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Easy Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup | Mommy's Home Cooking
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Quick & Easy Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup

This Quick and Easy Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup Recipe is pure comfort food at its best! It’s creamy, rich, and oh-so cheesy. The best part is that this soup is ready in about 20 minutes from start to finish!
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 373kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 small cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock/broth, or vegetable stock for a vegetarian version
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 - 6 cups chopped broccoli crowns (about 3 large crowns)
  • 2 cups matchstick/shredded carrots
  • 10 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese (see notes)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream or half and half

Instructions

Stovetop Instructions:

  • Melt butter and oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook 3-4 minutes or until softened and light gold. Add the garlic and saute for another minute.
  • Add the paprika, mustard, and cayenne pepper to the pot. Cook for another 45 seconds to 1 minute, constantly stirring until fragrant. Add in the flour and whisk to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes, constantly whisking until the flour is thickened (it will look like a thick paste).
  • Add broth, bay leaf, broccoli, and carrots; mix to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the broccoli and carrots are cooked through.
  • Blend (optional step): At this point, you can blend some of the soup or use an immersion blender, if desired.
    For chunky texture: use an immersion blender, stand blender, to puree the soup until you reach the desired texture.
    For smooth and silky texture: Let the soup cool down a little. Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Return pot.
    NOTE: I like to remove (with a slotted spoon) about 2 cups of broccoli before blending it; next, I blend the soup until smooth and then return the saved broccoli to the blended soup to have some broccoli pieces still.
  • After you blend the soup to your liking, return the soup to the pot over medium heat. Stir in cheese. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted. Taste for seasoning and adjust with more salt and pepper if necessary. Add heavy cream; mix to combine. Let the soup simmer for 2 minutes. Serve.

Instant Pot Instructions:

  • Select "Sauté" mode and adjust to more. When hot, add oil and butter. Add onion to the pot; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the minced garlic, paprika, mustard, and cayenne pepper to the pot. Cook for another 45 seconds to 1 minute, constantly stirring until fragrant. Add in the flour and whisk to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes, constantly whisking until the flour is thickened (it will look like a thick paste). Press “Cancel”.
  • Add broth, bay leaf, broccoli, and carrots; mix to combine.
  • Close lid and Select "Pressure Cook" mode adjust to 5 minutes. When cooking is complete, press “Cancel” and carefully turn the vent to “Venting” to release the pressure. Then remove the lid.
  • Blend (optional step): At this point, you can blend some of the soup or use an immersion blender, if desired.
    For chunky texture: use an immersion blender, stand blender, to puree the soup until you reach the desired texture.
    For smooth and silky texture: Let the soup cool down a little. Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Return to the instant pot.
    NOTE: I like to remove (with a slotted spoon) about 2 cups of broccoli before blending it, next I blend the soup until smooth and then return the saved broccoli to the blended soup.
  • After you blend the soup to your liking, select "Sauté" mode and adjust to less. Stir in cheese. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted. Taste for seasoning and adjust with more salt and pepper if necessary. Add heavy cream; mix to combine. Let the soup simmer for 2 minutes. Serve.

Notes

 
BROCCOLI: Fresh broccoli gives the best results in this recipe. Frozen broccoli really doesn’t hold up well in texture for this soup, but frozen can certainly be substituted if that’s all you have on hand. In this case, you probably won’t need to blend the soup too much.
CHEESE: I suggest grating your own cheddar cheese vs. using the pre-grated bagged stuff because the pre-shredded cheese doesn't melt well.
CONSISTENCY: For an even thicker consistency, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water and add to the soup after adding the heavy cream. Mix through well and allow to thicken.
STORE: Cheddar Broccoli Soup in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, it can be microwaved, stirring occasionally, or heated on the stove over medium-low.
FREEZE: Place in freezer-safe zip bags and freeze flat or in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months. To reheat, thaw completely, then warm on low heat to prevent curdling.
 
 
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Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate and it can vary depending on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 308mg | Potassium: 331mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 6345IU | Vitamin C: 3.3mg | Calcium: 298mg | Iron: 0.9mg