Rich, cheesy flavor with lovely little bits of broccoli, this Instant Pot Zucchini Broccoli Cheese Soup is way better than Panera’s broccoli cheese soup and so quick and easy to make at home. The zucchini both sweetens and thickens the soup, with a little cream cheese to help ensure this gluten free soup has the perfect creamy cheesy texture.
Last month it was feeling like winter had crashed upon us and I was seriously CRAVING some nice warm broccoli cheese soup. First I made my favorite broccoli cheese soup recipe, ate all of that. And then I wondered: could I incorporate some of this zucchini I have sitting around into my broccoli cheese soup? I did a little search on the interwebs and discovered the answer to that is a resounding YES. I was still a little skeptical, but willing to give it a whirl, since I love zucchini in soup.
I have to tell you, I was first of all impressed at the short cook time. 8 minutes, really? Yes, really. If you’re not familiar with Instant Pot recipes, though, you have to realize that the 8 minutes only starts once the pot gets up to pressure. And does not end once the pressure cook time is done. You need to allow time to de-pressurize. Still, even though we saute the onions ahead of time, the Instant Pot greatly reduces your hands-on time here. You can absolutely accomplish the same thing on the stovetop, but you’ll need to tend to it a bit more.
Adapted from Half Baked Harvest. I have to note that one serving of her recipe is estimated at 1,141 calories vs mine which is just 187 calories. And yes, still a super rich, creamy cheesy flavor. Try it out and let me know if you agree!
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Instant Pot Zucchini Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 35 min
- Yield: 4 – 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 of a large onion, chopped
- 2 – 4 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
- A pinch of nutmeg
- 2 cups chopped zucchini
- 2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
- 2 carrots, peeled & chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped red, yellow or orange bell pepper
- 1 – 2 teaspoons chopped hot pepper or 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth – or vegetable broth
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 oz. light cream cheese
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or half gouda, half cheddar)
- Bacon salt (or regular salt) & freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- On saute setting, add the oil to the Instant Pot, then add the onion and saute until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and saute a couple minutes longer.
- Stir in the nutmeg, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, bell & hot pepper, broth and bay leaf. Set the Instant Pot to high pressure and cook for 8 minutes. When the 8 minutes is done, quick release the pressure.
- Fish out the bay leaf. Scoop up several cups (or all) of the soup/veggies into a blender cup. (If you want some chunks in your soup, leave some chunks in the Instant Pot. Otherwise, blend it all.) Add the milk and cream cheese and blend until smooth.
- Pour back into the Instant Pot, set it to the saute setting again and stir in the shredded cheese just until melted. Season with bacon salt & pepper to taste.
Notes
For extra flavor, use the rendered fat from baking bacon in place of half the oil.
Because sometimes things stick to the Instant Pot, I prefer to saute the onions in a nonstick pan on the stove rather than doing that in the Instant Pot. Do what works best for you.
RECIPE SOURCE: Sumptuous Spoonfuls – https://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/ … © Copyright 2023, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 1 cup
- Calories: 187
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 8g
Keywords: Cheese, Broccoli, Instant Pot, Gluten free, Cheddar
