This Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe is easy to make and so creamy and delicious! It’s a comforting soup that my family has grown to love. It has a wholesome combination of broccoli and carrots and an amazingly creamy, cheesy flavor!
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The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup
I’m a fan of Panera soups and love to create similar recipes that we can enjoy in the comfort of our home. Last year, I made this delicious Instant Pot Tomato Soup and it was an instant hit. This time around, my husband and I tried to come up with something very similar to the Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup. My family would say we succeeded!
So if you like the broccoli cheese soup from Panera, you will love my recipe for Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup! You’ll love how easy it is to make and you’ll certainly love how delicious it is.
What to Serve With Broccoli Cheese Soup?
This Pressure Cooker Broccoli and Cheese Soup can be a stand-alone meal. It’s rich, hearty, and filling. If you want to add a little something to it though, crusty garlic bread and a salad are always perfect choices.
You can also serve a smaller bowl of broccoli cheese soup as an appetizer to any meal. It works well when served before any chicken, beef, pork, or seafood dishes. A good sandwich or wrap makes a wonderful companion to this soup also.
Whether you enjoy it by itself or paired with something else, this soup is a creamy and cheesy indulgence.
How to Make Broccoli Cheese Soup in the Instant Pot
This recipe is quick and easy to make but it does require just a little bit of prep before getting started. You will need to rinse and chop the broccoli into bite-sized pieces and shred two carrots. If you’re like me and like things easy, then you can purchase a bag of fresh broccoli already rinsed and cut up for you. You can also pick up a bag of matchstick carrots instead of shredding them yourself.
Additionally, you’ll need to dice half an onion and mince one garlic clove.
Once you have all the veggies and other ingredients prepped, it’s time to set your pressure cooker to ‘Sauté’. To make sure that you don’t end up burning the butter or the onions, adjust the heat level of the pot to ‘Normal’.
Now, add the butter to the pot and let it melt. Sauté the onions in the butter until they are translucent and slightly browned around the edges. You will then add the minced garlic, nutmeg, and pepper to the pot and sauté for a little longer. This will let the garlic and spices release their aroma and develop their flavor.
Cancel out of the ‘Sauté’ function and then add the chicken stock and salt to the pot. Make sure to deglaze the pot and scrape the bottom as you stir to remove any stuck onions or spices. You’ll definitely want to avoid the dreaded burn message keeping you from enjoying a delicious bowl of this comforting soup.
Essential Items
Here are some essential prep tools, utensils, and appliances I used to make this recipe.
Featured Items
Here is a list of the products featured in this post or products similar to those featured in this post:
- Chef’s Knife
- Flexible Cutting Mats
- Garlic Press
- Glass Food Prep Mixing Bowls
- Instant Pot
- Liquid Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Mini Prep Bowls
- Pinch Bowls
- Stackable Measuring Cups
- Whisk
- Bamboo Cooking Utensils
12 Must-Have Instant Pot Cookbooks
If you’re looking for a cookbook with easy and reliable Instant Pot recipes, then check out my list of approved Instant Pot Cookbooks.
You will then add the broccoli and shredded carrots to the pot and mix them into the chicken stock.
Now set the pot to sealing, select the Manual or Pressure Cook setting (depending on your model), and set the pot to cook for “0” minutes. That’s right! Only “0” minutes! I told you this recipe was quick.
While the broccoli is cooking, you will have time to prepare the cream sauce.
Making the Cream Sauce
You’ll mix melted butter with corn starch until you have a thick and creamy mixture. Next, you will add the warmed cream and salt to the mixture and mix until smooth and creamy. Finally, add the warmed milk in and whisk until everything is mixed completely.
Once the broccoli is finished cooking, you will allow for a 2-minute Natural Pressure Release. That means that you will let the pot just sit for another 2 minutes while it naturally releases pressure. Once the pot finishes cooking and begins naturally releasing pressure, the display will read L0:00 and start counting up. You’ll want to release any remaining pressure as soon as the display reads L0:02.
Once you have released the rest of the pressure and when the pin drops, you can open your pressure cooker. Now set it to ‘Sauté’ once again and adjust the heat level to “Less”. Add the cream sauce and bring it to a simmer. Once the soup has reached your desired thickness, add the cheddar cheese one cup at a time and mix it through. Once the cheese is melted, you can turn off your pot. Time to enjoy your Broccoli Cheese Soup!
IT’S YOUR TURN TO MAKE THIS BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP!
Did you make this Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup? I am certain you and your family will love this delicious Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup. Let me know in the comments when you make it!
5-Star Rating: If you loved this soup, I’d appreciate it if you could give it a 5-star rating to show how much you loved it.
MORE QUICK, EASY, AND DELICIOUS RECIPES
Need something delicious to enjoy with your soup? Here are some recipes that will pair well with Broccoli Cheese Soup:
Looking for even more Instant Pot soup recipes? If you’re in the mood for a warm bowl of soup and want more ideas, check out my Instant Pot Soup Recipes post for tons of easy-to-make and delicious-to-eat soup recipes!
QUICK & EASY RECIPES
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Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
TENDER BROCCOLI AND CARROTS IN A CREAMY CHEDDAR SOUP
Essential Equipment
Ingredients
for the Vegetables
- 1 tbsp butter (unsalted)
- ½ medium sweet onion approx ½ cup, diced small
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¾ tsp ground black pepper or to taste
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 cups unsalted chicken stock
- ½ tsp kosher salt or to taste
- 1 lb broccoli florets approx 5 to 5 ½ cups, rinsed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup carrots shredded, about 2 medium-sized carrots
for the Cream Sauce
- ¼ cup butter (unsalted) ½ a stick, melted
- ¼ cup corn starch
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream warmed
- 1 ½ cups whole milk warmed
- ½ tsp kosher salt or to taste
the Cheese
- 2 cups extra-sharp cheddar freshly shredded
Instructions
sauté the Onion, Garlic, and Spices
- Sauté Onion: Turn on ‘Sauté’ and adjust the heat level to ‘Normal’. Allow the pot to heat up until the display reads ‘Hot’. Add the tablespoon of butter to the pot and allow it to melt. Add the chopped onions to the pot and toss until thoroughly coated in the butter. Sauté, tossing occasionally, until the onions become soft, translucent, and slightly browned on the edges. About 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add Garlic and Spices: Add the minced garlic, nutmeg, and pepper to the pot, mix into the onion, and continue to sauté for another 30 seconds, tossing frequently. Turn off ‘Sauté’.
add the Stock and Vegetables
- Add the chicken stock and salt to the pot, stir and deglaze any onion or garlic that may have gotten stuck to the bottom of the liner. Add the broccoli and shredded carrots to the pot and toss in the stock to mix.
set the Cook Time
- 0-Minute Cook Time: Close the Instant Pot, set the pressure release valve to ‘Sealing’ and cook on ‘Manual’ or ‘Pressure Cook’, ‘High Pressure’ for 0 minutes.
prepare the Cream Sauce
- While the broccoli is cooking, prepare the cream sauce by melting ¼ cup of butter1 in the microwave. Add the butter to a medium-sized mixing bowl and slowly whisk in the cornstarch until a thick creamy mixture is formed.
- Warm the cream2 and milk3 in the microwave. Add the warmed cream and salt to the bowl and mix until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Wisk in the warmed milk until completely incorporated.
perform a Natural Pressure Release
- 2-minute NPR: Once the cooking time has completed, allow for a 2-minute Natural Pressure Release. After the 2-minute NPR has finished, open the pressure release valve to release the remaining pressure.
add the Cream Sauce and Cheese
- Open the pot and then set it to ‘Sauté’ and adjust the heat level to ‘Less’. Add the cream sauce to the pot and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, to allow the soup to warm and thicken.
- Once the soup is warmed through and has reached your desired thickness, slowly add the shredded cheese, one cup at a time, stirring in until it melts. Once all the cheese has melted, turn off the Instant Pot.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Notes
1. Melting the butter in the microwave: Cut the ¼ cup of butter into 8 small pieces (about 1/2 a tablespoon each), place in a microwave-safe bowl, and loosely cover with a paper towel. Melt on medium-low (30%) power, checking every 15 seconds until the butter is almost melted. This will take about 2 minutes and 15 seconds. When only a few small solid pieces remain, carefully remove from the microwave and stir until it’s completely melted. You should never melt the butter on high heat because it causes the milk solids to separate and can burn the butter.
2. Warming the cream in the microwave: To warm the ½ cup of heavy cream, pour it into a microwave-safe measuring cup and microwave on medium-high (70%) power for 45 seconds, whisking every 15 seconds to prevent scorching.
3. Warming the milk in the microwave: To warm the 1 ½ cups of milk, pour it into a microwave-safe measuring cup and microwave on medium-high (70%) power for 1 minute 30 seconds, whisking every 15 seconds to prevent scorching.
Love this recipe. Only thing missing is more salt but that can be added for individual taste. Thanks for sharing!
Hi April! Glad you love it! Thank you for stopping by and commenting!
Made this for lunch today and it turned out perfectly. My insta pot didn’t have a 0 setting so I put it to the lowest and soon as it quit reheating to start I turned it off. Didn’t know if the soup would work but it came out perfect. Will defiantly be making this soup again.
Hi Linda! I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup! I appreciate you stopping by and sharing your results!
I only had pre-shredded mild cheddar on hand but it was still so delicious! I did cut the cornstarch in half and it was the perfect consistency. Thank you so much for the yummy recipe!
Hi Rosa! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the soup! Thanks for stopping by the blog!
What is the serving size?
Hi Cari! This soup provides six servings. We use 18 oz Corelle bowls. Hope this helps! Thanks for stopping by.
So delicious and super easy. Thank you
Hi Rhonda! So happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by and commenting with your results!
So good! Had it tonight and doubled the recipe, now I have enough to freeze for lunches. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Kim! I’m so happy that you enjoyed it! Hope the kids liked it too! Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting! I appreciate it!
Have you ever tried freezing the leftovers?
Hi there! I have not tried freezing leftovers. With a family of 7, it’s not something we do often, haha! Let me know if you try to freeze some. Thanks for stopping by!
This was delicious! I made it for lunch today and it was easy and quick. We left out the carrots and doubled the broccoli. Yum!
Hi Kaleena! So happy to hear you loved it! I appreciate you stopping by the blog and commenting!
Just a question on the cook time – ‘0 minutes’. I assume that this means to stop the pressure cooking time just as the InstaPot gets up to pressure since broccoli is so tender to start with and will be done as the pressure releases. Is that correct?
I did make it – absolutely delicious, but was not sure on proper cook time.
Hi Randall! I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup! As for the cook time, you got it, you simply set it to zero and as soon as it comes to pressure it will beep and start counting up the natural pressure release. In the case of this soup, you will manually release the pressure when the display reads L0:02. When you steam just broccoli, you also do a zero minute cook time, but you do a quick pressure release as soon as it’s done. Since this recipe is for soup, we allow it to naturally release for a couple of minutes to avoid any spewing messes and it allows the broccoli to be a bit more tender. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Oh my! I’m not particularly a soup man but I love broccoli and cheese so I gave it a go. And it was fantastic! I halved the recipe, cooked a frozen chicken breast then reserved the broth for the soup. I added the chopped breast after melting the cheese for a meal-in-a-pot. Along with some garlic toast, it was a feast.
Hi David! Yay!! I’m so thankful you tried the recipe on the day I published it! I’m very happy to hear you enjoyed it! I appreciate you leaving a comment and review! Have a wonderful night!