When you are craving a warm, quick, and comforting meal, this Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese soup will satisfy your every craving! This recipe is low-carb, nut-free, egg-free, coconut-free, gluten-free, and grain-free, and can be prepared, cooked, and served in 1 hour!
Be sure to read through the blog post for the answers to frequently asked questions before you move on to the recipe card and begin making this recipe. You will find step-by-step photos within the blog post (located above the recipe card) that will help you to successfully make this instant pot broccoli cheese soup.
Keto and low-carb Instant Pot broccoli cheddar soup
This is a very flexible recipe, as you have the ability to substitute in different ingredients based on what you have on-hand (ingredient substitution suggestions are listed below).
The soup is made in an Instant Pot, which means you’ll have a flavorful meal in much less time than if you were to cook this on the stovetop or in a slow cooker.
Instant Pot broccoli cheese soup FAQs
Here are answers to the most commonly asked question about this low-carb Instant Pot recipe:
Are there any ingredient substitution options?
- Unsalted Butter: You can substitute olive oil or avocado oil at a 1:1 ratio for butter.
- Minced Garlic: If you want to use freshly-minced garlic, use 5-6 medium-sized cloves (use a food scale, if you can, to weigh 30g for accuracy). Garlic paste can be subbed in for minced garlic at a 1:1 ratio. For garlic powder, use 3/4 tsp in place of the minced garlic called for in the recipe.
- Broccoli: Substituting the broccoli florets for cauliflower florets 1:1 will reduce the net carb content slightly. You could also make this soup with a combination of both vegetables.
- Chicken Broth: Vegetable broth can be subbed in for chicken broth at a 1:1 ratio. Doing this will also make the soup vegetarian-friendly. Alternatively, beef broth can be used in place of chicken broth.
- Shredded Cheese: You should be able to use any variety of shredded cheese in place of the shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack called for in the recipe. White cheddar or Colby-Jack in place of cheddar and shredded mozzarella in place of Monterey Jack would be my suggestions.
- Stone-Ground Mustard: Dijon mustard or yellow mustard be subbed in at a 1:1 ratio. I do highly suggest using stone-ground though as I personally think this is the “game-changing” ingredient in this soup.
- Paprika: Chili powder can be subbed in for paprika at a 1:1 ratio. Note that using chili powder will add some extra heat to this recipe and will alter the flavor just slightly.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Combining milk and butter is the easiest substitute for heavy whipping cream. Thoroughly mix 1/4 cup of melted butter with 3/4 cup of milk to make 1 cup of heavy cream.
- Xanthan Gum: Glucomannan powder can be subbed in for xanthan gum at a 1:1 ratio.
What size Instant Pot should I use?
I personally use a 6 qt Instant Pot, but you can also make this in an 8 qt. If you have a mini 3 qt Instant Pot, you will need to use half of the listed amount of ingredients.
Regardless of the size of Instant Pot you use, do not change the cook time. That will remain the same.
Can I add protein to the soup?
Yes! I actually would highly encourage it. Every time I make this soup, I crisp up 8-10 slices of bacon in the oven. I crumble the cooked bacon up and stir half of it into the cooked soup and use the remaining half as a garnish.
How many net carbs per serving?
Per serving, this recipe contains 5.1 grams of net carbs. The recipe, as written, yields 10 servings and 1 serving is equivalent to ~3/4 cup of soup. Net carbs are calculated by taking total carbs, subtracting fiber, and subtracting sugar alcohols.
The full nutrition information for this recipe, including the calorie content, total carbs, protein, and fat per serving, can be found in the nutrition label located below the recipe instructions.
What diets is this recipe compliant with?
- Keto and Low-Carb: Each serving of this recipe contains only 5.1 grams of net carbs, which makes it a great low-carb and keto-friendly dinner option.
- Nut-Free: There are no nuts or nut products in this Instant Pot broccoli cheese soup recipe.
- Coconut-Free: This recipe does not contain any coconut ingredients.
- Egg-Free: Eggs are not used to make this soup.
- Vegetarian: This recipe can easily be made vegetarian-friendly by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
- Refined Sugar-Free and Sweetener-Free: This recipe does not include sugar or added sweeteners.
How should this recipe be stored?
- Refrigerator Storage: Once cooled, this Instant Pot broccoli cheese soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer Storage: Wait for the soup to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container or storage bag. If you transfer it to the freezer before it’s cooled, condensation will occur and will degrade the flavor. Freeze for 1 month. I would not recommend freezing longer than this as the flavor begins to change rather quickly after this timeframe. Thaw soup in its container overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating Instructions: Spoon portion you plan to eat into a saucepan or into a bowl to microwave and heat until the desired temperature is reached (taste test and add more time if desired). Stir regularly while reheating otherwise it will not reheat evenly, especially if microwaved.
How to make this low-carb broccoli cheese soup recipe
Turn Instant Pot to Sauté setting, add butter, and, once melted, add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add broth and sauté for 1 minute.
Add broccoli florets and screw-on lid. Set Instant Pot to cook on Manual setting for 10 minutes. (It will take 10-15 minutes for it to come to pressure and then the timer will begin to countdown.)
Quick-release pressure once Instant Pot timer has gone off. Remove lid, add shredded cheddar cheese, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, mustard, paprika, and pepper, and stir until cheese begins to melt.
Pour in heavy cream and continue to stir until all ingredients are well-incorporated. Taste mixture and, based on your preferences, add salt or omit altogether.
Using a ladle, scoop out ¾ cup of soup and transfer to a mixing bowl. In ¼ tsp increments, add xanthan gum and whisk vigorously until soup thickens. Transfer thickened soup back to Instant Pot and stir.
Ladle soup into serving bowls and garnish with shredded cheddar before serving.
Looking for other easy keto soup recipes?
If you are craving some more low carb easy soup recipes, try these delicious options:
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Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp 1 oz unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp 30g minced garlic
- 3 cups 24 fl oz chicken broth
- 36 oz broccoli florets
- 2 cups 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup 4 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 tbsp 15g stone-ground mustard
- ½ tsp paprika
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup 240mL heavy whipping cream
- ¼ tsp salt, optional
- 1 tsp ~3g xanthan gum
Optional Garnishes:
- 2 tbsp 14g shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to Sauté setting, add butter, and, once melted, add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth and sauté for 1 minute. Add broccoli florets and screw-on lid. Set Instant Pot to Manual setting for 10 minutes. (It will take 10-15 minutes for it to come to pressure and then the timer will begin to countdown.)
- Quick-release pressure after Instant Pot timer has gone off. Remove lid, add shredded cheddar cheese, shredded Monterey jack cheese, mustard, paprika, and pepper, and stir until cheese begins to melt. Pour in heavy cream and continue to stir until all ingredients are well-incorporated. Taste mixture and, based on your preferences, add salt or omit altogether.
- Using a ladle, scoop out ¾ cup of soup and transfer to a mixing bowl. In ¼ tsp increments, add xanthan gum and whisk vigorously until soup thickens. Transfer thickened soup back to Instant Pot and stir. Ladle soup into serving bowls and garnish with shredded cheddar before serving.
Recipe Notes
Photo credit: Jess Larson
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