If you’re looking for an easy side dish or a treat for National Cheddar Day (February 13th), Instant Pot broccoli cheddar soup recipe is the one. All you need is a few ingredients to make this delicious, creamy, hearty soup from scratch.
But how come a rich and creamy soup like this is healthy? Let’s find out.
Is Broccoli Cheddar Soup Healthy?
Yes, broccoli cheddar soup is healthy. The main ingredient of the soup is broccoli, a fibrous vegetable that is rich in vitamins and minerals.
One of its many benefits is that it’s a great source of vitamin C. One serving of our broccoli cheddar soup contains more than 40% of your recommended daily vitamin C intake.
Our recipe also contains carrots and potatoes, both of which are great sources of fiber, vitamin B6, and potassium.
Vegetables aside, our recipe strictly adheres to our nutrition guidelines to make sure the amount of calories, sodium, and saturated fat are within recommended limits.
If you love healthy, hearty, creamy soups like this, here are some of our Instant Pot soup recipes you can try:
Main Ingredients for Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Here is a quick look at the main ingredients to our broccoli cheddar soup recipe:
- Broccoli: To prepare broccoli for this recipe, rinse and drain the broccoli before cutting each head into florets.
- Bacon: Sprinkle crispy bacon bits on top of the soup and you will get a nice, sharp, salty taste in every bite.
- Flavorants: Garlic gives the soup an herbaceous, savory flavor. Onions add a mildly sweet, umami hint to the soup’s flavor profile.
- Other vegetables: We also add potatoes and carrots to the soup to give it a thicker consistency.
- Broth: We’re using unsalted chicken broth, but you can use vegetable broth if you prefer.
- Dairy: Milk and heavy cream are added and pressure-cooked in the soup. Grated cheddar cheese is added as garnish before serving.
- Spices: Salt, freshly ground black pepper, and paprika.
We’re serving the soup with toasted bread so you’ll also need a French baguette.
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup in an Instant Pot
Here is a summary of our Instant Pot broccoli cheddar soup recipe:
Cook the bacon.
Sweat the onions.
Cook the soup.
Blend the soup.
Toast the bread.
Garnish and serve.
To get the full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions of the recipe, click here.
Tips for Making Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Here are a few tips to make this simple broccoli cheddar soup even easier:
1. Can You Use Frozen Broccoli for This Recipe?
Yes, you can.
Preparing broccoli may be the most laborious task in the whole recipe. You will need to rinse and cut each broccoli head into florets.
It may be an easy task, but it’s rather time-consuming. If you’re a busy person, a bag of frozen broccoli will suffice.
2. How to Thicken the Soup
If you prefer a thicker soup, here are two methods for you to pick:
- Add a tablespoon of all-purpose flour to the pot when you’re sweating the onions. Once the soup is cooked, it should have a more viscous texture.
- Once the soup is cooked, turn the Instant Pot to the “Sauté” program on low. Mix a tablespoon each of cornstarch and water, add to the soup, and stir for 2 minutes.
How to Store and Reheat Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Allow the soup to cool completely before putting it into an airtight container. This broccoli cheddar soup should last up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
You can even put it in the freezer and it will last for a month. If you do, let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
To reheat the soup, put it into the microwave for 2 minutes.
What to Eat With Broccoli Cheddar Soup
You can never go wrong serving a bowl of warm soup with freshly toasted bread. The crunchy bread adds a contrast in texture and makes the soup more enjoyable.
Since this soup is so light and comforting, it would be perfect as your first course. As for the main course, you can pick whatever your heart desires.
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz broccoli cut into florets
- 1 oz bacon raw, finely chopped
- 2 tsp garlic minced
- 2 oz onions finely diced
- 1.5 oz cheddar cheese grated
- 6 oz carrots peeled and grated
- 4 oz potatoes peeled and grated
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 1/2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 2 oz French baguette thinly sliced
Instructions
- Cook the bacon: Turn on your Instant Pot and set it to the “Sauté” program. Add bacon and cook for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- Sweat the onions: Add garlic and onions, cook and stir for 2 minutes.
- Cook the soup: Add broccoli, cheddar, carrots, potatoes, salt, black pepper, milk, heavy cream, paprika, and unsalted chicken broth. Stir and cover with the lid. Turn the valve knob to “sealing position”. Set the Instant Pot to the “Steam” program for 20 minutes.
- Blend the soup: Carefully turn the valve knob to release the steam before opening the lid. Stir a couple of times. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Toast the bread: Put the bread slices into an oven or air fryer for 2 minutes at 355℉ or until golden brown.
- Garnish and serve: Ladle the soup into a deep dish or bowl. Sprinkle with bacon and serve with toasted bread.
Nutrition
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