Easy and delicious Broccoli Cheddar soup that can be ready in minutes in the Instant Pot. I used to have this soup at cafe's and wondered how they make this creamy comforting soup. 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! You could very much call this a Panera Copycat Broccoli Cheddar soup.
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!
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.
Even thought the name of the soup is broccoli cheddar, I adds carrots and onions too. I love the added nutrition from all the veggies disguised in this creamy soup.
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 normal pressure cooker or in a pot on the stovetop, just allow extra time to make the soup creamy.
Try this recipe and let me know if 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!
Blast from the past:
- Recipe posted 3 months ago: Beet Pilaf / Rice
- Recipe posted 6 months ago: Thai Panang Curry Chicken
- Recipe posted 9 months ago: Bulgur or Broken Wheat Pilaf
Broccoli Cheddar Soup - Instant Pot
Ingredients
Seasoning (adjust to taste)
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Red Chili Flakes
For stovetop
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 tbsp All purpose flour
- 1 cup Cream heavy whipping or Milk
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 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 on a stovetop saucepan. Add the flour and saute for a minute until it is cooked. Whisk in the cream/milk, a little bit at a time, until you have a smooth thick consistency.
Mix it together
- Change the instant pot to SAUTE mode. Stir in the sauce you prepared on stovetop. Add the cheddar cheese gradually, stirring continuously, until it melts. Press Cancel.
- Soup is ready to be served.
Notes
- I have used Better Than Bullion base to make broth. It is just easier to keep at hand for all my cooking.
- I used only cheddar cheese in this recipe. If you like, you can add other cheeses you love.
- No Flour / Gluten-free variation: Skip the all-purpose flour to make this soup gluten-free. Add the extra butter in step 1 to the instant pot and cream/milk after pressure cooking is done.
- No cream variation: Some readers have tried this soup with milk, in place of cream and they loved it. It was a thinner consistency, but the same great taste.
- This recipe was created in a 6qt Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-use Pressure Cooker.
- This recipe has been updated to not cook flour under pressure. The previous recipe instructions were requested by some readers, so I am sharing the changes here -
- In step 1, add all the butter (including what is mentioned in 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.
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
Check out other soups made in the instant pot -
This recipe looks wonderful! Do you have any idea if it can be frozen?
My fiancé and I love this recipe so much! I often make it for us in the fall and winter and serve it with crusty bread. So delicious! Thank you!
Hi Alexandra - So good to hear that. Thank you for sharing it. 🙂
wondering why you would not want to cook the flour under pressure?
Hi Marissa - It is recommended to not cook thick liquids under pressure, which is why I changed the method.
Can this soup be frozen, since it has cream in it?
Hi Joanne - You can freeze the pressure cooked soup before adding in the stovetop sauce. Or just without the cream and then add the cream when reheating the soup.
This soup is absolutely delicious. Even better than Panera. What I liked about your recipe was that you gave the actual amount of vegetables to use. So often recipes call for 'head of broccoli' or '2 carrots' and I never know exactly how much that should be. Your amounts were perfect.
This is my go to soup when I have lots of broccoli that needs to be used up. Absolutely delicious!