Make this easy and healthy Instant Pot broccoli cheddar soup to warm up your soul on cool winter nights. You can make it in just 20 mins. A perfect recipe for busy weeknight meals.
Do you find broccoli a boring vegetable? I personally feel making soup out of it is one of the ways you can include broccoli into your diet without compromising on the taste.
This is why, I keep trying different types of soup, such as this easy detox broccoli soup or dairy-free creamy broccoli soup, to add this gorgeous veggie into our diet. Making cheddar broccoli soup in an Instant Pot will surely reduce your cooking time and effort.
Try this super easy broccoli soup with cheddar cheese for a comforting meal.
Let’s get started.
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What is special about this dish
- It is rich yet healthier than classic broccoli cheddar soup
- Instant pot makes this soup super easy and quick to prepare
- Perfect for gatherings or parties.
- Nutritious
- Effortless ingredients
Ingredients
- Broccoli – buy organic broccoli whenever possible. Cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cauliflower are usually treated with a heavy dose of pesticides. Therefore, to avoid consuming chemicals, buy organic.
- Potato – I use russet potato in this soup to make it thick and creamy. Peel and dice it into 2-3″ pieces.
- Cheese – use cheddar cheese which helps to thicken the soup while giving a cheesy taste. It melts and makes the soup creamy. Mozerella cheese will not work in this soup as it stretches upon melting.
- Liquid – I always use a 50:50 mixture of either veggie or chicken broth and water in making soups. It does not affect the taste and saves you on broth. However, you can replace the water with broth in the recipe. And if you do not have broth handy, use water and bullion.
- Seasonings – salt and black pepper are enough to season this soup.
- Carrot (optional) – shredded carrots add some nutrition and color to the dish.
Preparation tips
Immerse broccoli heads in a medium-deep bowl in warm water with little salt and vinegar. Soak it for 10-15 mins, rinse well, and then cut into 3-4″ florets. Also peel, rinse, and dice the potato into 2-3″ pieces. Peel the garlic and slice it into thick pieces.
You don’t have to be perfect at cutting the veggies. Everything will be pureed in the end to prepare the creamy soup.
Can I use frozen broccoli?
Yup! You can use frozen broccoli in this recipe. It works equally fine. You don’t have to chop it and change the cooking time in Instant Pot. Preferably, thaw it before using.
How to thicken the broccoli cheese soup?
Blending cooked potatoes in the mixture will help thicken the soup. Also, cheese, after melting, will make it creamy and thick. Adding more cheese will also thicken the soup.
You can also use all-purpose flour to thicken the soup. Lightly roast 1 tablespoon flour in 1 tablespoon oil or butter on low heat, then slowly add liquid to it and whisk simultaneously. Also, make sure not to roast the flour for a long time or on high heat. Browning the flour will change the color of the soup. Follow the remaining steps for cooking broccoli and other ingredients as per the instructions.
How to make Instant Pot broccoli Cheddar soup?
Step 1 – Preparing veggies
Clean and cut broccoli into florets. Peel and dice the potato into cubes. Peel and chop garlic and add everything to the Instant Pot including the broth and water; mix well.
Step 2 – Pressure cooking
Cook the soup mixture on manual high-pressure mode for 3 min. followed by 5 min. NPR and releasing the remaining steam manually thereafter.
Step 3 – Blending and finishing
Using a hand blender, blend the soup. Add cheese, seasonings, and grated carrot and mix well. Serve warm with a slice of toasted bread.
Serving suggestions
- Serve this warm bowl of healthy broccoli cheddar soup with slices of toasted bread or croutons.
- Prepare a chicken sandwich or an Italian veggie sandwich to pair with this soup.
- Serve it on the side of dishes like pasta with peas and pesto, garlic kale pasta, or this healthy pasta with artichokes.
Helpful tips
- You can clean and cut broccoli into florets and store them in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. This will save you some time on the day when you are making the soup.
- Add shredded carrot while adding cheese after blending the cooked broccoli and potatoes. This will give a nice color and texture to the soup.
- Also, do not over-blend the soup mixture if you want chunky pieces of veggies in the soup. Or, cut the broccoli and potato into smaller pieces to skip blending the soup. You can use a potato masher to break large veggie pieces.
Recipe variations
- For more flavors – saute diced onion and garlic in some cooking oil on high saute mode before adding broccoli to the Instant Pot.
- Add parmesan cheese along with cheddar cheese.
- Use some Italian spice blend to season the soup.
- Make it richer – use whole milk or cream and more cheddar cheese
- Dairy-free – you can easily make dairy-free broccoli soup without the cheese. Click the link for the recipe.
- Gluten-free – this soup is gluten-free if you do not use flour to thicken the soup. Use more potato or cream, or cheese to get the desired consistency.
FAQs
You can make this soup ahead of time. I recommend cooking broccoli and other ingredients in the Instant Pot, blending them, and storing the soup blend in the refrigerator. Reheat the blended broccoli soup and bring it to a boil, then add cheddar cheese and mix well. Serve warm.
Let the leftover soup cool down completely, and then store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Soup on storing tends to thicken; add some broth or milk and heat the soup on the stovetop or microwave until steamy hot.
More delicious soups you will like
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium broccoli cut into florets
- 1 russet potato peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 3 ½ cup water plus broth use 1:1
- ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Add broccoli florets, diced potato, and fresh garlic into the Instant Pot
- Add the liquids (broth plus water), mix well, and turn on the Instant Pot in manual high-pressure mode. Cook the mixture for 3 min. and let the pressure release naturally for 5 min, followed by manual pressure release.
- Using a hand blender, blend the soup well. Then add cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper, shredded carrot, and mix well. Serve warm with toasted bread on the side.
Notes
- Consider adding milk and/or cream to make the soup more rich and creamy. This will also lighten the color of the soup.
- Use freshly crushed or powdered black pepper to season the soup. In my experience, It adds a nice flavor.
- Buy good quality cheddar cheese for making this soup. I always buy it in blocks and grate at home for better results. Whenever possible, buy organic (or pasture-raised) cheese.
- Add more cheese for a cheesy soup as per your liking.
- If you are not a fan of carrots, you can skip using them. The soup will still taste great.
- Use good quality vegetable broth or chicken broth to prepare the soup. I always use 1:1 water and broth in making soups. However, you can use only broth – just make sure the total quantity of liquid is the same.
- Do not blend the soup if you want it chunky. Use a potato masher to mash large-sized broccoli florets and potato pieces.
This soup is so easy and delicious! I can’t wait to make this at home.
I made this soup, but prepared it on the stove, and it turned out great! Very flavorful! Will definitely make this soup again!
Totally loving this instant pot broccoli soup already! Looks incredibly delicious and very yummy! This a quick and easy soup for everyone to enjoy and love! A perfect soup for a cold weather! Loved it!
Such a classic and delicious flavor combination! Love making it in the Instant Pot, too — so easy and hands-off!
I’m all about instant pot recipes. Can’t wait to try this one. Looks delicious!