Broccoli Cheddar Soup - Instant Pot, Stove Top

This Broccoli Cheddar Soup is a easy one-pot recipe ready in under 30 minutes and is better than any take out!!! Creamy comfort in a bowl, perfect for winter nights.

WHAT IS BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP

Broccoli cheddar soup is a thick and creamy soup made with all the goodness of broccoli and cheesy cheddar cheese. Love how well the flavors come together in a bowl. Flavorful and easy to make is one of my family's favorite soup.

I believe that the quality of ingredients matters when it comes to food. I like to use fresh and least processed ingredients whenever possible, it just makes so much difference. The food tastes great and is healthy too.

The two key ingredients, or I must say star of this recipe are broccoli and cheddar cheese. I am using fresh broccoli in this recipe. I love broccoli and like to use plenty in this soup.

I am using broccoli florets, but you could totally use the combination of florets and stems as well, works just fine. Roughly chop the florets into bite-size pieces. If using stems, chop stems finely. Note: Stems require more time to cook than florets.

Good quality cheddar cheese is important. I am using extra sharp cheddar cheese. I have tried making this soup with the pre-shredded cheese verses the cheese I shredded at home, and I must say, there is a huge difference in the taste. The pre-shredded cheese does not blend well.

Again, this is just a personal choice. I know when it comes to convenience we always want things that are ready to use. But please if you can take this extra step of grating your own cheese, trust me you will thank me for this ?

HOW TO FLAVOR BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP

There are few ways you could add more flavor to this soup. Some of the spices that go well with this soup are red chili powder or cayenne pepper, mustard powder, smoked paprika. I am not using any of these to flavor my soup.

One spice I absolutely love having in this soup is nutmeg. Nutmeg is great flavor enhancing spice, however, be advised it is also a overpowering spice. Just a pinch of nutmeg goes a long way.

I like to use fresh nutmeg, over the powdered one. I use cheese grater and grate the nutmeg straight into the pot, just a few grates is all you need to add flavor buster. Experiment with your food and you will be amazed how small things can actually add so much flavor.

HOW TO MAKE BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP

I like to make this soup in Instant Pot, but you can also make this yummy soup on a stove top. (Please checkout the recipe for stove top instructions)

All in just one pot, from start to finish. I start with sauteing  garlic and flour, in some butter. This is a very important step. Saute flour for couple of minutes to get the raw smell out of the flour.

After couple of minutes of sauteing, whisk in broth, making sure there are no lumps in the mixture. Rest is basically a dump and go recipe.

I add broccoli, carrots, garlic powder. Set Instant Pot to Manual / Pressure cook mode (high) for "0" minutes, vent sealed, followed by natural pressure release around 5-10 minutes. Note: "ZERO" minutes is NOT a typo!!

Add cream and cheddar cheese, crushed black pepper, adjust the seasoning and you have piping hot, yummy broccoli cheddar soup ready to be served!!

HOW TO MAKE BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP GLUTEN-FREE

The all-purpose flour helps give soup a nice thick gravy/sauce like consistency. However, there are other ways to thicken the soup and achieve desired consistency without using all-purpose flour, thus making the soup gluten-free. Here are some gluten-free substitutes:

USE GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR

ArrowRoot flour, Sorghum flour, Chickpea flour, Corn flour (white or yellow) are all starch-based flours and can be used as a thickening agents. Thus, making it gluten-free.

USE A POTATO

Other way you could make this a gluten-free is by using a potato. Yes, a potato gives this soup a nice thick texture without actually using any flour. Thus, keeping it gluten-free.

Take a medium size potato, peel and chop, add it to the soup. The starch from the potato acts as thickening agent and also adds some creaminess to the soup. This is thus by far the easiest and the simplest way of making a gluten-free soup.

Does adding a potato make this soup taste like potato soup and not broccoli cheddar soup??- Not at all. Since we are adding a very small quantity of potato, it does not overpower the soup at all. All it does is give a nice thick texture to the soup without any flour.

ADD RICE (BROWN / WHITE)

Add 1-2 tablespoon of rice (brown or white), the starch from the rice acts as a thickening agent, thus adding thickness and creaminess to the soup, keeping it gluten-free. Note: Short-grain rice is more starchy as compared to long-grain rice.

TIPS FOR DELICIOUS BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP

Fresh broccoli tastes best in this soup, but you can substitute with frozen broccoli too. If using frozen broccoli reduce the quantity of liquid(broth) in the recipe.

Using sharp cheddar cheese adds so much flavor to this soup. I prefer extra sharp cheddar cheese for strong flavor, but you could use cheese of your choice. Gruyere also tastes great in this soup. Choose to grate your own cheese verses store bought pre-grated cheese, for best results.

Add cheese once the soup is completely off the heat, the heat from the liquid is sufficient to melt the cheese. If cheese is boiled, it might start to separate, leaving a undesirable texture and looks.

Use carrots to add an extra flavor to this soup, you can chop the carrots or shred it. I love veggies, and try to incorporate as much as I can into our daily diet. And what could be a better way to sneak in the veggies without your little ones even knowing about it.

You can also add onions, celery in this soup. Recipe does not use any.

Use a low-sodium vegetable broth, instead of chicken stock. You could use either one, but since cheddar cheese has quite a bit of salt,

I prefer low-sodium vegetable stock to balance the sodium level in the soup and also keeping it vegetarian.

You can use heavy cream, half and half or just milk, works absolutely great. Higher the fat content, the creamier the soup will be.

Garlic adds lots of flavors to this soup, I like combination of fresh garlic and garlic powder in this soup. Try not to skip on fresh garlic, it does give this soup a nice flavor.

HOW TO SERVE BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP

I like to serve this soup piping hot, top it with some extra broccoli, some extra cheese and some freshly crushed black pepper. You can serve it in a classic way, with some crusty bread or with some crackers like my kids love it. Either way this soup tastes just WOW!!!

HOW TO STORE BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP

The soup stays good for 3-4 days in refrigerator. Reheat well in a microwave or on a low heat on a stove top.

If planning on freezing this soup, do not add any cream or cheese to it. Note: Dairy products (cream, cheese) do not tend to freeze well, at times it turns grainy or losses its texture.

Once the soup is at room temperature, divide it into freezer safe containers and store into freezer for up to a month. Thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator, once thawed completely, bring it to boil, turn off heat. Add cream and cheese, let the cheese blend in well. Serve hot!!

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