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    Popular » Recipes » Instant Pot

    Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure for more information. Published: Aug 30, 2021 by Dee

    Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup is creamy, rich, thick and delicious. This pressure cooker soup recipe is better than Panera Bread. It's homemade and ready about 30 minutes! via @meamel

    Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup is creamy, rich, thick and delicious. This pressure cooker soup recipe is better than Panera Bread. It's homemade and ready about 30 minutes!

    Jump to Recipe -
    instant pot broccoli cheddar soup in white bowl
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup in the Instant Pot
    • Cooking Time
    • Tips
    • How to Store and Reheat
    • Recipe
    • Reviews

    If you're looking for a quick and easy homemade, flavorful soup recipe, you're going to love this thick and hearty Instant Pot broccoli cheddar soup. This Instant Pot recipe is a lot like the popular Panera broccoli cheddar soup, only better!

    I love making soup in the pressure cooker! During soup season, I make soup several times a week for either lunch or dinner. Some of our favorite Instant Pot soup recipes include Zuppa Toscana, Kielbasa Cabbage Soup, Creamy Lasagna Soup and Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup.

    Instant Pot broccoli cheese soup is the perfect recipe for Meatless Monday or whenever you want a vegetarian soup. Also, there is no flour in this broccoli cheddar soup recipe, and it's pretty low carb.

    This is a great recipe to try when you are craving comfort food!

    Ingredients

    The ingredients for broccoli cheddar soup are simple and easy to find in your grocery store. You may already have these ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry:

    • Broccoli florets -- Use fresh broccoli florets instead of frozen broccoli for best results
    • Grated carrots -- grate your own or buy pre shredded
    • Onion
    • Celery
    • Butter -- use unsalted butter or regular
    • Chicken broth or chicken stock-- Use vegetable broth to keep vegetarian
    • Cheddar cheese -- Sharp cheddar, mild cheddar or a cheddar blend
    • Heavy cream
    • Salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika

    How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup in the Instant Pot

    This pressure cooker broccoli cheese soup recipe does require a little bit of prep work, but it all comes together quickly. To make prep even easier, you can use prepackaged cut broccoli and matchstick or grated carrots.

    You don't have to chop the broccoli that much because it will break down while cooking. I like to have different sizes so the larger pieces will hold up better after cooking, but it's just a personal preference.

    First, you melt the butter in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Then, sauté chopped onions and celery on sauté mode in your Instant Pot. Now, you stir in your chopped broccoli pieces, grated carrots, and seasoning.

    broccoli florets and carrots in the instant pot

    Next, add a carton of chicken broth or vegetable broth, to keep the soup vegetarian. You can use 4 cups of homemade chicken broth or Better than Bullion and water.

    Place the lid on the pressure cooker, and make sure then vent is set to sealing. Some models will seal automatically.

    Cooking Time

    The cook time is 2 minutes on high pressure. The Instant Pot will take about 10 to 15 minutes to reach pressure. After that, it's just 2 minutes for the actual pressure cooking time.

    When the pot beeps, do a quick release. The broccoli is super soft, and you can easily break up the cooked broccoli into smaller pieces of broccoli. No need for an immersion blender.

    Now, make a cornstarch slurry. What is a cornstarch slurry? Slurry is just a mix of equal parts cornstarch and cold water that helps to thicken soups, sauces and stews.

    stir cornstarch slurry into soup

    Turn your Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Wait until the soup starts to bubble. Then, stir cornstarch and water together in a small bowl to make a cornstarch slurry.

    Next, stir the slurry into the bubbling soup. You want to let the soup cook for a minute and thicken up.

    If you don't have any cornstarch, don't worry. It's not absolutely necessary, but it does help to thicken the soup.

    stir cream and cheese into soup

    Turn the sauté setting off, and switch to keep warm mode. Now, stir in a cup of heavy cream.

    Then, stir in one cup of cheese at a time. I've used prepackaged cheese, but grating your own cheese is so much better and melts better, too.

    One taste of this creamy, cheesy soup, and you'll see why this is such a popular recipe! Even meat lovers love this soup!

    broccoli cheese soup in ladle over instant pot

    Tips

    You can use mild cheddar or sharp cheddar cheese for extra flavor. Use Colby or Monterey Jack for extra creaminess.

    Serve this creamy soup with more cheese on the side and maybe homemade Rosemary Beer Bread, breadsticks or dinner rolls. You can even serve the soup in a bread bowl if you like.

    The soup thickens up as it sits. If you think it seems thin, allow it to cool off in soup bowls before serving. Or, turn off the keep warm setting and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.

    broccoli cheddar cheese soup in a white bowl with shredded cheese on the side

    How to Store and Reheat

    Store leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat the leftover broccoli cheese soup in your microwave in individual bowls or in the Instant Pot on the Saute function.

    Freeze broccoli cheddar soup in a freezer safe container or freezer bags for up to 3 months for best taste and quality.

    Recipe

    bowl of instant pot broccoli cheddar cheese soup on the table

    Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup

    Published by Dee
    Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup is creamy, rich, thick and delicious. This pressure cooker soup recipe is better than Panera Bread. It's homemade and ready about 30 minutes!
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Recipe Share by Email
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    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 2 mins
    Pressure Time 15 mins
    Total Time 32 mins
    Course Soup
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 325 kcal

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 1 cup chopped onion 1 small
    • 1 celery stalk chopped
    • 1 large carrot peeled and grated
    • 4 cups broccoli florets
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika
    • 32 ounces low sodium chicken broth 4 cups or vegetable broth
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 2 ½ cups cheddar cheese grated

    Cornstarch slurry

    • ¼ cup cornstarch
    • ¼ cup cold water

    Instructions
     

    • Press Sauté on the Instant Pot, add the butter, and sauté the onions and celery until slightly soft
    • Stir in the broccoli florets, grated carrots, salt, garlic powder, pepper and smoked paprika
    • Hit Cancel to turn pot off, then add broth, and place lid on pressure cooker, and make sure valve is at sealing position
    • Hit Pressure Cook for 2 minutes. The pot takes about 10 to 15 minutes to reach pressure. After pressure cooking, do a quick release after pot beeps.
    • When pin drops, remove lid, break up broccoli with a spoon, and hit Cancel. Then, hit Sauté, and mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl until well blended. When soup starts to bubble, stir in the cornstarch slurry and allow to cook for a minute
    • Hit Cancel, then stir in the heavy cream, and 1 cup of cheese at a time until well blended. Use Keep Warm setting until ready to eat or serve immediately. Soup will thicken even more as it cools down

    Notes

    Soup can be made in 6 or 8 quart Instant Pots without changing time or ingredients.
    Use freshly grated cheese for best results, but you can also use prepackaged cheese if that's what you have.

    Nutrition information is estimated. Please do your own calculation to fit special diets.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 325kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 13gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 603mgPotassium: 331mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2727IUVitamin C: 41mgCalcium: 303mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe? Please comment and rate it! Show me your dish on Instagram!Mention @meatloafandmelodrama or tag #meatloafandmelodrama!

    My whole family loves this broccoli cheese soup recipe. Even my picky eaters eat this delicious soup without complaining. I hope this will become one of your favorite soups, too!

    For more easy Instant Pot recipes, be sure to sign up for the weekly newsletter!

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    More Recipes made in the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Patrick says

      September 11, 2021 at 10:50 am

      Making this for good old comfort food today. Good for fall where we are! Kids love this one too!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        September 11, 2021 at 12:19 pm

        Thanks, Patrick! I'm so glad you like it!

    2. Dana says

      September 10, 2021 at 7:44 am

      One of my favorite soups ever, and so easy to make!5 stars

      Reply
    3. Anne says

      September 09, 2021 at 3:53 pm

      I love making this in the fall! It's starting to cool down here so I'll have to make it again!5 stars

      Reply
    4. Shelly says

      September 09, 2021 at 3:52 pm

      I was craving some nice warm soup, but I was tried of the regular chicken noodle soup recipe I use, so I gave this a try and I could not be happier! It is such an easy recipe to make, and the flavors are outstanding. It is also nice and thick and creamy. I will be making this again for sure!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        September 09, 2021 at 4:27 pm

        Thanks, Shelly! I'm so glad you enjoyed the broccoli soup!

    5. James says

      September 12, 2020 at 12:42 pm

      Starting to cool down here so we tried this for dinner last night. Simple and boy was it great! Kids even loved it. Going to make this all the time now.5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        September 12, 2020 at 2:07 pm

        Thank you so much, James! I'm happy you all liked the soup!

    6. Toni Dash says

      September 11, 2020 at 8:18 am

      I love how comforting this is!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        September 12, 2020 at 1:58 pm

        It's definitely comfort food. Thank you, Toni!

    7. Beth says

      September 11, 2020 at 7:11 am

      This is one of son's favorites! 5 stars

      Reply
    8. Patricia says

      September 09, 2020 at 6:12 pm

      One of my all-time favorite soups! Nothing better when there's a chill in the air!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        September 12, 2020 at 1:56 pm

        Thanks, Patricia! It's one of my favorites, too!

    9. Erin says

      September 09, 2020 at 6:05 pm

      This Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup looks so delicious!5 stars

      Reply
    10. Amanda says

      September 09, 2020 at 3:36 pm

      Perfect for those crisp fall evenings!5 stars

      Reply
    11. kerri says

      September 09, 2020 at 3:15 pm

      this looks incredibly delicious - screams comfort!!

      Reply
    12. Jamie says

      September 09, 2020 at 12:09 pm

      This was easily one of favorite soup recipes!

      Reply
      • Dee says

        September 12, 2020 at 1:52 pm

        Awesome! Thank you so much, Jamie!

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    I’m the blogger, chief cook, recipe developer and photographer behind Meatloaf and Melodrama. I absolutely love to create easy, budget-friendly, homemade meals and treats for my family. I also love to think of new ways to repurpose leftovers so that my family will actually eat them!

    More about me →

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