Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This instant pot broccoli cheddar soup is rich, creamy, and ready in about 30 minutes. It tastes just like the kind you’d get at a restaurant, but it’s so much easier to make at home.

The broccoli gets cooked until it’s perfectly tender, and then you blend part of it to get that thick, smooth base. You still keep some chunks in there for texture, which is the best part.

Once you stir in the cheddar cheese at the end, the whole thing comes together into this warm, comforting bowl that’s hard to stop eating.

Serve it in a bread bowl or with some crusty bread on the side. Either way, it’s a great meal for colder days or anytime you’re craving something cozy.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

Ready in Under 30 Minutes – Between the quick pressure cook time of just 3 minutes and minimal prep, you can have a rich and creamy broccoli cheddar soup on the table faster than most takeout orders.

Tastes Just Like the Restaurant Version – This soup is super cheesy, thick, and creamy – honestly it rivals that famous Panera broccoli cheddar soup, but you get to make it right at home for a fraction of the cost.

One Pot Cleanup – Everything from sauteing the onions to pressure cooking the veggies to melting in the cheese happens in the same Instant Pot, so you only have one pot to wash when you’re done.

Perfectly Thick and Creamy Every Time – The combo of heavy cream, sharp cheddar, and a simple cornstarch slurry gives this soup that luscious, velvety thickness without any guesswork or tricky techniques.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp Butter
• 1 medium Yellow Onion, diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 3 cups Chicken Broth
• 5 cups Broccoli Florets
• 1 large Carrot, peeled and diced small
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 2.5 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 3 tbsp Cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp Water

Directions

Step 1

Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode and add the butter. Once melted, add the diced onion and saute for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Step 2

Pour in the chicken broth and stir, scraping up any bits from the bottom. Add the broccoli florets, diced carrot, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg.

Step 3

Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure for 3 minutes.

Step 4

Perform a quick release by carefully turning the valve to Venting, keeping hands and face clear of the steam. Remove the lid once the pin drops.

Step 5

Use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup, leaving some chunks of broccoli for texture. Alternatively, transfer about 2 cups to a blender, blend until smooth, and return it to the pot.

Step 6

Switch to Saute mode. Stir in the heavy cream and the cornstarch slurry. Let the soup simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until it thickens.

Step 7

Turn off the Instant Pot. Add the shredded cheddar cheese one handful at a time, stirring until each addition is fully melted. Serve immediately in bread bowls or with crusty bread.

Pro Tips

Shred the Cheese Yourself

Pre-shredded cheese from a bag has a coating on it (usually cornstarch or cellulose) that keeps the shreds from clumping together in the package. That same coating makes it harder for the cheese to melt smoothly into soup, and you can end up with a grainy texture.

Grab a block of sharp cheddar and shred it yourself using a box grater. It only takes a couple of minutes and the difference in how it melts is huge. The cheese will blend right into the soup and give you that silky, smooth consistency you want.

Don’t Skip the Deglazing Step

After you saute the onion and garlic, the recipe says to pour in the chicken broth and scrape up any bits from the bottom. This is really important with the Instant Pot because if there are browned bits stuck to the bottom, you might get a burn notice during pressure cooking.

Use a wooden spoon or spatula and make sure the bottom of the pot is completely clean before you add the rest of the ingredients. Take an extra 30 seconds here to really scrape it well. A clean bottom means the pot can build pressure without any issues.

Blend Just Enough for Texture

When you use the immersion blender, go slow and pulse it a few times rather than blending continuously. The goal is to break down maybe half of the soup so it gets thick and creamy, while leaving visible chunks of broccoli throughout.

Stick the immersion blender in one spot near the bottom of the pot and pulse it 5-8 times. Then move it to another spot and do the same. Check the texture after each round.

If you blend too much, you’ll end up with a completely smooth soup and lose that chunky broccoli cheddar texture that makes this recipe so good. You can always blend more, but you can’t undo it.

Related Recipes

• Instant Pot Beef Stew
• Instant Pot Mac & Cheese
• Instant Pot Butter Chicken
• Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
• Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen broccoli instead of fresh?

Yes, frozen broccoli works just fine in this recipe. You don’t even need to thaw it first – just toss it in straight from the bag since the pressure cooker will handle it easily.

The only thing to keep in mind is that frozen broccoli tends to be softer after cooking, so you may not need to blend as much if you want some chunks left in the soup.