Veggie loaded Instant Pot broccoli cheddar soup has all of the flavours of the traditional comfort style broccoli cheddar, but this version is loaded up with potatoes as the thickener instead of flour, butter, and a ton of cream.
This lighter version is is freezer friendly and is only one minute under pressure in your Instant Pot!
Creamy comfort soups are what we all need in the winter, but surviving off flour, cream, and butter base soups isn't an everyday go to for everyone.
This soup is not the traditional heavy cream based soup you typically see with broccoli cheddar soup. Below I will give directions on how to thicken it up if you choose to.
Freezer friendly soups ARE an everyday go to for me.
Freezing my soups in my souper cubes silicone mold makes grab and go warm lunches a dream, and so I wanted to create the classic flavours of broccoli cheddar soup, but a little bit lighter and 100% freezer friendly!
More Instant Pot freezer friendly soups on the blog to check out are this dairy free tomato basil soup, veggie loaded white cheddar soup, or this curried carrot and lentil soup!
Only simple, real ingredients are needed for this soup!
Not pictured is the oil and chicken broth.
Veggies needed - Broccoli, carrots, celery, potatoes, and onions are the veggies you need for this recipe. You can omit any of them if you like but it will change the final texture and flavor of this soup.
I prefer fresh veggies, but you can swap frozen. Using frozen items will increase the come to pressure time.
Can I use any potato?
For the potatoes, russets or sometimes called baking potatoes are the best option for this soup, but feel free to swap if needed. I don't peel mine (hello nutrients and fiber) but feel free to peel them if that is your preference.
Is the sharp cheese important or can I use what I have?
Sharp cheese is really needed in this recipe. I find if I don't use sharp cheese, I have to add much more cheese to get the cheesy flavor.
I highly suggest using sharp cheese for this recipe.
Don't skip the spices!
The dry mustard, cayenne, salt and pepper are key to this soup. If you don't have dry mustard, you can try using a tablespoon of dijon mustard instead.
You don't taste mustard at all in this soup, but it adds a perfect flavour profile to this veggie loaded soup!
How to make this soup - in a quick 4 steps!
As much as I love a dump everything in and go type recipe, I really do think that using the saute feature for the aromatics (onion, garlic, and spices ) is key to deep soup flavors.
If you really want to skip the saute step you can, but your soup won't have quite the same depth of flavour.
- Press saute - allow the pot to heat up and add the oil.
- Sweat out the onions, garlic and spices.
- Add all veggies and broth to the pot. Set the pot on high pressure for ONE minute.
- Quick release pressure, add the dairy, and use an immersion blender to blend to desired texture.
Is this really a one minute soup?
Yes... and no!
Yes, you set the pressure to 1 minute. However, with the volume of ingredients and broth, this soup takes 15 ish minutes to come to pressure, one minute under pressure, and the quick release takes 3-5 minutes.
Total time is about 20 minutes.
Recipe tips
- Add toppings to add some texture to this pureed soup. Yes, crackers is a good go to, but, sliced almonds (like shown in these images) is a go to for soups to get that crunch you get with a cracker but is lower in carbs, and the almonds help keep you full longer.
- If you like a chunkier soup, take a couple ladle fulls of soup out before you blend. Place that in a bowl and set aside. Blend up the soup and then add those ladle fulls back in.
- If you really do want the thicker texture (plus the veggies), add a flour slurry after the pressure cycle.
When you make this veggie loaded soup, I want to see your version! Tag me @mealplanaddict on Instagram!
Recipe
Veggie Loaded Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Equipment
- 6 Quart Instant Pot
- Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper reduce to ⅛ for less heat
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets you may sub for frozen
- 1 rib celery, cut into half moons
- 1 large carrot, diced into ½ inch pieces
- 2 medium russet potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4 cups chicken broth you can sub in vegetable broth
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar don't use pre shredded, it doesn't melt the same way.
- ½ cup cream
Instructions
- Press saute and wait for the liner to heat up.
- Add the oil and once it is hot, add the onions and garlic. Let saute for about a minute.
- Add the salt, pepper, dry mustard, and cayenne. Saute until onions are translucent. Take care not to burn the garlic and onions here.
- Add in the broccoli, potatoes, carrots, celery, and borth. Essentially, add everything except the cream and cheese.
- Secure the lid. Set the pot to sealing.
- Set to high pressure for 1 minute. Yes, you read that right. ONE minute.
- The pot will not take about 15 minutes to come to pressure.
- Once the 1 minute pressure cycle is complete, quick release the pressure.
- Open the lid, and use an immersion blender to blend the soup to desired texture.
- Stir in the cheese and cream.
- Ladle into bowls and serve right away.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 4 months.
Cathy says
This was awesome! Easy to put together and tasted so good!
Thank you for sharing another fabulous recipe!
Jessica says
I love This recipe so much! I make it stovetop but it's still so easy and quick! It is so flavorful and packed full of nutrients!!! I share this with everyone because it's so easy and delicious.