This easy Gluten Free Broccoli Cheese Soup is the BOMB. It's super easy to make and is ready in only 40 minutes! This cheesy soup is rich, and hearty with chunks of fresh broccoli and fantastic gluten free croutons garnished on top, making it the ultimate comfort food meal.
It's one of my favorite soups, right up there with Coconut Stew and Clam Chowder. Soup is normally not on the menu when you're gluten free. Restaurants rely heavily on flour to thicken their soups leaving us staring at the salad options (and even that can be a gluten trap). I have only ever found one restaurant that has a gluten free broccoli cheese soup...but half the time the staff still puts gluten croutons on top. Ugh.
Forget trying Panera’s broccoli cheese soup that everyone rants and raves about. They use wheat flour as a thickening agent. But with this gluten free broccoli cheddar soup recipe you'll be able to enjoy an even more amazing, creamy soup recipe that leaves Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup in the dust!
Why This Is The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Ready in only 40 minutes, it will become one of your favorite easy dinner recipes that is perfect for a busy weeknight
- It has a thick and filling texture with chunks of broccoli that bring the perfect overall mixed texture
- Wheat flour free (yay for gluten free soups)
- Nut free as long as you use the avocado oil versus the coconut oil
- Would be delicious in gluten free bread bowls
- It's a one-pot meal recipe. Minus the usual kitchen necessities, like a cutting board and measuring cups, you don't have to use anything else, this creamy broccoli cheddar soup all gets made in one soup pot!
Ingredients
Get quantities and other info on these ingredients in the recipe card below:
- Heads of Broccoli
- Yellow Onion
- Garlic
- Avocado or Coconut oil
- Russet Potatoes- these potatoes hold up best when cooked for long periods of time
- Chicken or Vegetable Stock
- Water
- Spices: Salt, Black Pepper, Ground Coriander
- Dijon Mustard
- Heavy Cream
- Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
How to Make Gluten Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Add your oil of choice, onions, and garlic to your soup pot over medium-high heat on the stove top and saute until they're soft.
- Next, add in cut potatoes, broccoli stems, stock of choice, and water. Cover the pot and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the broccoli stems and potatoes are soft.
- Use an emulsion blender to blend everything in the pot together until it's smooth. Alternatively to an immersion blender, you can blend everything in a high powered blender or food processor in batches, working to get everything smooth before returning it back to the large pot.
- Stir in the spices, heavy cream, dijon mustard, and broccoli florets before placing the lid back on and cooking for another 10 minutes.
- Add in shredded cheese and stir until the cheese melts and is fully incorporated.
- Serve with your toppings of choice and enjoy this homemade soup!
Storage
This healthy broccoli cheddar soup should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, due to the dairy and other perishable ingredients, for up to 5 days.
How to Reheat Soup
To reheat this easy broccoli cheddar soup recipe, toss any leftovers in a pot on the stove and reheat it over medium heat until it has reached your desired temperature.
You can also reheat this soup in the microwave, just be sure to stir it as you're reheating it.
Can you freeze?
You bet! This is a great make ahead recipe or one to add to your meal plan. It's definitely a freezer-friendly recipe when you just want to pull dinner out of the freezer, thaw, reheat and enjoy.
Once your soup has cooled down to room temperature, transfer it to a freezer bag or freezer safe container and freeze it for up to 3 months. I find that freezing soup in a ziptop freezer safe bag laying flat helps conserve the most space in my freezer while efficiently freezing the soup.
Remove the frozen soup from the freezer and place it in the fridge the night before to let it thaw overnight. Reheat your soup once it's thawed and enjoy.
What Can You Add on Top?
Here are some of my favorite things to add on top of this great recipe:
- Extra cheese - like more shredded cheddar cheese or whatever you prefer
- Shredded carrots
- Croutons (always check the label to make sure they're gluten free, or use this gluten free croutons recipe to make your own safe ones)
- Green onions
- Toasted sunflower seeds
Why Separate the Broccoli?
What do you do with Broccoli stems? I have never seen any other broccoli cheese soup recipes that use them. I used to feel like they were a huge waste when I bought broccoli.
Well, I experimented and found I like them roasted or, like in this recipe, I like cooking them until soft and then pureeing them into a creamy soup.
I peel the stems to help remove any tough or woody spots and then cook them with potatoes in the first step of making this soup. When they are pureed they help boost that broccoli flavor and probably make it a bit healthier, because you know, you're eating more vegetables.
Tips and Variations
- Want to add a kick of heat to your soup? Try adding a dash of red pepper flakes. If you don't want to add it to the whole soup (if serving to kids or others who don't want spice), just add some to your personal bowl of soup.
- When dicing up your russet potatoes, always be sure they're bite-sized pieces so they're easy to eat when you get a spoonful of soup.
- Always taste test your soup before adding any additional salt.
- I always use fresh broccoli florets, but you can use frozen broccoli if needed. Just thaw it all the way before prepping and cutting it up into small pieces.
- To get more vegetables in this, feel free to add another head of broccoli, chopped up and cooked before you add it to the immersion blender, food processor, etc. It'll give it a stronger broccoli flavor.
More Easy Soup Recipes
This really is the easiest recipe out there for a gluten free broccoli cheddar soup! All you need is 40 minutes and you'll have a filling meal that the whole family will love. Grab these pantry staple ingredients and make a batch of this simple soup and enjoy!
PrintThe Best Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 Medium Heads of Broccoli- Florets and Stems separated (Stems peeled and diced small, Florets cut into bite size pieces)
- 1 Small Yellow Onion (Diced)
- 3 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
- 2 TBS Avocado or Coconut oil
- 3 Medium Russet Potatoes (Peeled and diced small)
- 32 oz Chicken or Vegetable stock (or 4 cups homemade stock)
- 2 cups Water
- 1 ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
- ½ tsp Dijon Mustard
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream
- 1 cup Shredded sharp cheddar
Optional toppings
- Shredded cheese
- Croutons
- Green onions
- Toasted sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Put your soup pot on a medium-high burner. Add your oil, onions, and garlic. Saute until they are soft.
- Add potatoes, broccoli stems, stock and water. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the stems and potatoes are soft.
- Using an emulsion blender blend everything until smooth. Alternatively you can blend the soup in a normal blender or food-processor in batches and return it to the soup pot once everything is smooth.
- Stir in your spices, cream, mustard, and broccoli florets. Replace the lid and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add shredded cheese and stir until it's melted and fully incorporated.
- Serve hot with your choice of toppings.
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