Name: Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 9 min
Total time: 19 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion (diced); 3 cups chicken broth; 4 cups broccoli (chopped); ½ cup shredded carrots; ¼ teaspoon nutmeg; 1 ½ cups heavy cream; 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; 1 tbsp hot sauce; 4 tbsp butter; 5 tbsp flour; 3 cups whole milk; ½ onion (diced); 4 cups broccoli florets (chopped); 1 tbsp garlic (minced); 1 tsp Italian seasoning; 4 oz cream cheese (whipped); 2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded); 2 tsp salt; ½ tsp pepper

Recipe Ingredient Notes

To make our broccoli cheddar soup, you need the following ingredients:

Instant Pot Ingredients

Olive oil

Onion

Chicken broth

Broccoli

Carrots

Nutmeg

Heavy cream

Cheddar cheese

Hot sauce

Slow Cooker Ingredients

Butter

Flour

Whole milk

onion

Broccoli

Garlic

Italian seasoning

Cream cheese

Cheddar cheese

Salt

Pepper

How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe

Instant Pot Instructions

Press the Saute button. Heat oil and add onion. Saute for 5 minutes.

Add chicken broth, broccoli, carrots, and nutmeg.

Press the Cancel/Keep Warm button. Lock lid into place and turn knob to sealing.

Press the Manual or Pressure Cook button. Set cook time for 4 minutes.

Do a quick release and stir in cream.

Press the Saute button again, but do not bring to boil.

Stir in cheese and hot sauce.

Slow Cooker Instructions

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and whisk in flour until thickened.

Gradually whisk in milk until thick and creamy.

Place onion, broccoli, garlic, Italian seasoning and cream cheese to slow cooker.

Add creamy sauce from saucepan and chicken broth; stir to combine.

Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 4-6 hours.

Before serving, mix in cheddar cheese, salt and pepper.

Stir until cheese melts completely.

Serve warm.

Recipe Notes

If you do not have an Instant Pot or slow cooker, you can make this soup on the stovetop. Follow the same instructions as the Instant pot, but let it simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. The broccoli should become very soft and break into small parts easily.

To avoid lumpy cheese, buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself. It adds one more step, but I have found that store bought shredded cheese tends to get lumpy.

Explore More Delicious Soup Recipes

Explore our collection of soup recipes made in the stovetop, slow cooker or Instant Pot. For more soup inspiration, check out our full list of soups.

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Questions & Reviews

Yarikza Alexander says:

With temperatures cooling here in Mississippi, I am in the lookout for new recipes to try this Fall. Thank you for sharing the Broccoli Cheddar Soup, cannot wait to make it for my family.
Jeff Beach says:

I have an Instant pot, i keep getting the burn message ever time i use it, No matter how much liquid I put in it. How do i fix it
Jess B says:

I love this recipe! I have really enjoyed watching the monday instant pot recipes with Kristen . I did tweak this a little. I added 1 can of cream of celery before cooking . Adds a little more flavor and creaminess. Also i added salt and pepper to taste when it was done. Ive made this twice so far and its very satisfying .yum!
Ruth says:

Ive had my instant pot for 2 weeks and this is the 2nd meal I've made in it. Absolutely delicious !!! It was so quick and easy to make that it'll become a regular in my meals
Momma Cyd says:

Yah Ruth! We are so glad you are loving your Instant Pot! We have a lot of Instant Pot videos on our Youtube channel and show you step by step how to make recipes in your Instant Pot. https://www.youtube.com/c/Sixsistersstuffgirls/videos?view_as=subscriber
Sara S says:

What kind of hot sauce do you use?
B says:

This was great! I appreciate the step by step directions too. Can I freeze leftovers of this?
Debbie Buckner says:

4 ozs whipped cream cheese? Do you mean 8?
Momma Cyd says:

No, just 4. You could add 8 if you wanted to.
Momma Cyd says:

Leftovers should freeze fine in a freezer container.
Momma Cyd says:

We usually use Franks hot sauce.
Linda Arriaga says:

This is so good, Do you know how many carbs per serving?
Lisa Hickerson says:

Can I substitute vegetarian broth for chicken broth or would that change the flavor?
Momma Cyd says:

It will change the flavor from what we know it to be with this recipe, but it should still taste great.
Kara Goodrum says:

Can you use frozen broccoli for this recipe?
Momma Cyd says:

Yes, frozen broccoli will work great too!
Dawn Jones says:

This was delicious but it was a little thin. How can I thicken it a little?
Momma Cyd says:

You could add a little flour/water mixture to the soup to thicken it up (whisk together about 2 teaspoons flour to 4 teaspoons water and add to soup at the end when you add in the cheese). Adding a little more cheese will also thicken up the soup.
Kim Arnold says:

Can I use 1% or 2% milk?
Momma Cyd says:

Yes you can but the soup won't be as thick and creamy.
Sharon says:

What kind of hot sauce do you recommend? My husband and I usually compromise at Medium. lol
Momma Cyd says:

We usually use Frank's hot sauce. So whatever you prefer will work great!
Faith says:

Just made this for the first time today for lunch! I used vegetable base instead of chicken broth as I had some to finish up in my fridge. This was VERY good!! Lots left over (made it just for me) so I will have lunches for the rest of the week and some to share!
Carol Jones says:

I Love this recipe. I have made this a dozen times already. Was so, so happy when I found it. My husband ask for this soup every two weeks lol. We had to start our collection of Six Sister's cookbooks. Thank you so much.