I am in an all-out lovefest with Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup. It’s rich and creamy, made almost entirely of vegetables. I feel fantastic after I eat it, and on top of all of those tasty qualities, it’s easy to make too!
Finding a broccoli cheese soup recipe that’s healthy and easy and tastes as good as the broccoli cheese soup against which all broccoli cheese soups are measured (hi, Panera!) is more complicated than it sounds.
Despite its straightforward promise to be warm, comforting, and make you feel all cozy and happy inside, most from-scratch broccoli cheese soup recipes are fussier than they appear.
Back when I was working on this Slow Cooker Broccoli and Cheese Soup, I discovered that the majority of homemade broccoli cheese soup recipes required me to start by making a roux-based white sauce which, while tasty, defeated the easy factor I was seeking.
The recipes that didn’t involve a roux were for an Instant Pot broccoli potato cheese soup, or they called for thickening the soup with a certain uncomfortably orange “cheese,” which defeated the healthy factor I wanted for my soup.
While I came up with a solution I was fairly happy with for my slow cooker version, I must say, today’s Instant Pot broccoli cheese soup does it better.
Not only is it quick to make thanks to the speed of the pressure cooker, but the overall texture, flavor, and comfort factor are the best of any broccoli cheese soup I have tasted anywhere, Panera included.
5 Star Review
“My family kept going back for seconds and thirds this recipe was so good! Even the baby loved it!”
— Chuente —
The secret to an easy Instant Pot broccoli cheese soup that’s healthy too? For the big reveal, let’s turn to the source of the recipe, my friend Megan’s cookbook The Fresh and Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook!
My only changes to the recipe were to start by sautéing the onions directly in the Instant Pot, based on personal preference.
I like the deeper, more mild flavor of sautéed onions versus raw. If you are in a hurry or don’t mind a stronger onion taste, you can certainly skip that step and make the recipe just as Megan has written it.
For another decadent soup in the Instant Pot, you’ll love this Instant Pot Potato Soup.
How to Make Healthy Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
To make broccoli cheese soup from scratch, we’re utilizing an array of veggies, flavor enhancers, and cheese. While the combination of ingredients makes this Instant Pot broccoli cauliflower cheese soup nutritious, I promise that it’s anything but boring.
The Ingredients
- Broccoli. A can’t-miss ingredient in broccoli cheese soup! Broccoli is rich in antioxidants and vitamins and pairs wonderfully with the cheesy goodness in this soup.
- Cauliflower. The creamy secret weapon! When the final soup is blended, the taste of the cauliflower goes unnoticed, but it gives the soup incredible texture and body.
Tip!
For more soups that use cauliflower as a healthy thickening agent, don’t miss these recipes: Creamy Broccoli Cauliflower Soup, Cauliflower Chowder, and Instant Pot Cauliflower Mac and Cheese.
- Carrots. I tossed in carrots for their added nutrition and sweet taste. Carrots are packed with vitamins and fiber.
- Spicy Brown Mustard. Tangy and full of spices, spicy brown mustard makes the soup pop.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Forget Instant Pot broccoli cheese soup Velveeta-style, real sharp cheddar cheese is the key to a legit cheesy flavor.
- Parmesan. A little Parmesan is a perfect complement to the sharp cheddar cheese.
- Milk. Milk helps create the soup’s scrumptious creamy texture. You can use any unsweetened milk you have on hand.
The Directions
- Sauté the onion in the Instant Pot.
- Add the remaining vegetables, mustard, salt, and liquid. Cook on HIGH for 3 minutes, then immediately vent. Puree the soup.
- Stir in the cheeses, milk, and pepper. DIG IN!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm soup in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
- To Freeze. Freeze soup in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Meal Plan Tip
Up to 1 day in advance, chop the vegetables and refrigerate them in separate storage containers.
What Goes Well with Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Instant Pot. Ideal for making this Instant Pot broccoli cheese soup, and other hearty soups like Instant Pot Split Pea Soup.
- Immersion Blender. It makes pureeing soups like this one easier (and safer) than transferring the piping hot soup mixture to a blender or food processor in batches.
- Ladle. Perfect for transferring the soup to bowls and storage containers.
The Best Instant Pot
An Instant Pot shaves oodles of time off of recipes that typically take hours. It’s easy to use and clean!
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 3 cups water
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 pound broccoli cut into florets (about 6 cups)
- 1 very small head or 1/2 large cauliflower cut into florets (about 3 cups)
- 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard (I used 1 tablespoon grainy brown mustard and 1/2 tablespoon Dijon)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften and brown, about 3 minutes. Splash in some of the water and scrape a spoon along the bottom of the pan to remove any stuck-on bits. Add the carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, brown mustard, and salt. Add the remaining water.
- Close and seal the lid. Cook on HIGH pressure (Manual) for 3 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, immediately vent to release the remaining pressure. Carefully open the lid. With an immersion blender, puree the soup, leaving it as creamy or as chunky as you like. Alternatively, you can transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and puree it in batches, then return it to the Instant Pot. (Be careful not to overfill, as hot soup will splatter.)
- Stir in the cheddar, Parmesan, almond milk, and black pepper. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Enjoy hot (with a bonus sprinkle of cheddar if you feel so called!).
Notes
- TO STORE: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm soup in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze the soup for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- TO MAKE VEGAN: Omit the cheese and stir in 1/4 cup nutritional yeast and 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice with the almond milk. (You may want to add more salt, as Parmesan is typically salty.)
Nutrition
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Hello,
Can you use frozen veggies?
Hi Pardeep! I have not tried the recipe this way, but I believe it should be fine. I recommend thawing the veggies and patting them dry before starting the recipe. If you decide to experiment with it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
I was really hoping to find a soup recipe that uses water as the base that could actually hold up in the flavor department and I’m happy to report that this one does! I used shallot instead of onion and dairy milk instead of almond milk, since that’s what I had on hand. I also used frozen broccoli (1 bag) + frozen cauliflower (1/2 bag), so I made up for that by decreasing to 3.5 cups water. It worked out great — no defrosting required! Amazing flavor, and very filling. Thanks, Erin!
I’m so pleased to hear that this recipe was a hit, Jasmine! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I made this last night and my husband and I really enjoyed it! I used whole cow milk, and I added a little extra cheese and salt at the end; otherwise followed the recipe. Yum!!
Thank you for sharing this kind review, Jen! I’m so happy the recipe was a hit!
Broccoli soup has always been my son’s favorite meal. He is now a young adult and started
trying eat healthier. This soup is as good if not better than the creamy cheesy one he enjoyed as a child. It was so quick and easy. Thank you! We will be making again!
I’m so pleased that it was a hit, Charlotte! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
How many WW points is this recipe?
Hi Kristy! Unfortunately, I’m not familiar with calculating Weight Watchers points, so I’m not sure what this recipe would be. I hope you enjoy the soup if you try it!
We tried this recipe tonight. Easy peasy.
Two suggestions…add a tbsp of chicken bouillon to the water, and, at my very able wife’s suggestion, a teaspoon of hot curry powder (we used Sharwoods) oh, and a little dash of dried hot pepper flakes
THe results were awesome.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the soup! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Not really any flavor. Healthy, so tastes nothing like the Panera soup we love. Uses water and broccoli, and basically tastes like that, broccoli water.
I’m sorry to hear that this recipe wasn’t to your tastes, Kimberly. I (and many other readers) enjoyed this healthier take, so I truly wish it would’ve been a hit for you too!
Wonderful recipe! I want to share it with my mother who does not have an instant pot. Will it work just as well to soften the veggies in the boiling water over the stove?
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Elissa! Thank you for sharing this kind review! You can make this on the stovetop. Just cook until the vegetables are soft before continuing to the puree step. You may need to add a little additional liquid to get the consistency right since there will be more evaporation.
I’ve made this a few times now and it’s so easy AND healthy. I love that has “hidden veggies” i.e. cauliflower and not a crazy amount of cheese or milk. I add in a bay leaf when cooking in the Instant Pot (remove it before blending) and also sub dijon mustard for brown. I also use broth in place of water. Sometimes I mix in cooked rice for a heartier one-pot meal.
I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed it, Sabrina! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Broccoli Cheese soup sounds delis but can you tell me the sodium count. Must watch sodium as your nutritional facts do not list sodium. Everything but.
Thank you
Hi Lynda! I stopped including sodium info because it can vary so much depending upon what products you used, and I found a lot of conflicting info online, so ultimately I didn’t feel comfortable publishing it because sometimes it wasn’t even in the ballpark. If you’d like to calculate it yourself, there are lots of free tools online (myfitnesspal.com is popular). I hope that helps!
With the stellar reviews, my hopes were high for this one. I even doubled the recipe. Despite note seeing anything promising in the flavor department, I went ahead with it. This is definitely a healthy soup, but it’s basically just boiled, pureed veg without flavor. You can’t even taste any cheese.
I’m so sorry you didn’t enjoy this soup, Julie. Myself (and others) have enjoyed this recipe so I wish you would have to but I know we all have different taste.
Delicious and easy
Hi Kathryn! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
There are lots of food blogger like this But the best food recipe ” Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup” is yours. Thanks for giving me this wonderful blog. I will try to make it like you.
Hi! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I made this last night, and absolutely loved it!
For everyone who’s wondered, I used fully frozen broccoli and cauliflower and it worked perfectly.
Instead of water, I used chicken stock. Since the chicken stock was salted, I reduced the salt in the recipe to 1 tsp and planned to add more if needed, but I found that it wasn’t needed. I served it with grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. I would have added a salad but was short on time.
The kids did not eat it very well, but they all have a bad cold right now and their appetite/eating is off in general. I plan to make it again when everyone is feeling a bit better and have improved appetites. I, however, went back 2 times for more soup. Husband worked late, so he didn’t get to try it yet. Thanks for a great, healthy (hidden veggie packed!) recipe! Can’t wait to make it again.
Hi Tara! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review and feedback!
I finally made this soup after having it on my list for quite some time and I LOVED it. The only changes I made were to pop a couple chicken bouillon cubes in and I used cow’s milk. I also used frozen broccoli and cauliflower (didn’t thaw) and didn’t have any issue at all with it tasting too water-y. This soup was very easy, came together quickly and tasted both cheesy and light (if that’s a thing?). I love some of the heavier cheese/cream laden soups but sometimes you just feel, well… heavy and sluggish after eating them. With this one I got the flavor I was looking for, but none of the downside. I’ll definitely be making this again! Thanks, Erin!
Oh, almost forgot to add: I just did this on the stove since I don’t have an Instant pot and it worked perfectly.
Hi Kelly! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review and feedback about making it on the stove!
A bit underwhelmed but then I oven roasted some broccoli and cauliflower as a garnish to dress up both flavor and appearance. This helped, and it was even better the second night.
Thanks for the feedback Dee Anne!