My Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup cooks under pressure for only one minute. One minute is all it takes for a creamy and healthy soup that’s full of warmth and flavor.
My Instant Pot has been places, I tell you. It’s travelled to different counties, to downtown Chicago and of course, to the cornfield where it sits on the tailgate of a pickup. And the pressure cooker isn't just limited to making perfect hard boiled eggs.
And friends, it's ah-mazing when it comes to making soups!
Having Instant Pot recipes as a tool in my kitchen has saved my meal time more times than I can count. From cooking frozen ground beef in the Instant Pot, to quick cooking meals like this one pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup it's a way to get flavor into food fast and minimize cleanup, too!
This Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe is:
- Light
- made with wholesome, real ingredients
- ready in under 15 minutes
- filled with taste like the bowl of soup at your favorite restaurant chain
Ingredients In Broccoli Cheese Soup
- extra virgin olive oil: to saute the vegetable base
- onion: white or yellow both work here. Red onion can be used in a pinch and if you're feeling really fancy, you could use diced shallot.
- red pepper: add color, texture and flavor
- garlic powder: for a boost of flavor
- salt and black pepper: per usual
- yellow potato: adds rich color and helps to thicken the soup. I love using yellow potato because the skins are thin and yellow potatoes don't need to be peeled.
- chicken broth: store bought or your can use homemade Instant Pot bone broth. If using store bought broth, check the label to ensure it's gluten free (if you're making it for this reason)
- frozen broccoli florets: no washing, no chopping! Just open up the frozen broccoli and dump it in!
- two types of grated cheese: Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar are going in, too!
- heavy cream: for a rich, creamy soup. If you don't have heavy cream, you can use whole milk instead, though it won't be quite as thick.
Want some zing in your broccoli soup? Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a splash of hot sauce!
How to make broccoli cheese soup in the Instant Pot
Step 1: Saute your veggies. Here's the drill....add olive oil and once that's nice and heated through, add the onion, red pepper. Hit it with a little garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook it this way, stirring occassionally, until the veggies start to soften.
Step 2: Brown potatoes. Add the potatoes to the party and cook those. The goal here is to get a little color on your potatoes (translation: flavor)
Step 3: Add chicken broth. We're using this and scraping the bottom with a spatula so it pulls up the little brown bits we created.
Step 4: Add broccoli. It wouldn't be broccoli soup without broccoli now, would it? This is when the magic happens. Lock your lid and cook under pressure for 2 minutes.
Remember, it will take several minutes to come up to pressure, and then the two minute countdown begins. Once the cooking time is up, let it hang out for 5 minutes (also called a natural pressure release). Then, vent the pot to let out any remaining pressure.
Step 5: Get cheesy. Add the cheese, one cup at a time, stirring with each addition until completely melted. Pour the heavy cream into a separate small bowl. Add several tablespoons of the hot soup and stir to combine. (This process is called tempering and will keep the cold cream from curdling when it hits the hot soup.) It's really not hard, you'll see.
Add the heavy cream mixture into the broccoli soup. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with additional shredded cheese.
Cheese, cheese, cheese!
Can I make Broccoli Cheese Soup without an Instant Pot?
You betcha! For those of us who have Instant Pots, you know we are quick to tell others about our love for this kitchen gadget!
Not only does it make soups and stew taste like they've cooked alllll day long, they make simple soups even faster, all in one pot.
But, not everyone has an Instant Pot, and that's totally a-okay. You can make this soup by cooking it on the stovetop or slow cooker instead, just like my Chicken and Wild Rice Soup!
Saute the veggies, and follow the directions in the recipe card - except for the one minute pressure cooker time, everything else is the same. With the slow cooker, the cooking time will depend somewhat on the model of your cooker.
How to store leftovers
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. I don't recommend freezing this soup.
What to serve with Broccoli Cheese Soup
I love serving this cheese soup recipe with a side of crusty bread or bread bowl, while my kids seem to enjoy good old Saltine crackers!
Other Instant Pot Soup recipes you'll enjoy:
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ medium onion diced
- ½ large red pepper diced small, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 large yellow potato chopped small
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 12 ounce bag frozen broccoli florets
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Add olive oil to your Instant Pot and select the “Sauté’ function.
- Once hot, add the diced onion, red pepper, and garlic powder. Season with salt and black pepper and stir to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring, or until the vegetables start to soften.
- Add the potatoes and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for another 2-3 minutes or until the potatoes start to develop some color.
- Add the chicken broth and gently scrape the bottom of the pot with a rubber spatula or flat bottomed wooden spoon to release the brown bits. Press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button to turn off the Sauté function.
- Add the frozen broccoli and cover. Lock the lid into place and make sure the vent is set to Seal. Set the pressure cook time to 2 minutes.
- When cook time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then do a quick release for any remaining steam before carefully removing the lid.
- Add the cheese, one cup at a time, stirring with each addition until completely melted.
- Pour the heavy cream into a separate small bowl. Add several tablespoons of the hot soup and stir to combine. (This process is called tempering and will keep the cold cream from curdling when it hits the hot soup.) Add the heavy cream mixture into the broccoli soup.
- Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with additional shredded cheese
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This Farm Girl Cooks is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
