Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup is rich, creamy and most definitely cheesy. It’s an easier way to make this classic soup recipe and sure to become a favorite, homemade meal for you and your family.
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Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup is the easiest version to make of this classic, comfort food favorite. After just a little prep work, let the Instant Pot get to work.
When it’s finished, you have a nice, hot pot of creamy, cheesy soup that is perfect on its own or with a side of crusty bread, like Focaccia, for dipping, a salad, or a sandwich.
While I didn’t create this recipe to be a Panera Bread copy cat, I would still say with certainty that it’s pretty darn close!
Why This Recipe Works
It’s a quick and easy soup recipe to make. There is a little prep work, then the Instant Pot handles most of the rest. All you have to do once it’s done cooking, is stir in some heavy cream and shredded cheese.
This recipe tastes just as good, if not better, than your favorite restaurant’s version. It doesn’t contain any unnecessary ingredients or preservatives.
You can enjoy this soup for lunch or dinner, or its own or paired with bread, salad or a sandwich for a heartier meal. If you want to really get fancy, you can serve it in a bread bowl.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 4 cups broccoli (roughly chopped)
- 1 cup carrots (grated): I use the small holes on a box grater.
- 1 onion (finely diced)
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup half-and-half: you can make your own half-and-half by mixing even parts whole milk with heavy cream.
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (shredded): it is recommended to shred cheese from a block to avoid added starches that may make the soup grainy when melted.
- 4 ounces smoked Gruyere cheese (shredded): or you can use more cheddar or another type of cheese.
- salt
- pepper
The full recipe and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Prep!
Chop the broccoli, shred the carrots, dice the onion and shred both the cheddar and Gruyere cheeses.
Create!
Turn the Instant Pot onto sauté. Once it says “hot,” add the butter. When the butter is fully melted, whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes while stirring. Turn off the sauté function.
Pour in the chicken stock, the stir in the broccoli, carrots, onion, mustard powder, nutmeg and paprika.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the it is sealed. Set to pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.
Once the time is up, carefully turn the valve from seal to vent. You may want to put a kitchen towel over it to prevent splatter.
Remove the lid and stir in the half-and-half and cheeses until melted.
Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.
Present!
Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with additional cheese, fresh cracked pepper and/or fresh herbs, as desired.
Tips and Techniques
- It’s best to shred the cheese from a block whenever possible. Pre-shredded bags of cheese contain added starches that can become grainy when melted.
- The type of cheese you use can vary. Some like to use all cheddar cheese, or you can definitely swap out the smoked Gruyere for smoked gouda, regular gouda, Monterey Jack, or for a spicier version, Pepper Jack cheese.
- For a vegetarian soup, use vegetable stock.
- For a gluten free soup, use gluten free all purpose flour. You will also want to double check your chicken stock to ensure it is also gluten free.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 3-4 days.
- While it isn’t ideal to freeze broccoli cheese soup, it is best to freeze it prior to adding the heavy cream and shredded cheese. Allow the soup to fully cool before transferring it to containers with lids or freezer bags. After reheating, stir in the heavy cream and cheese. If you freeze the soup after the heavy cream and cheese have been mixed it, it may get grainy and separate when reheated.
More Instant Pot Soup Recipes
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Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 4 cups broccoli (roughly chopped)
- 1 cup carrots (grated)
- 1 onion (finely diced)
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 4 ounces smoked Gruyere cheese (shredded)
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot onto sauté. Once it says "hot," add the butter. When the butter is fully melted, whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes while stirring. Turn off the sauté function.1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- Pour in the chicken stock, the stir in the broccoli, carrots, onion, mustard powder, nutmeg and paprika.3 cups chicken stock, 4 cups broccoli, 1 cup carrots, 1 onion, 1 teaspoon mustard powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the valve is sealed. Set to pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.
- Once the time is up, carefully turn the valve from seal to vent. You may want to put a kitchen towel over it to prevent splatter.
- Remove the lid and stir in the half-and-half and cheeses until melted.1 cup half-and-half, 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, 4 ounces smoked Gruyere cheese
- Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.salt, pepper
- Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with additional cheese, fresh cracked pepper and/or fresh herbs, as desired.
Notes
Tips and Techniques
- It's best to shred the cheese from a block whenever possible. Pre-shredded bags of cheese contain added starches that can become grainy when melted.
- The type of cheese you use can vary. Some like to use all cheddar cheese, or you can definitely swap out the smoked Gruyere for smoked gouda, regular gouda, Monterey Jack, or for a spicier version, Pepper Jack cheese.
- For a vegetarian soup, use vegetable stock.
- For a gluten free soup, use gluten free all purpose flour. You will also want to double check your chicken stock to ensure it is also gluten free.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 3-4 days.
- While it isn't ideal to freeze broccoli cheese soup, it is best to freeze it prior to adding the heavy cream and shredded cheese. Allow the soup to fully cool before transferring it to containers with lids or freezer bags. After reheating, stir in the heavy cream and cheese. If you freeze the soup after the heavy cream and cheese have been mixed it, it may get grainy and separate when reheated.
Ieva says
Lovely recipe, so easy and quick to put together. My husband said it’s one of his favourite soups!