This Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup is rich, cheesy, and packed with veggies. This is a comfort food that’s loved by the whole family.

General
Ingredients
How to make
Get the recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
Fresh or frozen broccoli?
Why is my soup watery?
Variations
Pairing suggestions
How to store
Nutrition information

Grab some bread and a blanket, because once this instant pot broccoli cheddar soup is ready, all you’ll want to do is curl up with a giant bowl and relax!

Ingredients

This broccoli cheddar soup is absolutely packed with veggies! An indulgent soup with extra vegetables? It’s the best of both worlds! Bonus: this is toddler approved.

Bacon – cooked until crispy. For the best results, use high quality thick-cut bacon. The texture and flavor is much nicer and it’s easier to work with — it doesn’t stick to the pan as much as “regular” cut. Bacon adds a great, smoky flavor and crispy texture, but if you’d like to keep this vegetarian, replace the bacon with 1/4 – 1/2 cup unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil.
Onion, Carrots, and Celery – aka a “mirepoix”. This trio of vegetables is a very common base for soup recipes which provides flavor, texture, and nutrients. If you’re short on time, some grocery stores will carry chopped mirepoix in the produce section — you’ll need about 2 cup(s) for this recipe.
Garlic – provides a subtle, nutty flavor and *bonus* is loaded with good-for-you vitamins and minerals. Buy jarred minced garlic to save on prep time.
Salt and Pepper – enhances the flavor of the other ingredients while also adding just a hint of spice. I wanted to keep the seasonings very simple to really highlight the broccoli cheddar flavor, but feel free to amp it up if you’d like. Cayenne pepper, paprika, and dried mustard are often found in broccoli cheeses soup recipes.
Chicken Broth – provides a rich, flavorful base for our soup. Vegetable broth may be substituted if that’s all you have on hand. Beef broth would make this too rich and salty whereas water wouldn’t provide enough flavor. Use your favorite store-bought variety of chicken broth or feel free to make your own.
Broccoli – fresh broccoli, not frozen, is called for in this recipe. Be sure to not cut the florets too small, or you’ll end up with mushy broccoli — the florets cook down quite a bit and will continue to break up into smaller pieces when you stir in the remaining ingredients after cooking.
Half-and-Half – makes this soup ultra creamy without being too heavy. Want it richer? Try heavy cream. Want it lighter? Use whole milk.
Sharp Cheddar Cheese – provides a sharp, rich cheesy flavor to the soup. If sharp cheddar is too intense for your liking, feel free to replace with a mild or medium cheddar variety. Whatever you use, be sure to shred the cheese yourself. Pre-shredded, bagged cheeses are coated in an anti-caking agent which may result in a grainy texture.

Pro tip

This recipe does require a bit of chopping, but then comes together very quickly! I like to chop all my veggies before I start the cooking process.

How to make

This instant pot recipe cooks on high pressure for “zero” minutes. Yep, you read that right! Don’t worry…it will make sense in a second.

Cook bacon in a 6 quart Instant Pot, then remove and set aside, but leave the bacon grease.
Sauté onions, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper in the reserved bacon grease.
Stir in chicken broth and broccoli, then cover and lock the lid.
Cook on HIGH pressure for 0 minutes (yes ZERO minutes, it still takes time for the IP to come to pressure which will cook the broccoli).
Quick release the pressure, then stir in the heavy cream, cheese, and bacon.
Taste and re-season, if necessary, then serve and enjoy!

Pro tip

When stirring in the chicken broth, scrap up any brown bits that may have stuck to the bottom. This helps to avoid a BURN notice.

Do you use fresh or frozen broccoli?

You can use fresh or frozen broccoli in this soup. The original recipe was tested using 1 head of fresh broccoli, but 1 (12-16 oz) bag frozen broccoli florets should also be fine. The cook time will not change — they will both cook for ZERO minutes at HIGH pressure.

I haven’t tested using frozen broccoli, but my only concern would be a more watery in consistency. The fix? Stir in less of the half-and-half after cook time and/or stir in a cornstarch slurry. Hit SAUTE on the Instant Pot, bring to a simmer, then stir in the slurry made with 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water.

Why is my broccoli cheddar soup watery?

If made as directed, your soup shouldn’t be watery. If it is, you have a couple options:

Use less half-and-half. After the cook time, you’ll have an idea of the consistency of the soup. Slowly stir in half-and-half until the desired consistency has been reached. Keep in mind, the shredded cheese will help thicken it up.
Make a slurry. Whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Hit SAUTE on the IP, bring to a simmer, then slowly stir in the slurry. Simmer until thickened to your liking.

Variations

Make it vegetarian. Omit the bacon and use 1/4 – 1/2 cup unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil. Swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
Use another cheese. Sharp cheddar is the most common, but another melting cheese like gruyere would also be delicious.

What to serve with instant pot broccoli cheddar soup

This soup SCREAMS for bread for dunking. I also love serving up a light side like a salad and a meat or sandwich for more bulk.

How to store

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

To reheat, thaw, if frozen, then heat on the stove or in the microwave until warm.

– Jennifer