Best Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup is thick, creamy, and packed with cheddar. Easy to prepare, loaded with vegetables, and simple to make vegetarian if desired.
Soup is comforting, freezes well, and makes great leftovers. This Instant Pot version captures the cozy, cheesy character of classic broccoli cheddar soups while cooking quickly in a pressure cooker. It’s ideal for weeknights or when you want a warming, vegetable-forward main course.
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup is creamy, cheesy, and full of bright vegetable flavor. The pressure cooker shortens cooking time while allowing the broccoli, carrots, and celery to become tender enough to blend into a hearty, velvety base. A generous amount of cheddar and a touch of sour cream or light cream make the texture luxuriously smooth.
The recipe is flexible: use chicken or vegetable broth, increase or decrease cheese to taste, and swap light cream for half-and-half or a dairy-free milk if you prefer. A pinch of nutmeg enhances the cheddar without being obvious, and a few red pepper flakes give a subtle warmth.
How to make Broccoli Cheddar Soup in the Instant Pot?
- Sauté the vegetables: Using the Instant Pot Saute function, melt butter and cook diced onion until softened (2–3 minutes). Add minced garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.
- Add the vegetables and seasonings: Stir in broccoli florets, grated carrots, diced celery, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Add the broth: Pour in chicken or vegetable broth and mix to combine. Turn off Sauté.
- Pressure cook: Lock the lid and set the valve to seal. Cook on high pressure for 2 minutes, then allow a 5-minute natural pressure release before venting and opening the lid.
- Thicken and finish: Whisk together cornstarch and cream to make a smooth slurry. With the pot on Saute, slowly whisk the slurry into the soup until it thickens. Turn off the pot and puree about half the soup with an immersion blender for a creamier texture while leaving some vegetable pieces intact.
- Add cheese: Stir in grated cheddar a handful at a time until melted and smooth. Adjust thickness with extra broth or cream as needed, and season to taste.
- Serve: Ladle hot soup into bowls and top with extra cheese, chives, croutons, or a dollop of sour cream if desired.
Stovetop version
If you don’t use an electric pressure cooker, you can make this on the stove. Sauté the onion and garlic in a large pot, add the vegetables and broth, simmer until the broccoli is tender (about 15–20 minutes), then proceed with the cornstarch-cream slurry, blending, and adding cheese as described above. The stovetop version still takes around 30 minutes and yields the same comforting flavor.
Recommended toppings
These toppings add texture and flavor—choose one or combine several:
- Extra grated cheddar
- Chopped green onion or diced chives
- A dollop of sour cream
- Crunchy croutons or crackers
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Which cheese works best?
Good-quality grated cheddar is ideal for flavor and meltability. You can also blend cheeses—sharp cheddar for tang, Gruyère or Asiago for depth, and a little Parmesan for savory balance. Avoid pre-shredded cheese with anti-caking agents if possible, as it can affect melting.
What to serve with this soup
Bread: A warm baguette, toasted sourdough, or a soft dinner roll is perfect for dipping.
Salad: A crisp green salad or a light pear salad balances the richness.
Comfort sides: Pair with macaroni and cheese or a simple grilled cheese for an extra hearty meal.
Freezing and reheating
To freeze leftovers, cool the soup completely, transfer to freezer-safe containers or quart freezer bags, remove excess air, and freeze flat. Properly stored, it will keep for 3–4 months.
- To reheat: thaw overnight in the fridge or warm the sealed frozen bag under running water and transfer to a saucepan.
- Reheat over low–medium heat and add a little milk or cream, 1/4 cup at a time, to restore a creamy consistency.
- Stir and simmer for a few minutes until warmed through and smooth.
Recipe tips
- For a slow cooker version, start with softened vegetables in a skillet, transfer to the slow cooker with broth, and cook on low until vegetables are tender. Finish by thickening and adding cheese.
- Substitute light cream with half-and-half or a dairy-free milk such as soy or oat milk for a lighter or dairy-free approach.
- Nutmeg is subtle but important—don’t skip it; it brightens the cheese flavor.
- Use vegetable broth to keep the soup vegetarian.
- If you prefer an extra-smooth texture, puree the entire batch with an immersion blender or in a countertop blender in batches.
- Add cheese gradually and stir thoroughly to prevent clumping; keep the heat low when adding cheese to avoid graininess.
Best Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups broccoli florets, chopped into smaller pieces
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 cups light cream or half-and-half
- 2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese, or more to taste
Instructions
- Turn on the Instant Pot and select Saute on high. Once hot, add butter and melt.
- Add the onion and cook 2–3 minutes until tender. Stir in minced garlic and cook about 30 seconds.
- Add broccoli, carrots, celery, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine.
- Pour in the broth, stir, and turn off Saute. Cover, lock the lid, and set the valve to seal.
- Select High Pressure for 2 minutes. When finished, allow a 5-minute natural pressure release, then release any remaining pressure and open the lid carefully.
- Whisk together cornstarch and cream until smooth. Select Saute and slowly whisk the cream mixture into the pot, stirring until it begins to thicken.
- Turn off the Instant Pot. Use an immersion blender to puree about half of the soup, leaving some vegetable pieces for texture.
- Add the cheese gradually, stirring well until melted and smooth. Thin with extra broth or cream if necessary.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve hot with preferred toppings.
Nutrition
