Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup

Creamy and rich, this healthier Instant Pot broccoli cheese soup is a cinch to make and tastes so much better than the restaurant version.

At a glance

What stands out: This soup recipe can be made on the stovetop, too. It’s so much better than canned or restaurant soup!

How long it takes: just over a half hour
Equipment you’ll need: Instant Pot or large pan
Servings: 4 (makes 7 cups)

We're a broccoli fan, pure and simple. We love broccoli in any form, but most especially roasted. Roasting broccoli makes a convert out of folks who are professed broccoli haters.

Our dad is not a broccoli fan but he’ll definitely eat this broccoli salad with no complaints and he usually goes back for seconds. But hey, it has bacon in it, which kind of is cheating a little bit, bribing him with bacon. Or cheese. Add creamy cheese sauce to broccoli like this Instant Pot mac and cheese with broccoli, and he’ll happily eat broccoli.

Today we have a broccoli cheese soup recipe for you that will convert even the most reluctant broccoli eater. We bet you’ll find them sneaking spoonfuls behind your back because they don’t want to admit they actually like it. Reportedly, our dad loves it.

We think you’re going to love it, too! It’s reliable on a cold winter evening: a steaming bowl of soup with a big slice of warm multigrain bread. Yum!

How it comes together

Sauté the onions. Use the sauté function of your Instant Pot. Melt a tablespoon of butter with a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and sauté them briefly to soften them.

Cook the broccoli and carrots. Add four cups of finely chopped broccoli florets and matchstick carrots to the Instant Pot. Stir in broth, herbs, and seasonings. Pressure cook for 4 minutes. (It will take your Instant Pot about 10 minutes to come to pressure.)

Prep the cheese sauce ingredients. While the soup is cooking, measure out 2 cups of milk, whisk in a few tablespoons of cornstarch, and shred some sharp cheddar cheese. You’ll need three cups (12 ounces). Please don’t use pre-shredded cheese! It won’t melt nearly as well, due to additives in the cheese.

Finish up. Carefully speedy release the pressure. Turn the Instant Pot to sauté again, and stir in the milk/cornstarch mixture. Boil gently until the soup thickens, turn off the heat, slowly stir in the cheese, and voila! You just made your own beautiful broccoli cheese soup completely from scratch. And it’s so good!

What goes well with Broccoli and Cheese Soup?

Broccoli cheese soup is reliable for “Meatless Mondays”. We like to serve it with cranberry walnut oat bread. Cornbread muffins or savory quinoa muffins are great, too. Accompany it with a bowl of fresh fruit.

Make This Instant Pot Soup Your Own

• Make it on the stove. If you don’t have a pressure cooker/Instant Pot, or if you don’t feel like getting it out, this broccoli cheese soup can easily be made on the stove with a Dutch oven or large pan. The cooking time won’t differ all that much.
• Veggie options: We like matchstick carrots, but you can use chopped, diced, or shredded carrots. Add celery, zucchini, or summer squash if you want to amp up the vegetables. Our mom stirs in a big handful of chopped spinach right along with the cheese.
• Add a little spice. Give it a little more heat by increasing the cayenne pepper. Mustard powder or smoked paprika are good, too, or garlic powder to taste.
• Keto/low carb: Substitute arrowroot flour for the cornstarch, or leave it out. The soup will be thinner in consistency but will still be rich.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: Cool soup to room temperature, put into an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Broccoli cheese soup should last up to three days in the fridge. We wouldn’t freeze leftovers. Soups with a milk base just don’t fare too well in the freezer.

Reheat: Put soup into a heat proof bowl and gently heat in the microwave, or reheat in a pan on the stove. Try not to boil the soup because that may cause it to separate and curdle. The soup will still taste great if that happens but won’t look quite as appetizing.

Free Meal Plan

Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at Meal Plan #60. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. We add a new meal plan weekly.

Browse Meal Plans

Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

• Yield: 4 servings
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 13 minutes
• Total: 33 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup diced onion (about 1 small yellow onion)
• 4 cups finely chopped broccoli florets (about 1 head of broccoli, florets and small stems)
• 1 ½ cups matchstick carrots (OR 2 medium carrots, shredded or finely diced)
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, more to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups whole milk
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (see note)

Method

1. In a 6-quart Instant Pot, heat butter and olive oil on sauté mode. Add onions and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes or until translucent. Turn off Instant Pot.
2. Add broccoli, carrots, broth, thyme, pepper, salt, nutmeg, cayenne, and bay leaf.
3. Secure lid, turn valve to Seal, and set on Manual, high pressure (or Pressure Cook), for 4 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for it to come to pressure.
4. When cook time is finished, turn valve to vent to quick release pressure. Carefully remove bay leaf.
5. (If a smoother consistency is desired, blend with immersion blender before continuing with remaining steps).
6. In measuring cup, whisk together cornstarch and milk until no lumps remain.
7. Turn pressure cooker to Sauté and stir in milk/cornstarch mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soup thickens slightly. Turn Instant Pot off and gradually stir in cheese until melted. Makes 7 cups.

Notes

Shred your own cheese for best results. Pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt as well due to additives.

Broccoli cheese soup can easily be made on the stovetop in a large pan or Dutch oven.