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!
The Best Instant Pot Broccoli and Cheese Soup
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, but it also does well with shredded pork and hard boiled eggs. What I’m saying is, the options are truly limitless when it comes to the fast and low-maintenance power of IPs!
And this broccoli and cheese soup recipe? It’ll knock your socks off. It *may* just be my favorite soup I’ve made in the Instant Pot (and that’s saying a lot because I’m a big IP soup maker!). 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!
This recipe comes from a cookbook of a friend, Barbara, The Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook: 200 Fast and Foolproof Recipes for Every Brand of Electric Pressure Cooker is one you want on your shelf.
Can I use frozen broccoli instead?
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.
Can I make this soup if I don’t have an Instant Pot?
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.
What can I pair with broccoli and cheese soup?
I love a toasty bun or crusty piece of bread for dipping into broccoli and cheese soup. You can also serve a fresh salad on the side to add more color and veggies to the meal!
The Best Instant Pot Broccoli and Cheese Soup
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 40 min
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
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This Instant Pot broccoli and cheese soup recipe takes only ONE minute to make. It’s an easy Instant Pot soup that’s thick, creamy and healthy. Enjoy this gluten free and vegetarian soup for any meal!
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.
Notes
- Recipe from my friend Barbara Schieving’s fabulous cookbook The Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook. It’s full of tried-and-true family-favorite recipes and I use it often.
- You can use frozen broccoli in place of the fresh, no need to change the cooking time.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Soup
Keywords: Instant pot soup recipe, Instant pot soup, easy soup recipe, vegetarian soup, gluten free soup, quick soup recipe
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Complete this meal with these sides:
Check out these other yummy soup recipes:
- Simple Cream of Tomato Soup
- Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
- Instant Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Classic Ham and Bean Soup (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker recipe)
- Quick, Easy, and Healthy White Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Homemade Butternut Squash Soup
- Healthy 30 Minute Alphabet Soup
- Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
- Healthy Cauliflower Sausage and Kale Soup
- Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup
- Tortellini Vegetable Soup
- Healthy Slow Cooker Bean and Sausage Soup with Spinach
I know you are going to fall in love with this Instant Pot broccoli and cheese soup just as much as we have, and you’ll love how easy it is to make and how rich it tastes!
About Melissa
Melissa is dedicated to helping parents figure out the nightly questions, "What's for Dinner?!" with her no-fuss approach to cooking. Read more...
Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
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What is the fibre count on this soup
Made this tonight almost to a T. I did almost double the cheese, double the garlic, added an extra cup of broth. Family of 5 here with 3 sons. It was superb. I actually started dancing after I tasted it! Will absolutely make this again and again!
★★★★★
This soup is an absolute winner! I’ve made it several times now and it really is quick, easy and totally delicious, love it! My super picky kids actually cheered when they saw I was making this for supper tonight. I made bread bowls to go with it and my kids couldn’t stop raving about it. Thank you Melissa for another fabulous recipe!
We tried the soup out tonight and it turned out amazing! Even my one year old twins couldnāt get enough!! I did everything as suggested other than I used evaporated milk since that was all I had on hand. Definitely will be making again in the future.
★★★★★
In an effort to avoid waste I peeled off the outer broccoli skin and used the whole bunch (rather than just the flowerets)
I used a small potato for thickening and did not need the half and half. Amazing how rich the soup was without it. Homemade chicken broth and some extra red pepper brightened it up. My family loved it. Thanks for providing the basis for a good soup.
★★★★
Really was the best broccoli soup Iāve ever had. I used immersion blender after cooking which made it thick enough to skip slurry step. I used frozen carrots and frozen broccoli! Thank you!
★★★★★
I love this soup so much. Do you think it would freeze well? If so, how should I reheat it? Thank you šš»
★★★★★
It does! Just don’t reheat it from frozen, I let it thaw overnight in the fridge. The time I tried to warm up my frozen chunk of soup some of it got to hot and milk curdled a little. Still good but didn’t look as nice.
Thanks for this question! I’m the only one eating it and I can make it now and pull it out each week. How long do you think it’s good in the freezer?
★★★★★
can I use cauliflower instead of broccoli for this recipe
I usually donāt like soups that have corn starch, so I didnāt have super high expectations for this recipe, but I am so glad I tried it. So quick and so delicious. Definitely will be making this regularly. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
★★★★★
I would love to make this today but I do not have cream or half-and-half. Can I substitute it with milk?
You can use canned coconut milk or canned evaporated milk!
I absolutely loved this! And it was so easy! Lasagna soup was at the top of my favs list and this just passed that up!
★★★★★
I love this recipe! We had leftover soup and decided to use it as sauce for baked mac and cheese the next day. Let me tell you, it was AMAZING!! Definitely making it again and so excited about leftovers.
It’s super good on baked potatoes too!