Broccoli & Cheese Soup: Gluten & Potato Free!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 Onion (Does not need to be cut small since they will end up blended)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 5 twigs of fresh thyme, remove the leaves from twigs
• 1/4 Cup Brown Rice flour
• 3 cups chicken stock or canned, low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 Cup of stir fry slaw (Broccoli Slaw with chunks of whole broccoli)
• 1/2 cup Coconut milk
• 1 1/4 cups shredded medium Cheddar
• Croutons, for garnish, recipe follows

Directions

In a medium pot, melt the 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme cook, stirring, until fragrant, for 20 seconds. Add the flour and cook, stirring until the mixture is well blended and smells fragrant, 2 minutes. Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and puree with a hand-held immersion blender. (Alternatively, in batches, puree in a blender or food processor and return to the pot.) Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, until tender, for 10 minutes.
Add the milk and bring to bare simmer to heat through. Add the cheese and cook over low heat, stirring, until melted. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter, stirring to blend.
Remove from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls.