If you're looking for a quick, easy, and comforting meal, cozy up with a bowl of Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup! Ready in just three minutes on high pressure, this healthy broccoli cheddar soup is made without cream and packs a ton of flavour. Use fresh or frozen broccoli to make this simple, affordable dinner.
Hands up if you're all about a cozy, comforting bowl of soup the second there's a bit of a chill in the air 🙋🏻♀️
As soon as sweater weather rolls around I am all about soups and stews for as many meals as possible. Current faves include my Miso Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Vegan Chickpea Noodle Soup, or this Easy Lentil Soup. And if you haven't tried our 10-Minute Vegetable Ramen Noodles, what are you even doing with your life?!
Since broccoli and cheese are a match made in heaven (see: Air Fryer Grilled Cheese with Broccoli), I wanted to share my favourite Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup today.
This Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup is super easy to make, and if you're looking for broccoli soup without cream, you are in luck. It's got a modest amount of sharp cheddar along with layers of flavour from vegetable broth, Dijon mustard, and lots of garlic. Top with some wholegrain croutons and you are in for one delicious meal.
What's in this recipe?
I think you'll find that you have most of these ingredients already on hand. Here's what you'll need:
- Broccoli --> This is kind of the star of the show. Fresh and frozen both work fine.
- Cheddar --> We're using less than your average broccoli cheese soup, so be sure to use a nice sharp cheddar.
- Potatoes --> This adds structure and creaminess.
- Onions --> For that flavour base.
- Garlic --> As one does.
- Vegetable broth --> Store bought is totally fine.
- Dijon mustard --> Adds more depth to the flavour.
- Salt and pepper --> Pretty standard stuff.
How to make this recipe:
Whether you're making your Healthy Broccoli Soup in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop, the steps are more or less the same. Here's what you need to do:
Step 1: (above) Using the "sauté" function on your Instant Pot, heat the oil for a minute before adding the diced onion. Once the onion is translucent, add the garlic and cook for a minute more.
Step 2: (below) Add the potatoes, and let them sweat with the onions for a minute or two.
Step 3: (above) Add the broccoli and stir to combine.
Step 4: (below) Add the vegetable broth.
Step 5: (not pictured) Put the lid on your Instant Pot and make sure the valve is set to "sealing." Set to Manual / High Pressure for 3 minutes.
Step 6: When the cooking cycle has completed, flip the vent to "Venting" and do a quick release.
Step 7: (below) Remove the lid, and add the cheese and Dijon mustard.
Step 8: (below) Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it's nice and smooth.
That's it! Your soup is ready.
Pro tips / recipe notes:
Choose a good cheese! Many Broccoli Cheddar Soups call for a frankly absurd amount of cheese. Since we're making Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup, we've dramatically cut down on the amount of cheese but haven't sacrificed any flavour thanks to choosing a nice sharp cheddar. My favourite is an 18-month white cheddar.
Use an Immersion Blender to blend your soup right in the pot! It makes for one less dish to clean up as well.
No broccoli? This soup is also excellent with cauliflower in place of the broccoli.
How to freeze soup
Your Broccoli Cheddar Soup will last about three days in the fridge. Like most soups, this one freezes brilliantly.
To freeze, simply transfer cooled soup into freezer-proof containers and ensure there's enough head space for the soup to expand as it freezes.
You can also freeze soup in Mason jars, but you need to be really sure to leave enough space for expansion so the jars don't break in the freezer.
Reheating soup
To re-heat soup I most often use my microwave.
If the soup is frozen, I'll drop the frozen block of soup into a pot and heat on low heat, covered, on the stove top until the soup has melted and warmed up.
IS BROCCOLI HEALTHY?
Broccoli is rich in a host of anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, as well as antioxidant flavanoids and carotenoids. Like other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli is heart-healthy and also benefits our digestive health by both supporting and regulating our gut bacteria.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
Healthy Cauliflower Soup with Peas and Mint
Vegan Corn Chowder
Slow Cooker Chickpea Curry
Instant Pot Lentil Soup
Instant Pot Carrot Soup with Garlicky Greens
Vegan Carrot Ginger Soup with Red Lentils
Vegetarian Dumpling Soup
Mung Bean Soup
Instant Pot Red Lentil Soup
Instant Pot Borscht
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 large potato diced
- 2 medium head broccoli, including stems broken into florets
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ¾ cup sharp cheddar shredded
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon finely ground sea salt or to taste
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Using the "sauté" function on your Instant Pot, heat the oil for a minute before adding the diced onion. Sauté until translucent - 2-3 minutes.
- Once the onion is translucent, add the garlic and cook for a minute more.
- Add the potatoes, and let them sweat with the onions for a minute or two.
- Add the broccoli and stir to combine.
- Add the vegetable broth.
- Put the lid on your Instant Pot and make sure the valve is set to "sealing." Set to Manual / High Pressure for 3minutes.
- When the cooking cycle has completed, flip the vent to "Venting"and do a quick release.
- Remove the lid, and add the cheese and Dijon mustard.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it's nice and smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Stovetop Instructions
- To make this soup on the stovetop, follow the instructions above up to the point of adding the vegetable broth.
- Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer, cover, and simmer about 10-15 minutes or until the broccoli and potatoes are tender.
- Remove from the heat, add the cheese and Dijon. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it's nice and smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only.
- Choose a good cheese! Many Broccoli Cheddar Soups call for a frankly absurd amount of cheese. Since we're making Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup, we've dramatically cut down on the amount of cheese but haven't sacrificed any flavour thanks to choosing a nice sharp cheddar. My favourite is an 18-month white cheddar.
- Use an Immersion Blender to blend your soup right in the pot! It makes for one less dish to clean up as well.
- No broccoli? This soup is also excellent with cauliflower in place of the broccoli.
martha says
Katie, my husband and I love this soup! After enjoying part, I froze the rest of it in a mason jar. I believe I'd followed the directions carefully, down to the aged white cheddar. A few weeks later, the flavor was still great, but the texture was watery. No amount of stirring could bring back the original creamy texture. Any suggestions? If I could get this right, I'd be making/freezing gallons of it!
Katie Trant says
Hey Martha, I'm wondering if this soup freezes better without the cheese added in? Perhaps you could try making a batch, freezing what you won't use immediately, and then blending in the cheese to serve.
Sofie says
Excellent flavour! The dijon is a genius addition