This Instant pot broccoli cheddar soup is one of my favorite easy soup recipes. It’s such an easy dinner recipe that the whole family will enjoy. You’re going to love this ultimate cheesy comfort meal.
Make delicious broccoli cheese soup recipe in 20 minutes with your instant pot. Best served in a bread bowl or with a baguette just like the classic broccoli cheddar soup from Panera bread. Or if you are gluten-free like me, then our gluten free sourdough bread or gluten free biscuits are a great option.
Instant pot soup recipes are great but there are so many other things you can make. Recipes ranging from instant pot bacon, instant pot jasmine rice, instant pot hamburger soup, instant pot chicken noodle soup, instant pot lasagna and gluten free Mac and cheese to instant pot pasta. The options are truly endless to what you can make in an electric pressure cooker.
One of the reasons I love my instant pot is that it cooks so fast with very minimal effort. My go-to vegetable lately has been instant pot carrots because they’re easy and quick. This Instant Pot chicken pasta is another quick and delicious Instant Pot dish.
If you’re looking for something on the sweeter side, my cinnamon roll french toast casserole and my instant pot apple crisp are always crowd pleasers. I love having something to satisfy my sweet tooth after eating the perfect comfort food like this soup.
How healthy is broccoli cheddar soup?
Homemade broccoli cheddar soup is healthier than store-bought or restaurant soup in many ways. For example, homemade soup contains 8g of fat while store-bought soup contains 20g of fat.
The cauliflower gives it even more fiber than traditional soup of this flavor. Plus, you’re able to control the ingredients when you made broccoli cheese soup at home!
Like our instant pot meatballs, Mississippi chicken instant pot style, and creamy Italian chicken, it is a full family meal that everyone will love!
What’s in instant pot broccoli cheddar soup?
There’s many different recipes for broccoli cheese soup but this one has only five simple ingredients. See the recipe card for details.
Cauliflower
You won’t actually taste the cauliflower at large in this recipe because it’s blended in the base. It’s a great way to make the soup thicker while also adding more vegetables.
Broccoli
I like using fresh broccoli florets because this recipe because it holds it’s flavor better than frozen broccoli does. But you can use frozen broccoli if needed.
Cornstarch
Cornstarch acts as a thickening agent in soups. You can use more if you like a thicker soup.
Milk
Using whole, skim, or 2% milk instead of chicken broth or vegetable broth makes this recipe thick and creamy. If you want extra creamy soup, feel free to add some heavy cream. You can substitute with any plant based milk like almond milk but it will likely alter the texture.
Cheddar Cheese
I prefer to use sharp cheddar cheese but normal cheddar or a cheddar blend will also work. You can even use dairy free cheese!
How to make broccoli cheddar soup
The instant pot does most of the work for this delicious broccoli cheddar soup. See the recipe card for the full list of instructions.
Step 1: Set Instant Pot to manual mode and 0 minutes and steam broccoli inside using a steamer basket for the time set (0 minutes), once cooked remove and set aside
Step 2: Steam cauliflower for 2 minutes on manual mode
Step 3: In a measuring cup, mix 1/2 cup milk with corn starch until thoroughly mixed
Step 4: Using an immersion blender or food processor, blend cauliflower and milk/cornstarch mix until smooth
Step 5: Add remaining milk and cheese to the cornstarch slurry and stir to combine until cheese is melted (you can also use the immersion blender again here)
Step 6: Gently stir in the broccoli and enjoy
Pro tip: Add spices like black pepper, red pepper flakes, more grated cheese, or even hot sauce for extra flavorful soup.
Expert tips and FAQs
Pre-shredded cheese is coated with an anti-caking agent that makes it difficult to melt. Using a block of cheese and freshly grating it will ensure your cheese melts smoothly.
Instant pot broccoli cheese soup is good for 3-4 days in the fridge. Make sure your soup is completely cooled to room temperature before storing in an airtight container. You can reheat leftover soup the microwave or on the stovetop.
Yes this broccoli cheddar soup is low carb and safe to eat on a keto diet. If you’re not following a low-carb diet, feel free to serve this recipe with garlic bread or in a bread bowl.
You can easily switch out the dairy milk and cheese with dairy free versions. It’s great!
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Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower (roughly 5 cups)
- 16 ounces broccoli
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 3/4 cups milk
- 2 cups cheddar cheese (12 ounces)
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to manual mode and 0 minutes and steam broccoli inside using a steamer basket for the time set (0 minutes), once cooked remove and set aside
- Steam cauliflower for 2 minutes on manual mode
- In a measuring cup, mix 1/2 cup milk with corn starch until thoroughly mixed
- Using an immersion blender, blend cauliflower and milk/cornstarch mix until smooth
- Add remaining milk and cheese and stir to combine until cheese is melted (you can also use the immersion blender again here)
- Gently stir in the broccoli and enjoy
SammyD says
Found the recipe really easy to follow, but the end product was a little bland. Any tips to flavor it up?
Chandice says
Hi Sammy, I am sorry to hear that you needed more flavor. I would probably add some more regular salt, black pepper and maybe a bit of garlic.
Cache says
Can you use frozen cauliflower & broccoli? I’d so, what’s the adjusted cook time on the ip?
Chandice says
Yes, I would cut the time in half but I haven’t tried it so I am not entirely sure…
JimVJ says
Looks lovely.
What’s the approximate weight of the cauliflower & the cheese?
Thanks.
Chandice says
I added it to the recipe. 🙂
Asa says
Broccoli cheddar soup is my all time FAVORITE. I don’t make it super often though because it typically takes a while. But with this recipe, I save so much time! Instant Pots are the best. Thank you so much for sharing!
Teralee Williams says
My FAVORITE Broccoli Cheese Soup by far!!