The Best Instant Pot Broccoli and Cheese Soup | Easy Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken broccoli cheese soup? ›

Adding a potato to the simmering soup provides a natural thickener that helps the cheese emulsify and gives the soup a creamy texture.

The Soup setting on the Instant Pot operates by using high pressure to create a sealed cooking environment. It brings the contents of the pot to a boil, allowing flavors to infuse and ingredients to become tender. The extended cooking time helps to develop rich flavors in your soup.

Sometimes an acidic ingredient, like wine, can prevent the soup from curdling. Slowly add the cream or milk and continually stir after adding. This will help prevent it from curdling. Use shredded cheese and always reduce the heat to about low to medium before adding.

Broccoli – Can use fresh or frozen florets. Fresh broccoli will give you the best texture.

Mild cheddar, Colby, Monterey jack, mozzarella, Swiss and queso blanco can all work well. “The best cheeses to melt into soups are cheeses that are higher in moisture and have a lower melting point,” says Bauer. In addition to cheddar and Monterey jack, he recommends Fontina and Gruyère.

When it's time to add the cheese into the soup, sprinkle it in in batches, stirring until each batch is melted before adding the next batch vs dumping it all in at once. This will ensure there are no clumps in the final soup.

Press the Soup button. It will say Normal, 30 minutes at High Pressure. If you press the Soup button again, you can adjust the mode from Normal to Less or More (this simply changes the cooking time). Normal mode - 30 minutes at High pressure - recommended for soups with meat.

When starting your cook, you want this lever pointing toward "sealing" and not "venting." Sealing means the Instant Pot is going to hold all the pressure created inside the pot, while venting is what you'll likely do to release the pressure when the food is finished cooking.

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

Grate the cheese yourself.

Pre-shredded cheese is often coated in anti-caking agents that can prevent the cheese from melting into a lusciously creamy soup. To ensure that your broccoli cheddar soup has the best smooth and creamy texture, buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself.

Why does my broccoli cheese soup curdle? ›

Curdling in a cream soup usually occurs when the milk or cream is added at too high of a heat. As you incorporate the milk and broth into the cooked onion and flour mixture, keep the heat at medium and stir continuously with a whisk.

Keep the heat very low, and make sure the cheese is one of the last things added to the soup. Whisk very quickly but add the cheese in gradually, one cup at a time, to make sure it melts before adding the next cup.

Salads and soups with broccoli are a delight to many diners. Broccoli is one of the richest sources of good carbohydrates which aid digestion maintaining low blood sugar. And because it has the right amount of fibrous roughage it also helps in preventing constipation.

A bowl of broccoli cheddar soup is a comforting and delicious meal, but it can always be improved with the right sides. Salads, grains, crackers and breads, proteins, and desserts all work great with this soup, and the combinations are endless.

Steaming broccoli is a fast and healthy way to cook this nutritious vegetable. It preserves broccoli's vibrant green color and fresh flavor without the addition of oil. While boiled broccoli is often soggy, steamed broccoli is characteristically crisp-tender.

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.

Use one tablespoon cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon cold water (aka a cornstarch slurry) for each cup of medium-thick sauce. Thoroughly mix the cornstarch and water together, then pour into your sauce. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.

Why is my broccoli soup bland? There are a few factors that can contribute to a bland soup. If the broth you used is sodium free you may need to add extra salt and seasonings. An extra splash of fresh squeezed lemon juice or vinegar can elevate the brightness of a bland soup as well.