How to Make Broccoli Cheese Soup in Instant Pot
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup–reminiscent of Panera Bread's broccoli cheddar soup this pressure cooker version has chopped broccoli, shredded carrots and celery simmered in a velvety smooth cheese sauce. I believe this version is just as good or better than you could order at any restaurant! Try it for dinner this week.
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Get the SLOW COOKER version of the recipe here
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
YUM is all I can say about this broccoli cheddar soup. The vegetables are quickly pressure cooked in the Instant Pot and then the creamy and cheesy goodness is added in to the pot to produce a soup that will knock your socks off. This Instant Pot broccoli cheddar soup is amazing served in bread bowls or served with some crusty bread…or just some crackers on top.
Some notes about the recipe:
Better than Bouillon Chicken Base*: I don't always have a carton or can of chicken broth in my pantry but I always have Better than Bouillon in my fridge. I buy the big jars at Costco…they are so much cheaper. Then when a recipe calls for a cup of chicken broth I simply add in one cup of water and one teaspoon of the chicken base.
Recommendations
Broccoli: I chose to go with fresh broccoli for this recipe. You could totally go a lot heavier on the broccoli if you like to have broccoli in every bite. I just used the florets but if you like the stems you could dice them up and throw them in as well.
Carrots: I used only 2 carrots for this recipe but again, you could totally throw in a third carrots if you like to have more vegetables. I chose to cut my carrots up matchstick style which took a while but you could also just used grated carrots or diced carrots.
Sharp Cheddar: I love that sharp cheddar can bring so much more flavor to a dish than mild or medium cheddar. Don't worry it's not overwhelming. I used an entire 8 ounce block of cheddar. I grated my own. I don't like to use pre-grated cheddar for soups because it has that weird powdery substance on it. What is that stuff anyway?
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More recipes you'll love…
Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili
Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Pizza Soup
Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup
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What Pressure Cooker Did You Use?
For Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. I also own the 6 quart Instant Pot IP-LUX60 V3 Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker.* They are both great pressure cookers! The first one I mentioned has a yogurt making function but other than that they are fairly similar. The price difference between the two is about $20. I recommend buying the Duo.
Description
Reminiscent of Panera Bread's broccoli cheddar soup this pressure cooker version has chopped broccoli, shredded carrots and celery simmered in a velvety smooth cheese sauce. I believe this version is just as good or better than you could order at any restaurant! Try it for dinner this week.
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 or 3 celery ribs, diced
- 2 or 3 carrots, match-stick style or grated or diced
- 4 cups coarsely chopped fresh broccoli florets
- 3 cups chicken broth (or 3 cups of water and 3 tsp of Better than Bouillon Chicken Base)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 (8 oz) block of sharp cheddar, grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Optional: cornstarch and water
- Turn your Instant Pot to the saute function ("more") and melt the 1 Tbsp of butter. When the butter is melted add in the diced onion. Saute for 3 minutes.
- Add in the celery, carrots, broccoli and chicken broth.
- Cover the Instant Pot and lock the lid in place. Make sure valve is on "sealing." Set the manual button (or pressure cook button) to 1 minute.
- While the pot heats up and reaches pressure melt your 1/4 cup of butter in a glass dish in the microwave (you can also melt in a pan on the stove). Slowly whisk in the flour until a creamy mixture is formed. Set aside. If desired (to speed up the process) you can also heat up the milk at this time. Grate your cheddar and set aside.
- When the timer beeps indicating the time is up on your Instant Pot let the pot sit there for 5 minutes and then move the valve to "venting." Remove the lid when you can.
- Turn the Instant Pot back to the saute function. Whisk one cup of the broth from the soup into the butter and flour mixture. Then add that whole mixture into the pot. Stir until the soup thickens. Stir in the milk, until it heats through (this is why heating it beforehand can speed up the process). Stir in the cheese, until it melts. Stir in the salt and pepper. If you want a thicker soup you can mix 2 Tbsp of cornstarch with 2 Tbsp of cold water in a small bowl and then stir the cornstarch slurry into the pot. This will produce a nice, thick soup.
- Ladle into bowls and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Although I personally haven't tried freezing this soup, I believe that it would freeze well.
Notes
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute (plus 5 minute NPR)
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup of soup
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 630 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Protein: 16 g
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*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
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How to Make Broccoli Cheese Soup in Instant Pot
Source: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-broccoli-cheddar-soup/