velvety, and absolutely loaded with cheesy flavor in every spoonful.

You Control the Texture – The partial blending step lets you decide exactly how chunky or smooth you want your soup, so you can make it perfect for the way you like to eat it.

One Pot Meal – Everything comes together in a single pot or Dutch oven, which means less cleanup and more time enjoying a warm bowl of soup on the couch.

Ingredients

• 4 cups Broccoli Florets (chopped)
• 4 tbsp Butter
• 1 Medium Yellow Onion (diced)
• 2 cloves Garlic (minced)
• 1/4 cup Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Blend
• 2 cups Chicken Broth (gluten free)
• 2 cups Whole Milk
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 1/2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
• 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
• 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper

How to Make

Step 1

Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Step 2

Sprinkle the gluten free flour blend over the onion and stir constantly for about 1 minute to form a roux.

Step 3

Slowly pour in the chicken broth while whisking continuously, then add the milk and heavy cream. Stir until smooth and bring to a gentle simmer.

Step 4

Add the chopped broccoli florets, onion powder, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is very tender.

Step 5

Use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup, leaving some chunky broccoli pieces for texture. Alternatively, transfer about 2 cups of the soup to a blender, blend until smooth, and stir it back into the pot.

Step 6

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese a handful at a time, stirring after each addition until completely melted and smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot.

Helpful Tips

Whisk the Broth in Slowly

When you add the chicken broth to the roux, pour it in a slow and steady stream while whisking the whole time. If you dump it all in at once, the gluten free flour will clump up and you’ll end up with lumps in your soup that are really hard to get rid of.

After the broth is fully mixed in and smooth, then add the milk and heavy cream. Taking this step slowly is what gives you that silky, smooth base that makes this soup so good.

Cook the Roux for the Full Minute

After you sprinkle the gluten free flour blend over the onions, keep stirring it around for a solid minute. This step cooks out the raw flour taste, which is especially important with gluten free flour blends because they can leave a gritty or starchy flavor if they’re undercooked.

You want the roux to look like a thick paste coating the onions. It might not change color much, and that’s fine. Just keep stirring so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot or burns.

Add the Cheese Off the Heat

Make sure you pull the pot completely off the burner before you start adding the cheddar cheese. If the soup is too hot or still sitting on direct heat, the cheese can seize up and turn grainy or stringy instead of melting into a smooth, creamy texture.

Toss in a small handful at a time and stir it until it’s fully melted before adding the next handful. The soup will still be plenty hot enough to melt the cheese, so don’t worry about it cooling down too much.

Also, shred the cheese yourself from a block if you can. Pre-shredded cheese from a bag is coated in anti-caking powder, and that coating can make your soup slightly grainy instead of perfectly smooth.

You Might Also Like

• Gluten Free Cheddar Cheese Crackers
• Gluten Free Cheesy Garlic Bread
• Gluten Free Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
• Gluten Free Mac & Cheese
• Gluten Free Fluffy Dinner Rolls

Frequently Asked Questions

Which gluten free flour blend works best for this soup?

A good all-purpose gluten free flour blend that contains xanthan gum works great here. Brands like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 or King Arthur Measure for Measure are popular choices and will thicken the soup nicely without any grittiness.

Avoid using single-ingredient flours like almond flour or coconut flour as your roux – they won’t thicken the same way and can give the soup an odd texture or taste.