Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This Instant Pot broccoli cheddar soup comes together in just 30 minutes, so it’s great for a quick, cozy dinner. What’s more, this recipe, just one of our many copycat soup recipes, is similar to the wildly popular Panera broccoli cheddar soup.

Enjoy this broccoli cheddar soup as is or try some of the recipe variations, below. After all, recipes are just guidelines for you to improvise and have fun with.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

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• Butter: Because both cheese and butter are dairy products, they blend well in this soup. Here, we use butter to saute the starter ingredients, giving them extra flavor and aroma.
• Onion: You can use sweet or yellow onion in this soup, depending on your preference. Either way, you’ll get the dose of pungent, savory flavor that onions provide.
• Carrot: A touch sweet, carrots balance out some of the more intense ingredients such as garlic and onion.
• Garlic: With its sharp and savory flavor, garlic enhances the overall flavor of this dish. If you’d like, you can finish this Instant Pot broccoli cheddar soup with a few minced garlic scapes.
• Pepper: Freshly cracked black pepper is like a wake-up call for the taste buds. It plays great with the rich flavors of this soup.
• Paprika: You’ll find three kinds of paprika at the store, including sweet, smoky and spicy. Feel free to experiment and find which you prefer.
• Mustard: Ultra cheesy, creamy dishes such as this one benefit from the zip of a good mustard. This recipe calls for ground mustard but you can also use something like this Bavarian beer mustard.
• Broccoli: We like to cut the broccoli into petite florets so they can fit nicely on a spoon. Also, don’t waste the stalks—they’re full of flavor and great texture.
• Chicken broth: The chicken broth in this recipe blends right in, providing background flavor that’s both subtle and savory.
• Half and half: A dose of half and half helps combine the ingredients and thicken things up. If you like your soup extra rich, go with heavy cream.
• Cornstarch: Whisked together with the half and half, cornstarch is a great thickening agent because it’s both effective and virtually flavorless.
• Cheddar: Sharp cheddar is the most common choice here, but it’s far from the only variety. Mild, extra sharp and smoked cheddar are also popular.

Directions

Step 1: Saute and stir in spices

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Set a 6-quart pressure cooker to saute and add the butter. Once melted, toss in the onion and carrot to cook for three to four minutes, or until tender. Stir in the garlic, salt, pepper, paprika and mustard. Cook for one to two minutes, or until fragrant.

Step 2: Add the broccoli and broth

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Stir in the broccoli and chicken broth. Lock the lid and close the pressure-release valve. Set to pressure-cook on high for 3 minutes and then quick-release the pressure.

Step 3: Thicken the soup

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Return the pressure cooker to the saute setting. In a small bowl, whisk the half and half and cornstarch until dissolved. Stir into the soup and cook for one to two minutes, or until thickened.

Editor’s Tip: At this stage, avoid boiling the soup because it will cause the half and half to separate. Keep it at a low simmer.

Step 4: Toss in the cheese and serve

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Turn the pressure cooker off and stir in 1-1/2 cups of shredded cheese until melted. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese, if desired.

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Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup Variations

• Make a bread bowl: What could make this Instant Pot broccoli cheddar soup even better? Serving it in a bread bowl. If you don’t want to make yours from scratch, choose a rounded loaf of sourdough, ciabatta or French-style bread to cut into a bowl.
• Try different cheeses: A number of melting cheeses would blend well with this recipe. In particular, provolone, Havarti and gouda pair well with cheddar.

How to Store Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

To store this recipe, first allow the leftovers to cool to room temperature. Then, transfer the soup to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to four days. To reheat, place the soup over medium heat on the stove and stir periodically.

Can I freeze Instant Pot broccoli cheddar soup?

To freeze any leftovers, allow the soup to cool and place it in an airtight container. Transfer to the freezer and keep for up to three months. That said, many recipes with dairy separate when exposed to extreme heat or cold, so while it will taste similar, its texture may not be as silky.

Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup Tips

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Why won’t my cheese melt into my broccoli cheddar soup?

For best results, start with block cheese and grate to shred. Bagged, shredded cheeses are coated with anti-caking ingredients which prevent them from melting as easily.

How do you keep broccoli cheddar soup from breaking?

First, it’s important to create a roux in the beginning phase of the soup. Enter cornstarch, which thickens the soup and prepares it to blend with the dairy-based ingredients later on. Also, work with low heat to add the half and half, and no heat to melt the cheese.

How to fix watery broccoli cheddar soup?

If you follow all the steps and still find your soup to be watery, try making a beurre manie, or equal parts flour and butter. Stir it into the soup as it simmers on low so you cook the flour slightly and allow more water to evaporate.