This delicious Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup can be ready in minutes, and is just like Panera’s classic soup. With the goodness of broccoli and carrots, this creamy cheesy soup is so comforting; the whole family will love it!
With the fall weather in full swing, I have been craving soup. What could be better than this delicious cheesy goodness? You know what I mean if you love cheese…and soups!
Table of Contents
Watch How to Make Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Easy Panera Copycat Broccoli Cheese Soup
I used to have this soup at cafes and wondered how they made it so creamy and comforting. Ooooh…the yummy broccoli and carrots in a delicious cheesy base. Now I make this soup in the comfort of my home in the amazing Instant Pot!
I love making soups in the Instant Pot, so quick and so delicious. I have over 20 Instant Pot Soup recipes. I must say, this Broccoli Cheddar Soup is one of my family’s favorites. So rich, creamy, and cheesy…it is heavenly!
Don’t want cheese? Check out this Thai Butternut Squash Soup and this Vegan Cauliflower Soup. For an easy dump-and-go soup in the Instant Pot, check out this Vegetarian Taco Soup.
One of the star ingredients in this soup, broccoli, comes packed with nutrition. Even though the soup is called broccoli cheddar, I add carrots and onions too. I love the added nutrition from all the veggies disguised in this creamy soup.
How to make Broccoli & Cheese Soup in the Pressure Cooker?
This is a super quick recipe, just make sure you have cheddar cheese at home. I made this soup in an Instant Pot, but it can easily be made in a stovetop pressure cooker or in a pot on the stovetop; just allow extra time to make the soup creamy.
Main Ingredients
Broccoli – I used fresh broccoli in this recipe. I have also tried this soup with frozen broccoli, and it works great. So go for what you have on hand. You can keep the broccoli pieces big or dice them; they will be super soft after pressure-cooking and will mix seamlessly into the soup.
Carrots – I like to add carrots to this soup as well. I grated the carrots, as my family prefers them that way. You can dice finely if you want. Just a couple of carrots or one large carrot.
Cheese – I prefer medium or sharp cheddar in this recipe. Also, my preference is to always grate cheese freshly at home.
Roux – I add a roux made on the stovetop with butter, flour, and milk to thicken this soup. Other options for thickening the soup are a cornstarch slurry or just heavy cream. We love the creaminess of the roux, and it is our preferred method.
Broth – You can use vegetable or chicken broth in this recipe. I use Better Than Bouillon to make the broth. It is easy to have this in the refrigerator and make broth whenever I need it for a recipe.
Method
- Let’s get started. First, start the Instant Pot on SAUTE mode and melt the butter. Then add the diced onions and minced garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Add broccoli, carrots, seasoning, and broth. Mix it all well.
- Close the lid and pressure cook. When the Instant Pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally.
When the pressure cooking is done, melt butter in a stovetop saucepan. Add the flour and sauté for 1 minute, until it is cooked. Whisk in the milk a little at a time until you have a smooth, thick consistency.
- Open the Instant Pot lid after the pressure has released. Stir in the roux you prepared on the stovetop. Add the cheddar cheese gradually, stirring continuously, until it melts.
- If you like a smooth soup, use a whisk for stirring. If you like it chunkier, then use a regular ladle to stir in the cheese.
- Press sauté and let the soup simmer for a couple of minutes.
The soup is ready to be served. Serve in a regular bowl or a bread bowl; it is delicious either way!
Top with grated cheese, or dip some crusty bread into it to enjoy this soup. If you like it spicy, sprinkle some chili flakes or hot sauce!
Tips
- I highly recommend buying a block of cheese and shredding it at home. The store-bought pre-shredded cheese does not melt as well because it has a coating to keep it from clumping in the bag.
- You can make this soup smooth or chunky based on your preference. My kids like it smoother, so I used a whisk when mixing the soup after pressure cooking. You can also use a hand blender to make this soup smooth.
- Vegan variation: To make this recipe vegan, replace the butter with your favorite plant-based oil or use vegan butter. One reader used Daiya vegan cheese and almond milk, and it melted perfectly to make a creamy vegan soup.
- No Flour / Gluten-free variation: Skip the all-purpose flour to make this soup gluten-free. Add the extra butter from step 1 to the Instant Pot, then cream/milk after pressure cooking is done.
- This recipe is already low-carb. You can reduce the carbs even further by replacing the roux with just heavy cream and reducing the amount of onions and carrots in the recipe.
- Don’t be afraid of the butter and cheese to get the authentic cafe-style flavors at home.
Common Questions
Yes, frozen broccoli works great in this recipe. The same cooking time will work for frozen broccoli. You can also use a mix of cauliflower and broccoli.
Yes! You can follow the steps in the recipe, but add an extra cup of broth and let the veggies simmer in it for about 15-20 minutes, until tender.
Let the soup cool completely. Then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Sure, the cooking time will remain the same even if you half or double the recipe.
Try this recipe and let me know how you like it. If you are looking for more soup options, check out this collection of 17 Instant Pot Vegetarian Soup recipes for more delicious soups!
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Video
Ingredients
Seasoning (adjust to taste)
- Salt, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
For stovetop
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 2 tablespoon All purpose flour
- 1 cup Milk , or cream
Instructions
- Start the Instant Pot in SAUTE mode and melt butter in it. Add diced onions and minced garlic, and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add broccoli, carrots, seasoning, and broth. Mix it all well. Press Cancel and close the Instant Pot lid with the vent in sealing position.
- Set the Instant Pot on MANUAL or pressure cook mode at high pressure for 5 minutes.
- When the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid.
On Stovetop
- When the pressure cooking is done, melt butter in a stovetop saucepan. Add the flour and saute for a minute until it is cooked. Whisk in the milk, a little bit at a time, until you have a smooth, thick consistency.
Mix it together
- Stir in the roux prepared on the stovetop and the cheddar cheese gradually to the instant pot, stirring continuously, until it melts.
- Change the Instant Pot to SAUTE mode and let the soup simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Soup is ready to be served. Garnish with some grated cheese, black pepper or red chili flakes and enjoy with crusty bread.
Notes
- In step 1, add all the butter (including what is mentioned in the stovetop section). Add diced onions and minced garlic, and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add flour and saute for a minute until it is cooked. Add the broth and mix it well with the flour to a smooth consistency. Add broccoli, carrots, and seasoning.
- After this, follow the steps to close the lid and pressure cook. Stir in the cream after releasing pressure. Stovetop steps can be skipped.
To be honest, not a fan. I feel like the broccoli was overcooked, but that’s a personal preference. If I try it again I’d cook for 2 minutes and do a quick release.
Hi Mary – Thanks for sharing your feedback. I hope you enjoy it with lesser cooking time.
Turned out delicious!
Has anyone tried freezing? I’d love to make a bigger batch next time ans freeze leftover
Delicious and super easy. I rough chopped everything to include the carrots and before adding the roux and cheese, used the immersion blender a bit to blend for smaller chunks! Amazing flavor and so, so easy!
Hi Kelly – That’s a great twist! Blending the soup for smaller chunks sounds like a perfect way to customize the texture. So glad you enjoyed it!