Name: Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 cups chopped broccoli florets ((Note 1)); 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese ((Note 2)); 2 cups heavy whipping cream ((Note 3)); 1.5 cups diced onions ((1/2 onion)); 1 cup diced carrots ((3 carrots)); 1 cup diced celery ((3 stalks)); 5 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tablespoons salted butter; salt and pepper, to taste

Summary:

Broccoli cheese soup comes together quickly using a pressure cooker because it doesn't take long to break down all of the ingredients into a state of creamy tenderness. Don't have a pressure cooker? Check out Stovetop Broccoli Cheddar Soup.

Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup

4.8 from 50 votes

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Prep: 15

Cook: 15

Yield: 5 servings

INGREDIENTS

▢ 4 cups chopped broccoli florets (Note 1)
▢ 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (Note 2)
▢ 2 cups heavy whipping cream (Note 3)
▢ 1.5 cups diced onions (1/2 onion)
▢ 1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots)
▢ 1 cup diced celery (3 stalks)
▢ 5 cloves garlic, minced
▢ 2 tablespoons salted butter
▢ salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Sauté Vegetables: Select sauté mode on pressure cooker (Note 4) for medium heat. Add butter and stir until melted. Add diced onions, carrots, and celery, cooking for about 5 minutes until onions are soft, stirring frequently. Turn off sauté mode.
Pressure Cook: Add chopped broccoli and 2 cups of water (Note 5), and stir. Secure lid and seal vent. Cook for 5 minutes at high pressure, immediately followed by quick pressure release.
Stir In Dairy: Uncover, select sauté mode, and stir in heavy whipping cream and garlic. Gradually add shredded cheddar cheese, stirring in until melted and well-mixed. Turn off sauté mode.
Serve: Add salt and pepper to taste — I usually add at least 1/2 teaspoon of table salt. Serve (Note 6) or save for later (Note 7).

NUTRITION

Makes 5 Servings

Amount Per Serving (1.75 cups):

Calories 560 (82% from fat)
Total Fat 52g	79%
Saturated Fat 32g	159%
Cholesterol 162mg	54%
Sodium 370mg	15%
Net Carb 9.5g
Total Carb 12g	4%
Dietary Fiber 2.5g	10%
Sugars 7g
Protein 15g

Vitamin A 101% · Vitamin C 72% · Calcium 39% · Iron 3%

PHOTOS

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Broccoli Florets. About 7 ounces raw weight. You can cut florets from a head of broccoli, or you can buy a bag of pre-cut raw florets located in the refrigerated produce section of many U.S. grocery stores. I recommend cutting the florets into smaller pieces (no larger than 2 inches) so that they cook quickly. I use fresh florets, but some readers have had success using frozen ones. Another option is using a mix of broccoli and cauliflower.

(2) Cheddar Cheese. About 7 ounces weight. I use a bag of pre-shredded cheese. I like the flavor that cheddar brings to this soup, but you can substitute with any other soft shredded cheese.

(3) Heavy Whipping Cream. If you want to use something less caloric than heavy whipping cream, some readers have had success substituting with half and half, or halving the amount of heavy whipping cream.

(4) Pressure Cooker. I use a 6-quart Instant Pot. You can use a different size of electric pressure cooker as long as all ingredients fit within the maximum capacity line.

(5) Water. This can be substituted with chicken broth or vegetable broth.

(6) Serving. Serve broccoli cheddar soup into bowls, topped with extra shredded cheddar cheese, a sprinkle of smoked paprika, or parmesan crisps. This soup would pair well with low carb sides like jalapeño cornbread or garlic knots.

(7) Saving For Later. Store broccoli cheddar soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer, and reheat using the microwave. For frozen portions, thaw in the fridge overnight or until completely defrosted before reheating.

(8) Double Yield Version. To double the recipe, the ingredients should be doubled (including water), but the pressure cooking time should remain the same. Make sure that your pressure cooker is large enough to hold 2x the ingredients.

(9) Blender Version. For an even thicker soup, you can use an immersion blender to puree the soup. I prefer a chunkier soup so this isn’t something I do, but it’s a great option for those who prefer a smoother consistency.

(10) No-Chop Version. You can make your prep work almost nonexistent by buying a bag of pre-chopped broccoli florets and a 15 oz container of mirepoix at the grocery store. Mirepoix is packaged and pre-diced carrots, onions, and celery, typically used as a flavor base for soups and stews. You can find it in the refrigerated produce section of many U.S. grocery stores.

(11) Lower Carb Version. To reduce the number of carbs, use half as many onions and carrots. It’ll be noticeably thinner, but still delicious.

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Did you make this? Rate this recipe:

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Stacy E.

I eliminated the carrots but still wanted a thicker soup, so increased broccoli to 16 oz. I also used frozen broccoli but did not touch the cook time and it was perfect!

Michelle

Absolutely delicious! I used broth instead of water….great recipe thank you!!

Lori

Made this soup last night, it was very good! I did make a few changes, I sauteed the garlic with the onion in butter, also sauteed 2 strips bacon in with it! Added chicken bone broth (4 cups) instead of water, added 16 oz fresh broccoli and no carrots. I did use the immersion blender after it was all cooked. Also added crisp bacon crumbles and little more cheese when served. Was amazing!!!!!!!

Judy B

I love cheddar broccoli soup and this one is delicious! I’ve just made it once but see it being one I make often. I just love it. Thank you for the recipe!

Shannan

This recipe is the best. I gave it a 4 only because I had to add more salt, pepper and cayenne to spruce up the flavor. I doubled the recipe and kept the same cooking time. Wallah!! Made some smoked turkey sandwiches with oven baked bread from aldi’s. Dinner served in less than an hour! They ate it up!!!

Heather

Love it!! I eliminated the carrots. You can also use a cauliflower/broccoli mix, instead of just broccoli.

Hanna

I made this for dinner last night, super easy! My only issue was the lack of seasoning in it while it’s in the pressure cooker, so bland!! I spiced it up with more pepper, salt, and pepper flakes.

Rebecca

Just made this last night for dinner – it was so easy and delicious! I prepped my vegetables and cheese before I left for work in the morning and it took just 15 minutes when I got home. After reading the comments, I used one can of evaporated milk and half and half instead of the two cups of whipping cream (I’m watching calories). Also used olive oil instead of butter for sauteing the vegetables. I also used my immersion stick and the soup was quick thick without having to use cornstarch or another thickening agent. I will definitely make this again!

Mimi

I just made this and it is divine. After the pressure cook was done, I transferred half the soup to the Vitamix and carefully blended that to a fairly smooth texture. I slowly incorporated just one cup of half & half (I didn’t use heavy cream) into the Vitamix and whirred on high until it was velvety. I transferred that back to the rest of the soup in the Instant Pot. The time in the blender made the soup extremely thick and creamy. It was delightful and I want to thank you for taking the time to publish this recipe. The paprika was a nice touch!

Heather Smith

Wonderful and super easy. My first time using my InstaPot and this was what we choose. I used frozen broccoli, a blend of carrots, onion and zucchini and Mexican cheese blend. I am on a no salt diet so I used unsalted butter, unsalted vegetable stock and didn’t add any salt at the end. We loved this, super quick and the texture was better than any restaurant. Will be part of our favorites in rotation.

Bridget C

Amazing… I don’t have pressure cooker so did it old school way. Doubled the recipe and did half Broccoli and half Cauliflower. Topped with diced Jalapenos and bacon. Very Good

Lisa

I made this last night and it was quick, simple and delicious! The only change I made was substituting Costco Organic Chicken Broth and omitting the salt (it didn’t need it). Will definitely make again.

Sheila Jones

Made this today. Absolutely delicious

I added a couple cups of steamed and mashed cauliflower. Adds extra nutrients and evens out the chunkiness.

Steve

This was so easy to make and delicious to eat! I opted to reduce the carbs by reducing the onions and carrots as suggested and it didn’t seem to make much of a difference on how rich and thick the soup turned out to be. This is going to be a definite go to from now on!

Karen

Great recipe! Cheated and added diced mirepoix and bagged chopped broccoli and all the rest. Oh and a bread bowl to serve in . Saved to make again

Andrea D Busath

I made this for Dinner tonight & it was a hit!

Erin

Family favorite! I always do a little more veggies and cheese. Sometimes bacon!

Casey

I’ve made this recipe several times, but for some reason the soup was much thinner this time. Any ideas on what happened?

Julia

Hard to say without more information. Perhaps you used a different brand of cheese this time?

Gabby

Just made this soup for myself and my boyfriend. We loved it! Thank you so much for such an easy and yummy recipe 🙂

Alex

I don’t know if I did something wrong, but the cheese did not melt properly. I also doubled the recipe and used a 6qt instant pot and it did not even get to the max line. There was little flavor also. Very bland. The cheese was the worst because it would stick to my spoon while I ate it.

The soup’s blandness is probably related to the unmelted cheese. Did you freshly grate the cheese, or did you use packaged pre-shredded cheese? I’ve only used the latter, which melts better into the soup than freshly grated due to the additives in the product.

Sheryl

I added leftover turkey from thanksgiving and used turkey broth instead of water. It turned out delish!

Angela Albright

I did not have a good experience with this. Followed the instructions and it turned out soupy and as if the cheese curdled instead of blending in smoothly.

Jess

Same here – mine curdled and I know why after some googling. Suggest in the instructions you mention to add the cheese when the soup is NOT simmering. The soup was too hot when I added the cheese, causing the curdle. I did add half to my blender and reincorporated it which helped a little.

Tay

Did you manually release? Mine didn’t. I’m guessing you quick released?

Jacqueline Veraguas

Absolutely delicious. I have been chasing a very nostalgic broccoli cheddar soup from my childhood and this was it!! Did not use celery, carrot. Substituted veggie stock for the water. Added more cheese than the recipe called for. I also bought a local bread loaf used for bread bowls and would cut it and dunk it into the soup. Made the recipe last week and I am going to make double the recipe this week because it’s THAT good!

Laura

It tasted like cream of garlic and we used less garlic than what it called for! Not even saving the leftovers and couldn’t eat a whole bowl of it. So disappointed in this as I had been looking forward to it for days.

Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup