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Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup is a velvety cheesy blend of tender broccoli florets, carrots, rich cheddar cheese, in a seasoned broth base. Let the instant pot do all the work for this creamy broccoli cheddar soup.
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
Make the best broccoli cheddar soup in one-pot in the instant pot! The creamy texture of this broccoli cheddar soup recipe makes it perfect for those chilly nights with some buttery soft One Hour Rolls.
​If you prefer the smooth melt of Velveeta cheese then be sure and try my stove top Broccoli Cheese Soup. It’s also made in one-pot but on the stove top, and it specifically calls for frozen broccoli so it’s a great recipe to make with some leftover frozen veggies.
Ingredients Needed (and Substitution Ideas)
- Butter – Use salted butter or unsalted butter, whichever you prefer cooking with.
- Diced Onion – A yellow onion or white onion are the best choices. Yellow onion is much more milder in flavor so that is usually the one I recommend.
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper – Adjust this as needed for your salt preferences. This can vary depending on if you use full salt broth, salt-free broth, or reduced-sodium broth.
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic cloves that have been pressed or minced, use garlic paste, or chopped garlic from a jar.
- Matchstick Carrots – Look in the produce section for a bag of shredded matchstick carrots for this recipe. Just dump them in and go! Super quick and easy.
- Fresh Broccoli Florets – Buy a head of broccoli and chop it into small florets or purchase a bag of already cut broccoli florets. I don’t recommend using frozen broccoli in this easy soup recipe, but if absolutely necessary, it can be used.
- Chicken Broth – Chicken stock can also be used or vegetable stock or vegetable broth can be used for a meat-free alternative.
- Cornstarch Slurry – This is a simple mix of cornstarch + cold water. The cornstarch makes this soup gluten-free because there is no flour as the thickener.
- Cheddar Cheese – Use your favorite cheddar cheese like sharp cheddar cheese, medium, or mild. I prefer using medium cheddar cheese in this creamy soup.
- Colby Monterey Jack Cheese – Two different varieties of cheese make this soup really flavorful, cheesy, and delicious. Make sure you use an 8 one block of cheese and shred your own cheese using a box grater.
- Heavy Cream – If you want the creamiest, thickest, and most velvety soup then this ingredient is a must! Half and half is a suitable substitution for a lower-fat soup. Whole milk can be used but the soup won’t be nearly as thick and creamy. If using anything other than heavy cream you may want to reduce the amount of milk you add to the soup, to prevent it from thinning out too much.
Step-by-Step Instructions For Making Cheesy Broccoli Soup (Recipe Card Below)
Add the butter into the insert of the Instant Pot and turn on the sauté function. Once melted, add in the finely diced onion, salt, and pepper. Let it cook, while stirring constantly, until softened. About 3-5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, while stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant. Turn off the sauté function.
Stir in the broccoli florets, matchstick carrots, and chicken broth.
Close the lid and ensure the Instant Pot is locked in and the vent is in the ‘sealed’ position. Cook on HIGH pressure for 1 minute. It will take about 8 minutes to come up to pressure and then the 1 minute cook time will start.
While the soup is cooking, stir together the cold water and cornstarch in a small bowl.
When the instant pot beeps (the timer is done) do a quick pressure release of the steam (move the valve to the ‘venting’ position) and release all the steam. Open the lid and mix it well.
Slowly add in handfuls of the shredded cheese while stirring constantly.
Turn the sauté function back on and pour in the heavy cream and cornstarch slurry. Mix and stir it well until the soup is bubbly and thickened. About 2-3 minutes.Â
How To Store Leftover Broccoli Cheddar Soup
After cooling the soup to room temperature, put the soup into an airtight container and place it in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat the soup, warm it up by cooking it on the stove top inside a saucepan, or place the desired amount in a microwave-safe bowl and reheat until warmed through.
​This delicious soup can also be frozen. Store the cooled soup inside a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight or heat it from frozen until warmed through. Please be aware that the texture of the soup may change, and you may need to add additional broth or water to return it to your desired consistency.
Tips For Making This Delicious Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This one-pot soup recipe can save you lots of time and cook prep on busy evenings; these tips and tricks will help it be even better so you get the best results each time for your own family.
- Chopped Veggies : It’s important to cut the broccoli florets and onion into small pieces. Since the cook time is so short, your ingredients much be consistent and small in size to allow them to cook correctly. I prefer very finely diced onion and then I cut the broccoli into small, bite-sized floret pieces.
- Instant pot Sauté Function Tips : To avoid the dreaded burn notice make sure you are stirring very frequently, even constantly stirring, while the onions are cooking in the butter on the sauté function of the pressure cooker. The burn notice happened when there are burnt or stuck on bits of food. So make sure you scrape it good and stir it very frequently to avoid that.
- Serving Suggestions :Â Serve this delicious soup inside bread bowls, alongside some crusty bread, French bread, homemade rolls, or store-bought bakery rolls. You can also garnish the soup with croutons or shredded cheese. There are some frozen rolls that you can bake n’ serve that are really good too. I love the frozen crusty rolls from the Rhodes brand.
- Cheese : My #1 tip is to buy the small 8 ounce blocks of cheese and shred the cheese yourself! It makes such a huge difference, especially in soup recipes where you want that smooth and creamy cheese melt. Of course, if necessary, you can use a bag of pre-shredded cheese. An 8-ounce bag of shredded cheese is the same as the 8-ounce block of cheese or 2 cups shredded cheese.
- Immersion Blender : If you prefer a smoother soup, use an immersion blender to blend it up (to your preference) inside the instant pot before serving it. You can also remove some of the soup from the Instant Pot and blend it up inside a blender – add it back into the soup and stir well.
More Instant Pot Recipes To Try
- Perfect Instant Pot Baked Ziti
- Instant Pot Crack Chicken
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Potato Corn Chowder
- Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
- Instant Pot Country Style Ribs
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves (chopped, pressed, or paste)
- 1 box (32 oz) chicken broth
- 4 cups chopped broccoli florets (fresh broccoli)
- 1½ cups matchstick carrots
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (mild, medium, or sharp cheddar)
- 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
- 2 cups heavy cream
Cornstarch Slurry
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
Instructions
- Add the butter into the insert of the Instant Pot and turn on the sauté function. Once melted, add in the finely diced onion, salt, and pepper. Let it cook, while stirring constantly, until softened. About 3-5 minutes.Â3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 small yellow onion, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, while stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant. Turn off the sauté function and scrape the bottom of the instant pot to remove any stuck on food bits.3 garlic cloves
- Stir in the chicken broth, broccoli florets, and matchstick carrots.1 box (32 oz) chicken broth, 4 cups chopped broccoli florets, 1½ cups matchstick carrots
- Close the lid and ensure the Instant Pot lid is locked in and the vent is in the 'sealed' position. Cook on HIGH pressure for 1 minute.* It will take about 8 minutes to come up to pressure and then the 1 minute cook time will start.Â
- While the soup is cooking stir together the cornstarch slurry by mixing the water and cornstarch with a fork. Set aside.1/4 cup cold water, 1/4 cup cornstarch
- When the instant pot beeps (the timer is done) do a quick pressure release of the steam (move the valve to the 'venting' position) and release all the steam.
- Slowly add in handfuls of the shredded cheeses while stirring constantly.Â2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
- Turn the sauté function back on and pour in the heavy cream and cornstarch slurry. Mix and stir it well until the soup is bubbly and thickened. About 2-3 minutes.2 cups heavy cream
Notes
Nutrition
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