Creamy Gluten Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
1 small bunch broccoli
4 cups (32 fluid ounces) stock (vegetable or chicken)
4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, chopped
1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (35 g) basic gum free gluten free flour blend (23 grams superfine white rice flour + 8 grams potato starch + 4 grams tapioca starch/flour)
2 bay leaves
1 cup milk (8 fluid ounces)
1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) heavy whipping cream
8 ounces sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
Optional: gluten free artisan bread as bread bowl
Instructions
If you’d like to serve your soup in a bread bowl, please follow the instructions for making a loaf of our gluten free artisan bread. Allow the bread to cool, then use a serrated knife to carve out the center of the bread down close to the bottom crust (but without piercing it). Pull out as much of the center of the bread as you can without compromising the integrity of the loaf. Set the bread bowl aside.
Separate the broccoli florets from the stems, and rinse them clean. In a small, heavy-bottom saucepan, place about 1 cup of stock and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Place the broccoli florets in the simmering stock and cook until just bright green (about 2 minutes). Remove the florets, place in a separate small bowl and set aside. Remove the stock from the heat and set it aside.
In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan, place the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Sauté the vegetables until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant (about 6 minutes). Remove and discard the garlic. Add the gum free flour blend, mix to combine and cook until the flour begins to smell nutty (about 2 minutes). Slowly add all of the stock (the 3 cups remaining, plus the cup used to blanch the broccoli), whisking constantly, until well-combined. Add the bay leaves, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens (about 8 minutes).
Remove and discard the bay leaves, add the milk and cream, and continue to cook for another 2 minutes or until beginning to thicken. Add the cheddar cheese, and cook until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately with the blanched broccoli florets in a regular bowl or your bread bowl!