This Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup is an easy broccoli cheese soup recipe that's perfect for busy nights. A creamy, delicious hearty meal that everyone will love. Also included are instructions for making this soup in the crock-pot!
The best instant pot broccoli cheese soup that comes together quickly in the instant pot and is made with simple ingredients.
A cheesy broccoli soup recipe that's warm cozy and made both vegetarian and gluten-free.
And if you're looking for a stovetop version of this soup, then check out this broccoli cheddar soup recipe!
Jump to:
Why you'll love this recipe
- Super easy to make quick hearty meal.
- Creamy, cheesy and delicious.
- Loaded with tons of broccoli and is great for serving on a low carb diet.
- Vegetarian & Gluten-free.
- Can easily be made in the crock-pot.
- Family friendly and makes delicious leftovers.
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Vegetable broth- Low sodium broth used. Can use chicken broth if you're not following a vegetarian diet.
- Broccoli florets- Fresh broccoli florets recommended and cut into small pieces but could substitute with frozen broccoli.
- Half & half cream- This gives the soup a creamier texture. You can substitute with heavy cream or whole milk however it will change the thickness of the soup.
- Onion- Finely diced yellow onion. Can also use sweet onion.
- Garlic- Use fresh finely minced garlic for optimal flavor.
- Cheese- Use block sharp cheddar cheese and shred yourself.
- Butter- Unsalted butter.
- Cream cheese- Full fat cream cheese adds creaminess to the soup.
- Cornstarch- Use organic or can substitute with tapioca flour.
- Carrots- Use finely shredded carrots to ensure even cooking.
How to make instant pot broccoli cheddar soup
{full directions are in the recipe card below}
- Set your instant pot to sauté function melt butter, add chopped onion and cook till translucent about 1-2 minutes. Hit the cancel button and stir in garlic.
- Add broccoli florets, carrot and vegetable broth to instant pot.
- Stir till combined. Secure the lid on instant pot and pressure cook on high for 3 minutes and then release pressure.
- Using an immersion blender purée soup till you get desired consistency.
- Turn instant pot back on sauté and add in half & half cream, cream cheese, and cornstarch blended with water. Stir for 2-3 minutes till starting to thicken.
- Turn off instant pot and add in shredded cheese.
- Once cheese is melted serve the soup and Enjoy!
Pro tip for instant pot broccoli cheddar soup
Chop the broccoli in small uniform pieces and shred the carrots in order to ensure uniform cooking of the vegetables.
Storage notes
Once you've allowed the soup to cool completely it can be stored in airtight covered containers in the fridge for 4-5 days.
It may also be frozen for up to 3 months for longer storage.
Frequently asked questions
You want to make sure your temperature is not too high when adding the cream and cheese. That's why it's added last and you turn off the pot before adding the shredded cheese. Also don't use already shredded bagged cheese as that can affect the end result as well.
The half & half cream and cream cheese will help to thicken the soup. You can also use flour or cornstarch(which is used in the recipe) to thicken it to your desired consistency.
We like to keep it simple with biscuits, bread, or potatoes. I love to add some carbs since the soup is relatively low carb.
AND IF YOU TRY THIS RECIPE PLEASE BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW…..I’d love to hear if you make this & how you like it. Plus please be sure to include a ⭐️ star rating.
Until next time- xoxo
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup ( or Crock-pot)
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 cup onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 cups half & half cream
- 2 tbsp. organic corn starch
- 2 tbsp. water
- salt & pepper to taste
- dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
Instant Pot instructions:
- Set your instant pot to sauté function and melt butter.
- Add chopped onion and cook till translucent about 1-2 minutes. Hit the cancel button and stir in garlic.
- Stir in broccoli florets, carrots and vegetable broth.
- Secure the lid on the instant pot and pressure cook on high 3 minutes and then release pressure.
- Using an immersion blender purée soup till you get the desired consistency.
- Turn instant pot back on sauté and add in half & half cream, cream cheese, and cornstarch blended with water. Stir till it starts to thicken 2-4 minutes.
- Turn off instant pot and stir in shredded cheddar cheese.
- Combine till cheese is melted.
Crock-pot instructions:
- Melt butter on stovetop over medium heat and add onion. Sauté till translucent about 1-2 minutes adding the minced garlic at the end.
- Place sautéed onion & garlic, broccoli florets, carrots, vegetable broth and cream cheese in the crockpot.
- Cook on High setting 3 hours till veggies are tender.
- Turn off slow cooker and using an immersion blender carefully mix until vegetables are broken down to desired consistency.
- Slowly stir in half & half cream and the cornstarch that's mixed with water.
- Add shredded cheddar cheese, stir and turn back on Low setting. Cook another 15-30 minutes till cheese is melted and soup is desired thickness & creamy.
- Taste for salt & pepper and add as needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Updated post from September 2018
Visitor
Is it 2 Tbsp or 2 tsp? Of cornstarch? The T in Tbsp was not capitalized and i don't want to mess it up!
Stephanie
It's 2 tablespoons... hope you Enjoy!
Tobin Eastwold
I cooked this and I though it was way too much trouble for the result. Sorry, but I didn't like the flavor or texture. Ended up throwing half of it away. I certainly could have done something wrong, but not at all what I expected from Broccoli Cheese Soup.
Stephanie
Hi Tobin, sorry 😪 it didn't turn out the way you thought! Not exactly sure what happened or what you didn't like, but I'd be happy to help troubleshoot the recipe with you if you like. This is seriously one of my fav's and it's sad that you didn't get the end result you hoped for.
Tobin Eastwold
Hi Stephanie. I have been cooking for several decades but am new to slow cooker recipes. I tried your recipe and last night cooked another one called Potato Corn Chowder. This one was better but still not very good. I think the common denominator between the two was the flavor and texture of the onions. Something happens to the onions when cooking in the broth which makes them very bitter, tough and mealy. The bad onion flavor overpowers the otherwise delicate flavor of the soup. This happened on both yours and the other recipe which cooked much longer. I don't know that there is anything I can do about this and it may just be a side effect of slow cooking the onions in broth. I have cooked onions in meat dishes in the slow cooker and had better results. Any thoughts here.
Stephanie
As far as the recipe for the Slow Cooker Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup did you blend the veggies after they cooked in the slow cooker with an immersion blender as stated in the recipe? This would definitely affect the texture of the soup. Another thing you may try if you don't like the "strong" onion flavor is maybe sauteing the onions first or even using a little less onion. Hope this helps! 😉
Jessica Levinson
Love easy dinners like this where my slow cooker does all the work! Looks so cozy and delicious!
Jessie
This Broccoli and Cheese soup looks and sounds amazing and just in time for it to start cooling off!
Denisse | Le Petit Eats
Can't wait for soup weather so I can make this!
Amanda
I have a serious weakness for cheese, and this looks so creamy and delicious. I'm starting to get in the mood for some fall soups, so I'm definitely adding this one to my list!
Stephanie
Same here Amanda... Cheese is definitely my weakness. And I hope you get a chance to try this soon 😀
Annissa
I think I've died and gone to cheese heaven! I love that this is gluten-free!
Elizabeth lind
Do you have to do the whole blending thing?
Stephanie
If you want to get the same creamy texture you'd need to blend it.. But you can certainly eat it without doing that but it won't look like this soup.