The Best Instant Pot Broccoli and Cheese Soup
on Feb 10, 2018, Updated Sep 04, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Instant Pot broccoli and cheese soup recipe has a ONE MINUTE cook time. It’s an easy Instant Pot soup that’s thick, creamy and healthy. Enjoy this gluten free and vegetarian soup for any meal!
I’ve been on the Instant Pot train for a while now, and I won’t be getting off anytime soon. While the slow cooker is the “set it and forget it” miracle dinner maker in the kitchen, consider the IP as your “oops, I forgot it” meal helper when you need a hot meal fast. Soups made in the Instant Pot are one of my favorite things pretty much ever.
And this broccoli and cheese soup recipe? It’ll knock your socks off. It comes out impeccably rich, thick, and creamy with the most perfectly cooked veggies and a delicious texture. I’d say the best part is that the cook time is literally only one minute. Yep, you read that right. This one-pot meal will be a huge hit with your family, and I can’t wait for you to try it out! I love to dip my classic French baguettes in it.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This soup takes just 1 minute to cook in the Instant Pot, making it perfect for busy days.
- Packed with broccoli and carrots, it’s a creamy soup that’s both gluten-free and vegetarian.
- You can easily customize the recipe with different cheeses or even use frozen veggies.
- Thick, cheesy, and full of flavor, it’s a satisfying meal for any occasion.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter
- Onion – I like to use a white or yellow onion for this recipe
- Garlic cloves
- Vegetable broth – or chicken stock if not vegetarian
- Broccoli
- Carrots – Matchstick or grated
- Spices – Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
- Corn starch
- Cream – Or half-and-half
- Cheddar cheese
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How to Make Instant Pot Broccoli and Cheese Soup
Step #1. In the Instant Pot, sauté butter, onion, and garlic until fragrant.
Step #2. Add broth, broccoli, carrots, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook on high pressure for 1 minute, then quick release.
Step #3. Stir in a cornstarch-water mixture while sautéing until the soup thickens.
Step #4. Turn off the Instant Pot, then slowly stir in cream and cheese until melted. Serve hot.
Recipe FAQs
Yep! You can use whatever you have on hand. Frozen and fresh will both work the same in this recipe, and no need to change the cooking time. Score! And sometimes I use the frozen broccoli and cauliflower mix and it works just great too. I don’t chop up the frozen broccoli, but it seems to cook up just great.
I know not everyone has an Instant Pot (but y’all MUST add it to your wish list!), so this recipe can easily be made on the stovetop, too. Follow the recipe as directed, but instead of pressure cooking the veggies, just let them simmer in the broth until tender, about 20 minutes. Then, move on with adding the cornstarch, cream, and cheese as directed.
This recipe specifically calls for cheddar. I like to use a nice sharp cheddar for this recipe but we love sharp cheeses. Sometimes I’ll toss a variety of cheeses like cheddar, parmesan, and pepper jack cheese! You can use what you like or have on hand and feel free to use a variety of cheeses if that’s what you have.
Expert Tips
- Use extra sharp cheddar for a bold flavor, but feel free to experiment with other cheeses like gouda or Swiss.
- If using frozen broccoli, you don’t need to adjust the cooking time; it works just as well as fresh.
- For a smoother soup, blend half the soup before adding the cream and cheese.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning at the end, adding more salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes to suit your preference.
How to Serve and Store Instant Pot Broccoli and Cheese Soup
I love bread for dipping into broccoli and cheese soup. I highly recommend serving this soup with fresh baguettes, sourdough bread, my mom’s easy French bread recipe, my easy no-knead crusty loaf, cornbread, or buttermilk biscuits.
Keep this soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To freeze, let the soup cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. It will keep well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stovetop over medium heat. Stir in a little extra cream or broth if the soup becomes too thick. The texture might change slightly after freezing due to the dairy content, but it will still taste delicious.
More Soup Recipes to Consider
Soups, Stews & Chowders
White Chicken Chili
Soups, Stews & Chowders
Slow Cooker Veggie Beef Soup
15-Minute Recipes
Cornbread Waffles with Chili – 15 Minute Dinner Idea
Soups, Stews & Chowders
Texas Chili Recipe
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
The Best Instant Pot Broccoli and Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 cups vegetable broth, (or chicken stock if not vegetarian)
- 4 cups bite-sized broccoli florets
- 1 cup matchstick or grated carrots
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, , plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 2 cups cream or half-and-half
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Select browning/saute to preheat the pressure cooker. Add the butter and onion and saute until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the chicken stock, broccoli, carrots, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Lock the lid in place, make sure the vent is set to seal, and select high pressure and 1 minute cook time.
- When the cooking time ends, use the quick pressure release. When the valve drops, remove the lid carefully.
- In a small bowl whisk together the corn starch and cold water until smooth.
- Set the pressure cook to saute/browning and slowly add the corn starch mixture to the pot. Stir constantly until the soup comes to a boil and thickens.
- Turn off the pressure cooker. Slowly stir in the cream or half-and-half.
- Add the cheese a handful at a time and stir until it melts.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.
Video
Notes
- You can use frozen broccoli in place of the fresh, no need to change the cooking time. Sometimes I used the mixed broccoli and cauliflower that’s frozen and it works great too.
- Feel free to use whatever cheese you like or have on hand, I use extra sharp cheddar for this recipe.
- For a smoother soup, blend half the soup before adding the cream and cheese.
-
we make this for company all the time and get rave reviews every time! It’s so cozy, so delicious and so easy to put together.
Just made this tonight for my family. I made a batch and a half. I used a whole 2 lb bag of frozen florets, extra sharp cheddar & opted for the half & half. I cubed up some ham steaks and browned it up in the skillet so we could garnish the soup with it (although I personally didnāt like it with the ham). I also served it with sour dough garlic toast. Will be making this soup on rotation this winter. Thanks for the delicious recipe!! <3
Ohhh sounds so good! Thank you for sharing your additions!
Amazing and easy!
So good! I had a huge Costco bag of broccoli to use before it went bad and not much time so I haphazardly adjusted rations, didnāt chop the carrots and broccoli as much as directed and it was STILL amazing! Iāll never go back to doing this on the stove. I ended up roughly doubling everything so itās an enormous amount. Iām freezing it without the dairy to preserve the texture then will doctor each batch when I take it out. Thank you!
I was worried making a double batch, but I wanted to make sure there was enough for my family. It turned out perfect and was so easy to make. Thank you! This recipe is a keeper!
Turned out great! Next time I’ll cook the broccoli 2 minutes to make it softer as well as chopping it even smaller. Needs some more seasoning, which is good for each person to do themselves š Was so easy to make, I spent more time chopping veggies than it took to cook.
Just made this and it is just delicious. Very creamy and flavorful. We added a little leftover rotisserie chicken, amazing, thank you for the recipe!
Oh the chicken sounds like a great addition. Thank you for mentioning it!
I made this for the first time tonight. It was delicious as written. I found out yesterday that my best friend has been craving the broccoli cheese soup from the Jason’s Deli near her house. I’m currently out of town until later this month, but I’ll be making this recipe for her when I get back. Thank you for a great meal!
I made it mostly per the recipe. Added a couple of stalks of chopped celery, omitted the red pepper flakes and added a bit of pepper jack cheese. Used roasted chicken Better than Bullion, and whole cream. Was delicious and will make again. Served with oyster crackers and asiago cheese crackers.
I just made it, and mine came out very thin/watery also. Going to try boiling again with more cornstarch (I used an immersion blender to make it creamy vs chunky, I wonder if that messed it up?)
Maybe your measuring was just off? I make this often and it shouldn’t be watery…
One of my favorite recipes over the past year. Everyone in my family loves this soup. Half and half made it too thick, so I used low calorie/low fat unsweetened cashew milk instead. Super yummy!