I love the Broccoli Cheddar Soup from Panera, and now I can have it as often as I want (and sooo much cheaper!) with this fabulous Instant Pot recipe. You will never want to stop eating this creamy, cheesy comfort food!
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This fabulous soup cooks up in only 35 minutes and the delicate flavor of the spices is a perfect match with the full-bodied cheese flavor. It’s a kid-friendly favorite that packs a lot of veggies. Plus, it can easily be made vegetarian, and it’s keto-friendly as well!
If you use a high-quality cheddar that you grate yourself, rather than the pre-packaged shreds, you will get a smoother finished product. Pre-shredded cheese often has starch or other additives added to keep the cheese from clumping in the bag, but it can make for a grainy texture in a soup.
The flavor secret in this soup is the “roasted” flavor you get from browning the broccoli in step 2. For best results, add only whole florets to the pot–“crumbles” of broccoli will burn before the florets are browned.
You will never want to stop eating this creamy, cheesy comfort food!
Ingredients:
Pot Mixture:
- 5 tbsp butter
- 1.5 lbs broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 12-15 baby carrots, diced (or 2 whole carrots, diced)
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 cups heavy cream
Finishing Mixture:
- 10-12 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- Hot sauce to taste (optional
Ingredients:
Pot Mixture:
- 5 tbsp butter
- 1.5 lbs broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 12-15 baby carrots, diced (or 2 whole carrots, diced)
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 cups heavy cream
Finishing Mixture:
- 10-12 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- Hot sauce to taste (optional
Instructions:
- Add butter to the Instant Pot. Using the display panel select the SAUTE function.
- When butter has melted, add broccoli florets in an even layer and cook without stirring for 5-7 minutes or until browned on the bottom.
- Add broth to the pot and deglaze by using a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the remainder of the Pot Mixture ingredients and stir to combine.
- Turn the pot off by selecting CANCEL, then secure the lid, making sure the vent is closed.
- Using the display panel select the MANUAL function*. Use the +/- keys and program the Instant Pot for 2 minutes.
- When the time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick-release the remaining pressure.
- Use an immersion blender to process until smooth (we love this immersion blender: https://amzn.to/2yBqLSB)
- Add cheese in 1/2 cup increments stirring between each addition until melted.
- Add hot sauce to taste (optional). Serve warm.
*The MANUAL and PRESSURE COOK buttons are interchangeable.
