Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Name: Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 4 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces; 4 cups vegetable broth; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 4 tablespoons cornstarch; 1/3 cup water; 2 cups half and half (or heavy cream); 3 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese

by Stephanie August 24, 2020

I know I always talk about how much I love Fall, but I’m REALLY yearning for it this year. I cannot wait for all things fall and cozy (even though it will still be hot as heck out!). Fall also makes me so excited for soup! And one of my favorite soups? Broccoli Cheddar Soup! What’s not to love about it? It’s creamy and so cozy and cheesy. While I usually satisfy my broccoli cheddar cravings through Panera, I wanted to make my own recipe this time and the Instant Pot makes it so simple!

Seriously, all you need is about 20 minutes to make this soup, most of which will be spent just grating the cheese and chopping broccoli only needs 5 minutes in the pressure cooker to cook. After it’s done, you only need a few more minutes for it to thicken up and stir in that cheese!

One really important note before making this recipe – You MUST shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has additives in it that prevent it from clumping together which also makes it so it will not melt as smoothly. Trust me when I say, it’s the worth the extra few minutes it takes to shred the cheese yourself.

I used half and half in this recipe to save some fat and calories, but you can also use heavy cream if you don’t care and want a richer soup!

If you want to make this, but don’t have a pressure cooker, you can also make it on the stove. The broccoli will just need a bit more time on the stove to get really tender, maybe more like 10-15 minutes over medium low heat with the cover on the pan. Otherwise, the rest of the directions should be exactly the same!

I am ready for you, soup season!

Yield: 6 servings

Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Instant Pot Cheddar Broccoli Soup - Making your own broccoli cheddar soup couldn't be easier with a pressure cooker! Ready to be enjoyed in less than 30 minutes!

Ingredients

4 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
4 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup water
2 cups half and half (or heavy cream)
3 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Add the chopped broccoli florets into the pot of a pressure cooker. Pour in the broth, salt, garlic and onion powders, and stir. Place the lid onto the pot and secure. Set valve to sealing. Set to 5 minutes on manual high pressure. While the broccoli cooks, shred the cheese and set aside.

2. Once the timer goes off, do a quick manual release to release pressure. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Set pressure cooker to the Saute function. Pour in the cornstarch slurry and bring the mixture to a light boil until it begins to thicken.

3. Stir in the half and half and the cheese. Stir well. The broccoli should break up into even smaller pieces as you mix in the half and half and cheese, but some bigger pieces will remain. If you do not want any larger broccoli pieces, you can use an immersion blender to break it up. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with additional shredded cheddar on top.

Notes

You must use freshly shredded cheese for this recipe to turn out. Pre-shredded cheese have additives that keep it from clumping together which also will make it not melt as smoothly as fresh shredded cheese.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1/6th
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 401Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 89mgSodium: 1100mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 22g