Allergy Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup

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Allergy-Free Broccoli “Cheddar” Soup

(Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free)

It’s cold out, even by Los Angeles standards. So I’ve been thinking a lot about soup. This week, I was drawn by the lure of “mock” cheddar. That’s right  Mock Cheddar.  If you haven’t already heard, there’s a new kid in town, by the name of Daiya, and it’s changing the face of dairy-free living.

Daiya is a new dairy-free, vegan, soy-free cheese product that has revolutionized the way I think about pizza, pasta, and in this case, cheese soup. Daiya’s greatest strength is that it melts, just like normal cheese, which up till now has been virtually impossible with vegan cheeses. I chose to whip up an Allergen-Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup, to see how this new product would perform when it was required to not only melt, but to disappear into the soup completely. Suffice it to say, it rose to the challenge, and then some.

In addition to the allergy-friendly substitutions for dairy (olive oil in place of butter, rice milk in place of cow’s milk or cream, and Daiya in place of dairy cheese), I also made this recipe gluten-free by using brown rice flour in place of all-purpose flour. Please note that this soup will also freeze well, so ladle out individual portions into freezer safe glass Tupperware, let cool to room temperature, and freeze. Though, why wait when you can eat it now?!

Allergy-Free Broccoli “Cheddar” Soup (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free)

Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup grated yellow onion
  • 3 Tablespoons fine brown rice flour (plus 1 extra Tablespoon as needed)
  • 4 cups chicken broth, or vegetable broth (Kitchen Basics is allergy-friendly)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups rice milk
  • 3 cups lightly steamed broccoli
  • 1 1/2 cups Daiya Cheddar

1. Heat a large heavy pot over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and grated onion. Cook stirring about 2 minutes. Add the brown rice flour, and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes more until lightly golden and aromatic.

2. Whisk in 1 cup of the broth. Whisk well to prevent lumping. Add the rest of the broth, a cup at a time, whisking well after each addition.

3. Add white pepper, nutmeg, salt, and a couple grindings of fresh pepper. Stir. Bring to a slow boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring often, about 10 minutes.

4. Add rice milk, and cook at a simmer about 5 minutes more.

5. Chop broccoli fine and add to pot. Cook 10 minutes until broccoli is very tender. Then, either puree in the pot using a hand blender, or transfer to a blender or food processor, to puree (and return to pot).

6. Bring back to a simmer. At this point, you may wish to thicken the soup a bit more (I like a creamier thicker soup). If so, remove about 1/2 cup of soup and combine with the remaining tablespoon of rice flour, mixing till smooth. Return to pot, and stir well to combine.

7. Add Daiya cheese. Cook, stirring often, at a simmer, until cheese has completely melted. Serve hot!

Allergy-Friendly Broccoli “Cheddar” Soup
© 2010 by Cybele Pascal

(Please note that all my recipes are completely free of all top allergens (wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish, shellfish, and gluten), so as many people as possible can enjoy them. Additionally, all the ingredients are available at Whole Foods, and online at Amazon.com. If you have trouble finding something, let me know and I’ll help you find it.)

SAFETY NOTE: Because each person’s food sensitivity and reaction is unique, ranging from mild intolerance to life-threatening and severe food allergies, it is up to the consumer to monitor ingredients and manufacturing conditions. If manufacturing conditions, potential cross contact between foods, and ingredient derivatives pose a risk for you, please re-read all food labels and call the manufacturer to confirm potential allergen concerns before consumption. Ingredients and manufacturing practices can change overnight and without warning.

18 Responses

  1. […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Silvana Nardone, Cybele Pascal. Cybele Pascal said: Check out Allergy-Friendly Broccoli “Cheddar” Soup (Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free) @ http://www.cybelepascal.com/?p=1928 #gfree […]

  2. Sandra says:

    It sounds and it looks like a amazingly tasty soup! Beautiful photo!

  3. I love broccoli cheese soup and you’ve got one beautiful bowl of soup there! I’d love to taste it!

  4. Thanks, Sandra! Hope you give the recipe a try. Let me know how it works out for you.

    all best,

    Cybele

  5. Dear Kate:

    I checked out your site. Nice! As an added bonus, this version of Broccoli Cheddar Soup is also lower in fat than most traditional recipes. Hope you enjoy it.

    best,

    Cybele

  6. gina says:

    Just maded this today! So good, my whole family loved it!

  7. Hi GIna:

    SO happy to hear that!

    Thanks!

    happy new year.

    cybele

  8. Seriously, Cybele…Thank you! This is AMAZING!!! You have certainly took the sting out of allergen-free living for our household!

  9. Anna says:

    Mrs. Pascal, I caught you recently on the Living Daily website and you were kind enough to tell me how to substitute flours since I’m allergic to rice and corn and potatoes as well as wheat. My parents gave me both of your cookbooks for Christmas, and I’ve tried three recipes so far: the pizza dough (which was a bit of a cheat, since I’m really not supposed to have yeast), the plain pancakes and the basic biscuits. I almost cried, they turned out so well. Flipping through your books gives me so many ideas my checkbook quakes in fear. I can’t thank you enough, not only for taking on the tremendous challenge of creating allergy-free recipes that taste wonderful, but for being accessible to the masses on your websites! 🙂

  10. Dear Anna:

    Thanks for your lovely feedback. I’m thrilled to hear you are enjoying the recipes so far.

    Happy New Year!

    best,

    Cybele

  11. Very pretty blog. And I like your recipes too. I have a healthy-recipe blog where I post a lot of allergen-free recipes. Check it out http://cuceesprouts.com/

  12. Hi Cucee Sprouts:

    Cute name! I checked out your site, and liked it too. Thanks for stopping by. Happy you’re posting allergen-free recipes as well.

    Best,

    Cybele

  13. Wendy S. says:

    Cybele, I made this soup last night for dinner for the family. It was so delicious and such a great treat for my milk allergic daughter. (My nonallergic teenage son loved it too, which says a lot.) THANK YOU!!!!

  14. admin says:

    Wendy S, that’s when I know I’ve scored with a recipe… when the non allergic love it too. That’s my barometer of whether a recipe makes it into one of my cookbooks. Thanks so much for your feedback!

    Cybele

  15. Joyce says:

    Can you substitute regular rice flour for the brown rice flour in this recipe?

  16. Tracy Mc says:

    Your recipe looks wonderful. I’m going to make it and freeze it for my son, who is gluten, dairy, and soy free. He has many oral/texture issues so this soup with no chunks in it would be perfect. Thank you!!

  17. Tracy Mc says:

    I wish we had a whole foods where I am…I’m slowly finding things for him. It sometimes is a 4 hours drive and a big shopping trip.

  18. Charlene says:

    I made this tonight and its wonderful. Kept some of the soup just plain without the ‘cheese’ too and it was delicious! Thank you so much Cybele!

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