For more warm, cheesy soups, Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup and Cauliflower Cheddar Cheese Bacon Soup are both worth bookmarking.
There is something genuinely comforting about a bowl of Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup on a cold night — the steam rising off the bowl, the way sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack melt into a soup thick enough to coat a spoon, and that low note of stone-ground mustard in the background that you can’t quite identify but makes every spoonful taste complete. It has the kind of depth you’d expect from something that had been simmering on the stove for hours, and the Instant Pot gets you there in about an hour.
The pressure cooker is what makes this version so consistent. The broccoli goes in raw, the pot comes to pressure, and 10 minutes later the broccoli is fully cooked and ready for the cheese, heavy cream, and spices. You stir it all together right in the same pot, whisk in a small amount of xanthan gum to bring the consistency up, and ladle it into bowls. The total time is about 1 hour, and nearly all of it is hands-off — which makes this a strong choice for weeknights when you want a warm dinner without a long stretch at the stove.
Every recipe on Real Balanced is tested before it’s published — read about how we develop and test our recipes.
Reader Love
Just threw this together because I had everything for it already and it was fabulous!! My mother even said it was better than Panera!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Two kinds of cheese create real depth. Sharp cheddar brings a pronounced, tangy flavor while Monterey Jack melts in smoothly — together they produce a far more interesting soup than single-cheese versions.
- Stone-ground mustard ties the whole soup together. One tablespoon sounds like an unusual addition to broccoli cheese soup, but it rounds out the broth and cheese into something that tastes well-developed and complete. Dijon or yellow mustard can substitute, but stone-ground is the clear first choice.
- The Instant Pot cuts way down on active cooking time. No stovetop stirring, no slow simmer — the pressure cooker handles the broccoli in 10 minutes, and you finish the soup right in the same pot.
- Xanthan gum gives the soup its thick, creamy consistency. Whisked in small increments into a ladle of soup before going back into the pot, it creates a texture that coats a spoon rather than running thin like a broth-based soup.
- Ten servings from one pot. At about ¾ cup per serving, this recipe makes enough for a full family dinner with leftovers — and the soup reheats well the next day.
- The recipe is flexible from the start. The broth, cheese, broccoli, and cream can all be adjusted or substituted based on what’s in your kitchen — all substitution notes are listed below.
⏲ How to make this 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.
👉 Easy ingredient swaps
- Unsalted butter: Olive oil or avocado oil can be substituted at a 1:1 ratio.
- Minced garlic: Use 5–6 medium cloves of fresh garlic (aim for 30g on a scale for accuracy), or garlic paste at a 1:1 ratio. If using garlic powder instead, use ¾ tsp in place of the minced garlic called for.
- Broccoli florets: Cauliflower florets substitute at a 1:1 ratio. A combination of broccoli and cauliflower also works well. Frozen broccoli florets are a fine substitute — a 32 oz bag is a close match to the 36 oz of fresh called for in the recipe.
- Chicken broth: Vegetable broth works at a 1:1 ratio and makes the soup vegetarian-friendly. Beef broth is another option that still builds a savory base.
- Shredded cheese: Any variety of shredded cheese should work. White cheddar or Colby-Jack in place of sharp cheddar, and shredded mozzarella in place of Monterey Jack, are the most straightforward choices.
- Stone-ground mustard: Dijon or yellow mustard can be substituted at a 1:1 ratio, but measure carefully — adding too much makes the soup taste bitter and is difficult to correct. Stone-ground is the preferred choice for the best result.
- Paprika: Chili powder substitutes at a 1:1 ratio, but it will add heat and shift the flavor slightly.
- Heavy whipping cream: Thoroughly mix ¼ cup of melted butter with ¾ cup of milk to make 1 cup of heavy cream substitute.
- Xanthan gum: Glucomannan powder can be swapped in at a 1:1 ratio.
✨ Variations
- Add bacon: Crisp 8–10 slices of bacon in the oven while the soup cooks, crumble them, and stir half into the finished soup. Use the other half as a garnish on each serving — it adds a salty, crispy contrast to the creamy cheese base.
- Make it vegetarian: Swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth at a 1:1 ratio. The cook time and all other steps remain exactly the same.
- Adjust for your Instant Pot size: A 6 qt or 8 qt Instant Pot both work with this recipe as written. If you have a 3 qt mini, use half the listed amount of each ingredient. The cook time stays the same regardless of which size pot you use.
〰️ How to serve
- Ladle into deep bowls and top with a handful of shredded sharp cheddar — it’s listed in the ingredients as an optional garnish, and it melts slightly over the hot soup for an extra layer of cheese.
- Serve with bread on the side for dipping. Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread is a strong match with a soup this cheese-forward.
- This soup also works as a starter before a heartier main — at 10 servings and ¾ cup per serving, it stretches well before something like Oven Roasted Whole Chicken.
- Leftovers reheat well on the stovetop or in the microwave. Stir regularly while heating so the cheese base warms evenly instead of heating in spots.
💬 FAQs
How should I store and reheat leftover broccoli cheese soup?
Once cooled, store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To freeze it, let the soup cool completely before transferring to an airtight container or freezer bag — moving it to the freezer while it’s still warm causes condensation that affects the flavor. Freeze for up to 1 month; beyond that, the flavor starts to change. To reheat, spoon the portion you plan to eat into a saucepan or a microwave-safe bowl and heat to the temperature you want, stirring regularly throughout. The soup won’t heat evenly if you let it sit untouched, especially in the microwave.
What size Instant Pot do I need, and what if mine doesn’t have a Manual setting?
A 6 qt or 8 qt Instant Pot works as written. If you’re using a 3 qt mini, cut all ingredients in half but keep the cook time unchanged. If your Instant Pot doesn’t have a Manual setting, use the Soup/Broth setting and adjust the timer to 10 minutes — most models have a way to increase or decrease the time manually, and a quick search for your specific model name will walk you through it. The cook time does not change based on the size of pot you’re using.
What does xanthan gum do in this recipe, and can I skip it?
Xanthan gum is the thickener. Instead of whisking it directly into the pot of soup, you scoop out about ¾ cup of hot soup into a mixing bowl and whisk the xanthan gum in small increments into that smaller portion — this keeps it from clumping. Once it’s smooth and thickened, stir it back into the pot. Glucomannan powder works as a 1:1 substitute. If you have neither on hand, you can skip the xanthan gum and instead add extra cheese and use an immersion blender on a portion of the soup to thicken it — some readers have had good results with this approach.
Can I add protein to make this more of a complete meal?
Yes — bacon works well here. Crisp 8–10 slices in the oven while the soup is in the Instant Pot, crumble, and stir half into the finished soup. Use the remaining crumbled bacon as a topping on each bowl. It adds a salty, crispy element that pairs well against the creamy cheese base. The soup is a complete, filling dinner on its own, but the bacon is a worthwhile addition if you have it.
📚 More recipes to try
🍽 Recipe
Email Recipe
Enter your email below and we’ll send you this recipe!
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons 1 oz unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons 30g minced garlic
- 3 cups 24 fl oz chicken broth
- 36 ounces broccoli florets
- 2 cups 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup 4 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 tablespoon 15g stone-ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup 240mL heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional
- 1 teaspoon ~3g xanthan gum
Optional Garnishes:
- 2 tablespoons 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.
Leave a Reply