Name: Instant pot broccoli and cheese soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 22 min
Ingredients: 4 tbsp Butter (I used salted.); 1 Large Onion (diced); 1 tsp Chili flakes; 4 Cloves Garlic (roughly chopped); 2 Medium Carrots (grated); 908 g Broccoli (cut into small florets); 800 ml Vegetable stock (Chicken stock would be good, but the recipe would not be vegetarian.); Season to taste; 1 tbsp Cornstarch; 200 g Cheddar cheese (grated); 300 ml Single cream (half and half) (Double cream would also work.)

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My instant pot broccoli and cheese soup is perfect now that the nights are drawing in. Served with crusty bread and totally delicious.

A rich, creamy and thick soup with a cook time of just one minute. Perfect for a tasty mid-week dinner.

How to make broccoli and cheese soup

This recipe is super easy to make and should be ready to eat in less than 30 minutes.

Simply set the pot to saute and then add the butter. Once the butter is hot add the onions and fry until softened. This should take around 3 minutes. Now add chili flakes and garlic followed by the carrots and broccoli. Add the stock and season to taste. Stir everything together and put the lid on. Set on high pressure for 1 minute.

When the time is up, leave under pressure for another 5 minutes and then do a quick release. Once the pin has dropped remove the lid and stir everything together. The broccoli will fall apart whilst stirring as it's so tender.

Set the pot to saute and remove around 3 tbsp of liquid and add to 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Mix well together and then add back to the pot. Stir in until the sauce thickens (around 3 minutes).

Now turn off the pot and add the cheese and cream. Mix together and once the cheese has melted, it's ready to serve.

There you have it. One of the easiest and tastiest soups you will ever make.

What are the ingredients for instant pot broccoli and cheese soup?

Not too many ingredients for this one and lots of substitutions make it a really great choice:

Butter (I used salted).
Onion.
Chili flakes.
Garlic.
Carrots.
Broccoli.
Vegetable stock.
Salt and pepper.
Cornstarch.
Cheese (I used cheddar).
Single cream (half and half).

A nice simple list with no unusual and difficult to get hold of ingredients.

What to serve with instant pot broccoli cheese soup

I served mine with some homemade crusty white bread (proved in the instant pot). You could serve with a green salad, but really it's got everything in it that you need just as it is.

Are there any substitutions if you don't have all the ingredients?

There are plenty of substitutions possible and this makes the recipe really flexible.

Instead of butter you could use coconut oil or other vegetable oils to reduce the amount of saturated fats. Butter does give the most taste though in my opinion.
I used mild chili flakes, but you could use stronger or even leave them out. A fresh chili would also be really good in this recipe.
For this recipe I used fresh garlic, but garlic granules or garlic salt would make it even easier.
I used fresh broccoli and carrots, but frozen would also work well. You could even use a frozen broccoli and cauliflower mix. Use a little less stock in this case as otherwise, the soup could be a little too watery.
Initially, I made this recipe with chicken stock, and it was really good, but I replaced it with vegetable stock to make the recipe vegetarian.
I used cornstarch to thicken, but in reality, the soup was fairly thick without it and so you could leave it out.
Cheddar cheese is my preference, but you could use any cheese you would like.
I used single cream (half and half), but full-fat cream would also be great. I have even made this recipe with coconut milk instead and this was really good.

As you can see there really is no excuse to not try my broccoli and cheese soup.

Is broccoli cheese soup healthy?

Packed with the goodness of broccoli and under 500 calories per serving My instant pot broccoli cheese soup will be a great addition to any diet.

Can this recipe be made vegan?

Yes it can. Simply replace the butter with vegetable oil, use vegan cheese and replace the cream with coconut milk and broccoli cheese soup will make a great vegan meal.

Is broccoli and cheese soup keto-friendly?

This soup recipe is low in carbohydrates and can be made even lower by either omitting the cornflour or replacing with something like almond flour. This will make it a great keto recipe to try.

Is it possible to scale the recipe up or down?

The recipe will fit in well to all instant pot sizes as it is, and will also half well for all pots especially the 3l (3qt). You could double the recipe in all pots 6l (6qt) and above. Whichever you do, all timings would remain the same.

Leftovers will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge and will freeze well for around 6 months. Reheating should be done either on the stovetop, using the microwave or in the instant pot. Whichever method you use, make sure it is piping hot before serving.

Thank you for taking the time to read my recipe for broccoli and cheese soup. If you have enjoyed it, please take a look at some of my other great vegetarian and vegan options:

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please leave them in the box below and I would be delighted to help.

Instant pot broccoli and cheese soup