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Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar and Zucchini Soup…that’s better than Panera! It’s cozy, but healthy, easy, and so delicious. Grab a couple heads of broccoli, some zucchini, and sharp cheddar cheese, add everything to your instant pot (or slow cooker), set the timer, and in under thirty minutes you’ll have the creamiest, most delicious bowl of cozy broccoli cheddar soup. Trust me, this will become a new fall favorite.
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September rolls around and like clockwork, I’m making broccoli cheddar soup. Except this time I’m making it in the instant pot, and making it healthier (and creamier!) with all the end of summer zucchini. I might even dare to say that this is one of the better bowls of broccoli cheddar soup I’ve ever made.
And you guys, I LOVE broccoli cheddar soup.
I’m sure a lot of us have a similar story to tell, but as a kid, going to Panera Bread and getting the broccoli cheddar or chicken noodle soup served in a bread bowl was one of my favorite things that mom and I would do on a chilly, rain/snow Ohio day. It was always such a treat. I loved not only the soup, but also just the outing with my mom.
The struggle of getting mom one on one, with five brothers always lurking was real. So these girl’s day only outings were always extra special, and I think that’s another reason why I love broccoli cheddar soup so much.
In addition to soup, mom would also get a whole bunch of the cinnamon crunch bagels to bring home for the boys, which I kind of loved too. That crunchy topping was the best, right?!
Anyway, the point here is that I love a good bowl of broccoli cheddar soup. And while a bread bowl is nice, this soup is honestly the best ever, with or without the bread bowl…
But, I do have a bread bowl recipe (haven’t made these in SO long, but they are SO good, and easy) on HBH. So you know, if you’re feeling it, you should probably make a few bread bowls in addition to this soup. Wow, that’d be extra good.
Moving right along.
If you hadn’t noticed, I’m loving using my instant pot right now. It makes weeknight cooking so quick, easy, and stress free. Judging from the amount of people making and loving this corn chowder, it seems that you guys are into the instant pot too. Cool. This is good!
Many more instant pot (and slow cooker) recipes coming this fall!
Details.
This recipe includes most of the ingredients found in traditional broccoli cheddar soup, but I added zucchini for creaminess and opted out of using any flour or heavy cream. The zucchini breaks down while cooking, and later gets pureed. This leaves the soup lusciously creamy and thick without having to use any cream or flour. Which of course also makes the soup healthier and even gluten free.
Love this!
As with most instant pot recipes, you’ll just be adding everything to the instant pot, setting it, and letting it do its thing. You do need to purée the soup, but if you have an immersion blender that’s very helpful here. If you make a lot of puréed soups, I recommend this immersion blender.
I finished the soup off with a few handfuls of sharp cheddar cheese and plenty of fresh thyme from our summer bounty of herbs. Perfection.
It’s a pretty simple and straight forward recipe, but I really can’t express enough just how delicious it is. If you love cheesy soup, that’s kind of healthy…ish, you have to make this. Perfect for all the chilly nights ahead.
And for those of you who do not own an instant pot, I’ve also included directions to make this in the slow cooker as well. Additionally, you could just as easily make this on the stove top in a large soup pot! As always, just do what works best for you!
If you make this instant pot broccoli cheddar soup, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every one of you. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How To Video:
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar and Zucchini Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 2 medium zucchini, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
- kosher salt and pepper
- 3 cups low sodium veggie or chicken broth
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2-3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- 1. Set Instant pot to sauté. Add the butter, olive oil, and onion, cook 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add the carrots, zucchini, thyme, nutmeg, cayenne and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Pour in the broth. Add the broccoli and bay leaves. Cover, select the manual setting, and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.2. Once done cooking, use the quick release function and release the steam. Carefully remove the bay leaves and discard. Transfer the soup to a blender and pulse until chunky smooth (not totally puréed). Return to the instant pot.3. Set the Instant pot to sauté. Stir in the milk and cheese, and cook 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted. 4. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with fresh thyme. Enjoy!
Slow Cooker
- 1. To the slow cooker, add the butter, olive oil, onion, carrots, zucchini, thyme, nutmeg, cayenne and large pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour in the broth. Add the broccoli and bay leaves. Cover, cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 4-6 hours. 2. Once done cooking, carefully remove the bay leaves and discard. Transfer the soup to a blender and pulse until chunky smooth (not totally pureed). Return to the slow cooker and turn the heat to high.3. Stir in the milk and cheese, and cook 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted. 4. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with fresh thyme. Enjoy!
Stove Top
- 1. In a large soup pot, melt together the butter and olive oil. Add the onion, cook 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add the carrots, zucchini, thyme, nutmeg, cayenne and a large pinch each of salt and pepper, cook another 5 minutes. Pour in the broth. Add the broccoli and bay leaves. Cover, and cook for 12-15 minutes, until the broccoli is tender.2. Carefully remove the bay leaves and discard. Transfer the soup to a blender and pulse until chunky smooth (not totally puréed). Return to the pot. 3. Stir in the milk and cheese, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted. 4. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with fresh thyme. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Decent recipe with good flavor. My cheese curdled with the addition of flour to the recipe. To save the soup I emulsified it completely and added more steamed chunks of broccoli.
Hi z! Are there any questions I could help you with, so this turns out better next time? Please let me know! xTieghan
Thank you for taking the time to post your recipe, but it didn’t work out for me. I followed the Instant Pot recipe exactly. It was extremely thin and the cheese did not blend. It had a gritty mouthfeel. I didn’t see the tip about this being a possibility until I finished the recipe and the soup was wrong. 🙁 This was my first try of broccoli cheese soup, and I don’t feel very inspired to make it again.
Oh no! I am really sorry to hear that Sami! Are there any questions I could help you with? xTieghan
Hello! This was great. I used coconut oil as well as coconut milk since I have health issues. I also added leeks and some champagne vinegar and splash of lemon. I really love this recipe. I would never think to add zucchini, carrot, or cayenne to a broccoli soup recipe. I could think of a million things to add now and the guidelines for using the instant pot are very helpful. Tastes amazing and I’m ready to stun my guests. Xoxo!
That is so amazing to hear Rori! So glad you and your guests loved this soup! xTieghan
Omg, made his in the instant pot and I’m on my Second bowl. It is DELISH!
YES! Thank you so much Jennifer! xTieghan
I keep coming back to this recipe over and over again.its so good! Ive made it for tons of family and friends, everyone loves it. I’ve not had any problems with this soup not being creamy as some of the other reviews have stated… perfect every time!
Thank you Magnolia! xTieghan
I keep coming back to this recipe over and over again. My frlends can’t believe it doesn’t have cream or flour. I personally prefer a chunkier soup so I make it as written then add an extra bag of frozen broccoli at the end. So so good!
Thank you Rachel! xTieghan
Where are the Nutrition facts
Hi Tracey! I do not provide the nutritional information for my recipes because I truly try to use whole ingredients as much as possible. I am so sorry for this. There are many calorie counting apps and websites where you can put in the information and divid by the serving size to find out the carbs, fat etc. If you have any other questions please let me know! I hope you love this recipe!
Hi! Can this be frozen?
Hey Karli! I have not frozen this, but I am sure it will freeze just fine! Just thaw overnight in the fridge! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Oh my! I am preggo and NOTHING has been sounding good. I’ve had the hardest time getting veggies in. Not to mention I can’t hardly cook without getting nauseous. But i just made this and ATE SO MUCH IT WAS AMAZING!!! So easy, so fast, SO yum! I lightened up the thyme and nutmeg, just because strong spices are hard for me right now. Otherwise would do JUST as recipe is written. PS- i have knockoff insta pot and worked great!
I am so glad this was amazing for you!! Also I hope your pregnancy is going well! Thank you! xTieghan
This soup is ridiculously good. My husband and I are addicted to it and fight over who is going to get the last bowl 😉 Thank you for such an awesome recipe.
Ah that is so amazing that you both love this so much! Thank you Carol! xTieghan
Made this a handful of times and it is a family favorite. I cut some of the salt as the cheese and broth have in it, as well. Otherwise, perfection! Also, I never had issue with cheese melting into soup. I normally use a hand blender directly in pot so soup is super hot when I add the cheese and milk.
I am so glad you have been loving this soup, Nicki! Thank you!
Made this last night and it was delicious and had it again for lunch today and it was even better. I don’t have an instant pot, but this was both fast and easy right on the stove top. The only other changes that I made were to add about 3 cloves minced garlic (when sauteing the onions) and I used skim milk, because that is what I had. This recipe is definitely going in the rotation. Such a great, healthy winter soup.
Hi Kristen! I am so glad you loved this recipe and it turned out amazing for you! Thank you so much!
This is the first recipe of yours I have tried and the first recipe I have used my new Insta pot. The soup is very good and the recipe is a keeper! Thank you!!!
Hi Lora! I am so glad this turned out so well for you and I hope you’re loving your Instant Pot! Thank you so much!
I didn’t get the creamy looking soup in the photo. The cheese didn’t incorporate into the soup, and was a gooey blob at the bottom of the pot. I read the comment about adding flour to the onion when sautéing after it was too late to salvage. Clean up of the sticky, gooey cheese was really time consuming. The soup had a good flavor, but I was disappointed that the consistency was way off. Is it possible to add the comment about adding flour in the first step at the beginning of the recipe? Seems many have had this problem with the cheese.
Hey Shea, I can add a not to the recipe for sure. I am sorry you had trouble. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
It’s a snowy day in Michigan, so I decided to make this. Truly delicious and comforting! My husband loves cauliflower, so I used one head of that and one head of broccoli. I did everything else as stated in the recipe, though. Had some crusty garlic bread on the side, and it was the perfect thing after shoveling the driveway. Thank you for a great recipe!
Thank you so much Shelly! I am so glad you loved this recipe!