Friday, August 31, 2018

GLUTEN FREE ROASTED BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER CHEESE SOUP

GLUTEN FREE ROASTED BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER CHEESE SOUP
Rich and creamy with bits of crisp-tender roasted veggies, my gluten free roasted broccoli and cauliflower cheese soup is easy enough for a weeknight meal, yet hearty and satisfying enough to add to your weekend menu plans. The browned Cajun trinity, chicken broth and half-n-half form the base of the soup that’s filled with highly seasoned, fresh-roasted veggies and four ooey gooey cheeses. Yep and yay…
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Gluten Free Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Soup Makes Me Hungry for Fall, Y’all…
My first trip out of our back door comes in the early morning hours, when my dogs start to rustle up out of their slumbers. After taking a long, deep whole body stretch, each one of them slowly starts to whimper and whine for their first daytime trip out to the backyard.
Well, a few mornings ago, my dogs got up a bit earlier than usual. It was still dark out, and when I opened the door it felt and smelled like fall outside. I wasn’t expecting the cool rush air onto my face, or the faint smell of leaves beginning to dry out on their vines at all, ya’ll!!
To my own surprise and delight, I forgot all about it being even more stupid o’clock in the morning than usual. I just smiled to myself, happy to start to say goodbye to the blazing and ridiculously humid south Louisiana heat. And all of a sudden I was also sooo anxious to get my soup pot out and cook something warm and soul-fulfilling.
To be honest, my last blog post gave me cruciferous vegetable fever. So, I decided that I would take the original skillet baked veggies idea I had and transform it into this creamy gluten free roasted broccoli and cauliflower cheese soup.
Gluten Free Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Soup Has Pops of Crunchiness Intertwined With Four-Cheese Creaminess, Y’all..
I started this gluten free roasted broccoli and cauliflower cheese soup by making a double batch of my skillet roasted broccoli and cauliflower with garlic slices. Once the veggies were cooked and cooled, I poured half of them into my food processor. I pulsed for just a few seconds until the veggies pureed. Next, I poured the whole and pureed cauliflower and broccoli into my enameled cast iron soup pot, covered it with chicken broth, then brought it to a slow rolling boil while I got the cheese sauce ready.
Because I wanted this gluten free roasted broccoli and cauliflower cheese soup to be ‘can’t stop won’t stop’ cheesy, I used four different kinds in this recipe. And yes, I even broke out a half-block of Velveeta that Mark got me during my last ‘gluten free but gotta eat’ survival mode meal episode. This happens from time to time when we’re both busy and lose track of time. Then, we have to run up to our nearest not at all gluten free-friendly store to get dinner ingredients.
Since Velveeta is gluten free, I allow myself an occasional indulgence, and I use it to go all out on something over the top yum-delicious. So, I added cheddar cheese, cream cheese and mozzarella cheese to the butter and tapioca-flour base, too, along with half-n-half because that’s what I had on hand. Then, I also added a few more seasonings to the veggie broth mixture, and lowered the fire to a simmer before adding the cheese sauce.
The whole process took about an hour, and I couldn’t wait to dig into a bowl as soon as it was ready to eat. And, I’m well pleased to report that this recipe passed every one of my internal quality tests. Since I lowered the fire before adding the cheese sauce, the consistency of the soup remained silky smooth with absolutely no curdling, even after refrigeration and re-heat. Two reheats actually, but who’s counting how many bowls I ate???
And the roasted veggies give the soup pops of crunchiness throughout its creamy texture, which was exactly the contrast that I was looking for when I began developing the recipe. Yep.
All in all, this dish is a multi-dimensional taste and texture experience that’s now on Mark and my’s permanent coolish-weather comfort food radar. Share this gluten free broccoli and cauliflower cheese soup with those who’ll appreciate the surprise crispy bites swimming in a piping hot sea of four-cheese creamy deliciousness. And see y’all on the yum side…
Gluten Free Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Soup
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 20 mins
Course: Appetizer/ Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: broccoli cauliflower soup, broccoli cheese soup, gluten free broccoli cauliflower cheese soup, gluten free broccoli cheese soup
Author: Lyn Corinne Liner | A Sprinkling of Cayenne

Ingredients
  • 2 Skillet Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 1 chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 chopped celery stalk
  • 4 tablespoons butter or oil, divided
  • 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • 2 tablespoons tapioca flour or arrowroot starch
  • 2 cups milk or half-n-half
  • 1 cup Velveeta cheese, cubed
  • 4 ounces softened cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
  • salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
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Instructions
  1. Prepare a double batch of Skillet Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower. You can use the same-sized cast iron skillet, but flip the roasting veggies over a few more times throughout the baking process. Cook for an additional 5 minutes if the veggies are crisp-tender 25 to 30 minutes. 
  2. Set broccoli and cauliflower with garlic slices aside. When cooled, pulse in food processor or blender until crumbled. Set aside. 
  3. In a separate large soup pot, preferably cast iron enameled, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Brown the onion, bell pepper and celery in the butter. 
  4. Add the chicken stock and all of the whole and crumbled broccoli, cauliflower and garlic slices from the skillet roast to the pot. Heat to a rolling boil. 
  5. Melt the remaining butter in a separate, medium-sized saucepan. Whisk in the tapioca flour or arrowroot starch until a blond roux forms. 
  6. Add the milk or half-n-half to the pot. Stir in the cheeses one by one, and mix well until all of the cheese is melted. Add the garlic powder, onion, and salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to the cheese mixture. 
  7. Turn the simmering vegetables in the chicken broth down to low heat. When the heat has been turned down for at least 1 minute, stir the cheese mixture into the soup pot. 
  8. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, then remove from heat and serve.