Making Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup, with tender pieces of broccoli in a cheesy, creamy soup, if so quick you won’t even believe it when you taste how good it is.
» You might also like Easy Instant Pot Clam Chowder or Easy Instant Pot Borscht.
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If you’re not quite sure what to do with the broccoli you have in the fridge, this Broccoli Cheddar Soup is calling your name. This is one of my absolute favorite soups.
It has a nice creamy broth that is packed with tender broccoli, making one satisfying and filling soup that you’ll want to eat again and again.
Ingredients in Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Broccoli – You’ll need one small to medium head of broccoli, roughly chopped. Or save yourself some time and buy a bag of broccoli florets, already chopped.
- Butter – saute the veggies in butter for extra flavor. If you don’t want to use butter, you can use olive oil instead.
- Onion, celery, and garlic
- Chicken broth – Use a low-sodium chicken broth or sub with water and chicken bouillon cubes
- Salt and pepper
- Shredded cheddar – A medium to sharp cheddar works best for flavor, but don’t use an aged or vintage cheddar which won’t melt as easily
- Corn starch and water – This is to make a slurry that you add to the soup to thicken it.
- Cream – Use heavy whipping cream for a thick and rich soup, otherwise you can use milk or half and half.
How to Make Broccoli Cheese Soup
Turn on saute mode on the Instant Pot and let it get hot. Add the butter and let it melt. When melted, add the onion and celery. Saute for 3-5 minutes, until they’re a little softened. Turn off saute mode.
Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. You don’t want to let the garlic burn, so watch it closely and be ready to add the next ingredients.
Add the broccoli, chicken broth, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir it all up and scrap up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
Lock on the lid and set the vent to sealing (if that’s necessary for your model). Press the pressure cook button and set the time to 1 minute. Yep, just 1 minute. It will take about 5 minutes to come up to pressure.
When done, allow for a 5-minute natural pressure release, then manually release remaining pressure.
Add the shredded cheese to the pot and stir until the cheese is completely melted.
To thicken the soup, press the sauté mode again and set it to low (if available on your model). Stir together the corn starch and water in a small bowl, then pour it into the soup. Stir and cook for 2-5 minutes, until it’s thicken a little. Turn off sauté mode.
When the boiling has stopped, pour in the cream or milk. Stir it all together. Serve immediately with extra cheddar cheese and red pepper flakes as garnish, if desired.
Thickening the Soup
The soup will be a little soupy and thin after pressure cooking. It will be necessary to thicken the soup, if you want it more creamy and thick. I do this by adding a corn starch slurry, which is just equal parts corn starch and cold water. About 1 tablespoon is all that’s needed, but if it’s still not thick enough for you, you can add 2 tablespoons.
Why Use An Instant Pot?
The Instant Pot is one of the most useful kitchen appliances you can buy, because it drastically cuts down on the cooking time for developing flavors in soups and stews, getting tough cuts of meat tender, and even baking a cheesecake. And there are many accessories that will help you get more out of your Instant Pot.
If you don’t have one yet, check out our guide on which one to buy. Also see our guide to How to Use an Instant Pot for more information.
- Don’t Have an Instant Pot Yet? This guide can help you choose the right one.
- See reviews and prices for Instant Pots on Amazon.
- Learn some great Instant Pot Tips & Tricks.
- Click to find more recipes to make in your Instant Pot.
Can I Freeze Broccoli Cheese Soup?
Due to the cheese and cream in this soup, it doesn’t freeze well. When you reheat it, the cream will separate and may or may not be able to reincorporate into the broth. I think the soup is best enjoyed right away. You can keep left overs in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
What Type of Cheese to Use
This recipe is made with cheddar cheese. You can add medium or vintage cheddar. I use a medium white cheddar.
You can use other cheeses, if you want to try something different. The best cheeses for melting in soup are cheddar, fontina, Gruyere and swiss. You can also use Monterey Jack.
I don’t recommend a mild or stringy cheese, like mozzarella, because it doesn’t incorporate into the soup very well. It will end up being a glob of cheese at the bottom of the pot, or so stringy that it doesn’t mix in.
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Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Note: Made in a 6-qt Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 1/2 cup celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 cups broccoli roughly chopped
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheddar plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 cup cream milk or half and half
Instructions
- Turn on saute mode on the Instant Pot and let it get hot. Add the butter. When melted, add the onion and celery. Saute for 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic. Saute for 30 seconds.
- Turn off saute mode.
- Add the broccoli, chicken broth, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir.
- Lock on the lid and set the vent to sealing (if necessary for your model).
- Press the pressure cook button and set the time to 1 minute. When done, allow for a 5 minute natural pressure release, then manually release remaining pressure.
- Add the cheese and stir until melted.
- Press the saute mode again and set it to low (if available on your model).
- Stir together the corn starch and water in a small bowl. Pour it into the soup. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off saute mode.
- When the boiling has stopped, pour in the cream or milk. Stir it all together. Serve immediately with extra cheddar cheese and red pepper flakes as garnish, if desired.
Nutrition
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Laura is a passionate home cook and the owner of A Pressure Cooker Kitchen. She is dedicated to helping people create delicious Instant Pot meals with ease. Laura is an expert at developing recipes that can be prepared quickly and easily using a pressure cooker.
I haven’t tried it but it sounds delicious.