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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.
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
Servings: 6 6
Calories Per Serving: 1141 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
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
*Some people have had issues with their cheese not melting into the soup. This is because there is no flour in the soup. I don’t have any issues with my cheese not melting into the soup or curdling, but if you are having trouble, add 2-3 tablespoons flour during the last minute of cooking the onion in the very first step. This will help to bind the soup together.
This post was originally published on September 12, 2018
This sounds lovely! Wondering if you have ever made it with a non flavored nit milk? I don’t consume cows milk at all if possible. Thanks in advance!
Hey Dawn,
Another milk that you enjoy will work here. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This soup was so easy to make and tasted great, but like others it came out a bit watery/not all that creamy for me. Instead of the vibrant yellowish color in the picture it was also more of a yellow-brown with orange/green flecks. I followed the stovetop recipe exactly except I used an immersion blender instead of a regular one. I think next time I might try to let it reduce a bit after I blend but before I add the cheese and milk. Still enjoyed it though!
Thank you so much Mar! I am really glad you still enjoyed this! If there is anything I can help with, please let me know! xTieghan
Hi, can you make it with frozen broccoli? If so, does the timing change on the instant pot? Thanks 🙂
Hey Silvia,
Frozen broccoli is fine to use, I wouldn’t change anything in the cooking time. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Amazing recipe. Added an extra cup of vegetable broth and cheese. Delicious.
Thank you so much! xTieghan
Could you use an immersion blender for this instead of transferring to a blender?
Hey Stephanie,
Yes an immersion blender would be great to use! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I loved this soup and that it was super easy to make in my instant pot 🙂
Love that! Thank you Brianna!! xTieghan
So quick and so perfect! A little spice from the cayenne but not enough to make it spicy. Just enough to add another layer of flavor. I cannot get over how good this is. Definitely a keeper! I used my immersion blender to blend right in the instant pot instead of transferring to a blender (all about less dishes over here) and it came out perfect. Thanks for another hit Tieghan!
Thank you Kimberly! That is so great to hear! xTieghan
Delicious! I didn’t have fresh nutmeg so just used the ground stuff instead and still turned out quite tasty, my 2 and 4 year old even liked it. Thank you for this recipe!
Thank you so much Mallory! xTieghan
This was easy and delicious. My husband, who loves food, but is a bit picky told me that he could eat this every night . Great job on on this one. Thank you so much.
Wow that is amazing to hear! Thank you Beth! I hope you are both staying well! xTieghan
This was really good! Had to use dried thyme, but that’s a reflection of cooking in the corona virus era, isn’t it? There are only 2 of us, so after I pureed the cooked vegetable and broth base I removed half of it from the pan. I’ll label it Broccoli Cheddar Soup Base and stick it in the freezer. When we are ready to eat it in a few weeks just adding the dairy will be quick and we will have an effortless awesome meal. Thank you very much for this recipe.
Hi Staci! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you for trying! xTieghan
I had the same issue others had with the cheese curdling, and making a bad texture. After doing a bit of research and seeing the comment from Doug, I believe the soup was still WAY too hot when I added the milk and cheese, so it curdled. I don’t think there’s any way to fix that once it happens, even with flour. I would edit the instructions to remove the “Saute” part of the instructions as this led my soup to be super hot. I have an immersion blender too so I didn’t remove the soup from the IP, which allowed it to stay very hot.
Thank you so much Suzie! xTieghan
So easy to do and I love how full of veggies it is. Great meatless meal recipe. Great flavor too.
Thank you Katie! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Good
Thank you! xTieghan
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe today! Can you tell me if it can be frozen after cooking for meal prep?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Danielle! Yes, this soup freezes wonderfully. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Love this healthy version. Followed this recipe almost exactly and it turned out perfect. A few tips that helped me: 1) I only had dried thyme on hand so I used that but used only 1/3 the amount called for by the recipe. 2. Added the cheese a handful at a time and stirred in between to help avoid clumping. Thanks for an easy and yummy recipe!
Thank you so much Jennifer! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan