Instant Pot broccoli cheddar soup has fresh broccoli, carrots, lots of cheddar and Madras curry powder to give it an Indian touch! It's a hearty, filling and vegetarian soup ready in 20 minutes in the pot. Pure comfort in a bowl!
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About Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Broccoli and cheese are made for each other and when they come together in a creamy soup, it's pure comfort in a bowl. I made this soup for the first time when my son was down with the sniffles and he LOVED it. Now it's become a family favourite, sniffles or not!
Plus it's so easy to make. I've said it before, but the instant pot is the perfect appliance for making soups. Everything gets pressure cooked quickly and you don't have to wait for hours to eat. And this one's a truly simple affair because it's got shredded broccoli, onions, garlic and carrots. They soften in literally 4 minutes of pressure cooking and then you get to add the goodies: grated cheddar and half and half to make it super-creamy and rich. Here's the full ingredients list.
Do pay attention to the last ingredient.. curry powder. This is a variation I have made to the recipe since it adds so much flavor to the soup. It has been such a successful addition that I use it in two other soup recipes: chicken mulligatawny soup and mushroom soup.
Ingredients
1. Butter, half and half cream and cheese
- Unsalted butter and half and half make the soup rich and delicious. If you quail at the thought of so much fat, use milk. It won't have the same richness but it will still taste good.
- As for the cheese, do make sure it's sharp cheddar for maximum taste. Mild or medium just doesn't cut it. It's best if you grate the block of cheese yourself but if you're short on time, just buy the grated cheese. I use either, depending on the time I have.
2. Onions, garlic, broccoli, carrots
- Dice the onions and garlic fine. A lot of people use onion and garlic powders but fresh is always best.
- Likewise, I used fresh broccoli since it's available so abundantly in the market. You can use frozen broccoli too for this recipe as it gets mixed into the soup anyway.
- I love the matchstick carrots found in bags in the produce section of supermarkets for this soup. It saves the hassle of grating or dicing carrots (not my most favourite task in the world), and they look pretty.
3. Vegetable broth and vegetable bouillon cubes
Broth and bouillon cubes give the soup depth of flavour, otherwise it ends up being rich but a little bland.
4. Ground spices
Paprika and black pepper. Smoked paprika tastes nice but if you don't have it, the regular one will do as well. Grind the black pepper directly into the pot.
5. All-purpose flour
To thicken the soup, I make a roux with half the butter and flour first. You can do it in the instant pot as the first step or add it later to the soup to thicken it.
6. An unexpected ingredient: Madras curry powder!
I know, I know. Curry powder sounds like a strange ingredient in soup, but trust me, it tastes awesome. One teaspoon of Madras curry powder gives this instant pot broccoli and cheddar soup a distinctly Indian flavor and jazzes up the soup for Indian palates. And, of course, feel free to use plain curry powder if you don't have Madras curry powder and even leave it out entirely if you want to.
Instructions
Preparation
1. Wash the vegetables and chop them fine.
2. Grate the cheese.
Cooking
1. Make the roux. Switch on the instant pot to sauté (normal) and melt the butter. Add the flour and stir continuously until the flour is cooked and looks golden. Add a few tablespoons milk to loosen it slightly.
How to avoid the burn notice on your instant pot: Sometimes, adding flour before pressure cooking the soup triggers the burn notice in some 'sensitive' instant pots, so you might want to add it later. In this case, use half the butter (2 tbsp) to make the roux and keep it aside. You can add it after the pressure cooking cycle is over along with the half and half cream and cheese.
2. Add the broth, onions, garlic, carrots, broccoli, paprika, black pepper, vegetable bouillon cube and Madras curry powder. Mix everything well and pressure cook for 4 minutes.
3. Let the pressure release naturally and open the pot. Switch to sauté again and add the half and half cream and cheese. Cook until the cheese has melted and the soup thickens (5 minutes). Take the soup out into bowls and top with more grated cheese and carrots if you want and serve hot.
Serving Suggestion
A brilliant way to serve this broccoli cheddar soup is in these homemade bread bowls. They are easy to make and if you are entertaining, your guest will be impressed! Plus, the soup tastes lovely with some crusty bread. Have the soup and eat the bowl afterwards!
More Vegetarian Instant Pot Soups
1. Vegetable Soup: The best, most comforting vegetable soup I know! It's chockfull of a medley of veggies, beans, and pasta and seasoned with chilli flakes, freshly cracked black pepper, and herbs for that extra kick.
2. Potato Soup: Made with the humble russet potato, this thick and chunky vegetarian soup has readily available ingredients like carrots, onions and garlic. Dashes of butter and cream add a lovely texture and richness to it!
3. Tomato Soup: Made with fresh tomatoes not paste, and tastes really good with garlic bread or cheese sandwiches.
4. Sweet Corn Soup: Light and fresh, you'll be reaching out for second and third helpings!
Tried this recipe? Do consider giving it a star rating and a comment below. And if you’re on Instagram, feel free to tag me so I can see your creation. I'd love to hear from you! Thank you:)
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Equipment
- Instant Pot Duo 6-quart
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 onion medium-sized, diced
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 broccoli medium head, chopped into very small florets
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube
- 1 teaspoon Madras curry powder or regular curry powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 cup half and half cream
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Switch on the instant pot to sauté (normal) and melt the butter. Add the flour and stir continuously until the flour is cooked and looks golden. Add a few tablespoons milk to loosen it slightly.
- Add the broth, onions, garlic, broccoli, carrots, paprika, black pepper, vegetable bouillon cube and Madras curry powder. Mix everything well and cancel sauté. Fit the lid and make sure the steam release handle is sealed. Press the pressure cooking button and set the timer to 4 minutes.
- When the timer beeps, let the pressure release naturally and then open the pot. Switch to sauté again and add the half and half cream and cheese. Cook until the cheese has melted and the soup thickens (5 minutes). Take the soup out into bowls and top with more grated cheese and carrots if you want and serve hot.
Notes
- Sometimes flour makes the soup thick while it is being pressure cooked and triggers the burn notice. If you do not want to add the flour in step 1, make the roux with half the butter (2 tbsp) in a small frypan on low heat and keep aside. You can add it after the pressure cooking cycle is over along with half and half cream and cheese. In this case, melt the other half of the butter (2 tbsp) and add the garlic and onions first followed by the other ingredients in the recipe.
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