Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

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!

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

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!