Easy Keto Low-Carb Instant Pot Panera Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup is the best, quick pressure cooker recipe that includes stovetop directions, too. This copycat recipe is healthy, cheesy, and gluten-free, best of all, it’s keto-friendly. This meal-prep dish is loaded with cream, fresh or frozen broccoli and includes the macros and information about carbs found in broccoli.
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Calories: 487 Fat: 44G Net Carbs: 6G Protein: 18G
Macros are provided as a courtesy and calculated using MyFitnessPal. Calculate your specific macros using the exact brand ingredients you use and the macros calculator of your choice.
Net Carbs = Total Carbs – Dietary Fiber – Sugar Alcohols like Xylitol and Erythritol. Check out this post on How to Calculate Net Carbs for more information.
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Since Panera first opened I have always been a fan of their broccoli cheddar soup. I can eat it year round. It doesn’t have to be cold outside for me to crave a bite! I’m sharing my favorite homemade version. I prefer to make it in my Instant Pot because it gives the broccoli the PERFECT texture. I have also included stovetop instructions below.
If you are a soup lover you will also love my Instant Pot Split Pea Soup and Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup.
Is Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup Keto?
One bowl of Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup has 24 net carbs. That will zap your keto macros. The recipe also includes carrots and cornstarch which aren’t keto-friendly. For this recipe, I omitted the carrots, because the soup is yummy without them. I substituted the cornstarch for Xanthan Gum. Click the link to purchase it from Amazon.
Xanthan Gum helps hold ingredients together (commonly used in baking) and is great to use as a thickening agent. You only need about a half a teaspoon for most recipes. Be sure to look for gluten-free xanthan gum as it will not contain wheat.
Xanthan Gum is made by fermentation, it does not itself ferment. Many things are made by fermentation. In the case ofXanthan Gum, sugars are digested by bacteria, and they excreteXanthan Gum.
How to Make Keto Broccoli Soup?
It’s so easy! I use my Instant Pot to make it even easier.
Gather your ingredients.
Saute the onions and garlic.
Add the chicken broth, broccoli, and seasonings.
Pressure cook for 4 minutes. Quick release the steam and add the remaining ingredients.
What Cheese Do You Use for Keto Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup?
I like to use sharp cheddar cheese. You can use whatever cheese you wish.
How Many Carbohydrates (Carbs) are in Broccoli?
One cup of broccoli has about 3.5 net carbs. 4 cups of broccoli are used in this recipe, that is divided among 8 servings.
Is Broccoli and Cheese Soup Low Carb?
This broccoli and cheese soup is low-carb. It has 6 net carbs per serving.
How Many Carbs Are in a Bowl of Broccoli Cheese Soup?
A bowl of keto broccoli cheese soup has 6 net carbs.
What is the Best Low Carb Soup?
Here is a list of the Best Low Carb Keto Soups. Keto Chicken Soup and Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup are my favorites.
You may also enjoy my Keto Cheeseburger Casserole and Keto Peanut Butter Cookies.
The keto lifestyle can sometimes cause me to get dizzy and have brain fog. It can be really hard to focus. Each night before bed I like to drink bone broth. Kettle and Fire is my favorite brand. They have beef and chicken flavors. I add a little liquid aminos and hot sauce for flavor. You can sip it from a mug or eat it like a miso soup in a bowl. 
I add 1 tablespoon of MCT oil to my coffee in the morning. This helps add additional fat to support keto macros and also helps with keto flu.
WATCH THE VIDEO!
I purchased the Onion Chopper used in this recipe on Amazon. Click the link to purchase.
Get your FREE printable Keto Grocery Shopping list here.
Keto Low-Carb Instant Pot Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 cups stock (chicken or vegatable) Note this is stock, not broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets (with stems) You can use frozen if you wish, the pot may take a little longer to come to pressure.
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum be sure to grab gluten-free to stay keto-friendly
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups sharp shredded cheddar cheese I purchase block cheese and grate it. It melts much better than pre-shredded cheese.
Instructions
- Place the Instant Pot on the saute function. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, chopped onions, and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent and fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth, broccoli florets, salt and pepper to taste to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and seal. Cook for 4 minutes on Manual > High-Pressure Cooking.
- While the soup cooks melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum to the butter and stir.
- When the pot indicates it has finished, quick release the steam and place it on the saute function.
- Open the pot and add the heavy whipping cream and shredded cheddar to the pot.
- Scoop out a couple of tablespoons of the soup and add it to the bowl with the melted butter and xanthan gum. Stir and add the mixture back to the pot. This will thicken up the soup.
- Place the Instant Pot on saute for a few minutes until the cheese has melted.
- Serve in bowls.
Stovetop
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter, chopped onions, and garlic to a large pot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent and fragrant.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the broth, broccoli, salt, and pepper to taste to the pot. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until the broccoli is tender.
- While the soup cooks, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum to the butter and stir.
- When the broccoli is tender, add the heavy whipping cream and shredded cheddar to the pot.
- Scoop out a couple of tablespoons of the soup and add it to the bowl with the melted butter and xanthan gum. Stir and add the mixture back to the pot. This will thicken up the soup.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Allow a few minutes for the cheese to melt and the soup to thicken.
- Serve in bowls.
Bryan
December 13, 2018 at 6:45 pmI’ve never tried the broccoli soup from Panera even though my wife gets it all the time! I know she’d love to give this recipe a try though
Emily
December 15, 2018 at 10:06 amCan you use half and half in place of heavy cream?
staysnatched
December 15, 2018 at 10:36 amYes you can.
Taryn
December 17, 2018 at 10:12 amDelicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
Aimee Shugarman
December 17, 2018 at 12:24 pmThis is our favorite soup, so glad you made it low carb!!
Detra
December 18, 2018 at 12:04 amYou did it AGAIN!! Another delicious, easy and kid approved recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Marcia
January 2, 2019 at 4:31 amHow will milk work instead of the heavy cream?
staysnatched
January 2, 2019 at 8:06 amIt will taste different. Cream adds more flavor.
Beth
January 8, 2019 at 2:19 pmIt was even BETTER the next day!! Thank you, one of my new go to soups.
staysnatched
January 8, 2019 at 4:12 pmI completely agree! You are welcome!
Marcia Scott
January 13, 2019 at 10:21 amFantastic recipe! I subbed out xantham gum with one teaspoon beef gelatin – worked perfectly! Also added some truffle cheddar cheese – ohhh sooo good! Will definitely make it again.
staysnatched
January 15, 2019 at 7:20 amTruffle cheddar cheese sounds amazing! I will have to try this.
Djancar
January 13, 2019 at 10:53 amI made this exactly and got 4 x 1.5 cups servings out of it which with my ingredients is 13 net carbs. So am I to half those servings ? That is such a smallllll bowl for such a tasty soup. How big are your servings?
staysnatched
January 15, 2019 at 7:19 amI divide the soup equally into glass Tupperware containers. The recipe makes 8 servings. I also pair this soup with a protein. I don’t eat it as its own meal, so it does not feel like a small serving to me.
H
January 14, 2019 at 10:12 amWhat is the serving size?
staysnatched
January 15, 2019 at 7:15 amHi there. It’s documented in the recipe card above this comment section.
Amber
January 15, 2019 at 4:26 pmI make this every week! It’s our absolute favorite. Thank you!
staysnatched
January 16, 2019 at 6:29 amThat’s awesome! It’s a favorite in our home, too!
Lori
January 20, 2019 at 1:54 pmGreat recipe, easy to follow. I loved it! I am new on the Keto diet and have been craving some soup so this was perfect! Thanks for the recipe!
Anonymous
January 20, 2019 at 5:07 pmGot my Instant Pot today and this was the first recipe I tried. I used half and half instead of heavy cream, it turned out sooo good! Thanks for the recipe, my husband loves it.
Kristin R Richards
January 21, 2019 at 7:39 pmThis soup was amazing. Made in the instant pot, only switched up chicken broth instead of the stock. Plan to make a double batch next time. Thank you for sharing!
staysnatched
January 22, 2019 at 8:40 amSo glad you enjoyed it! You’re welcome.
Katie
January 22, 2019 at 10:12 amHello!
I’m new to Instand Pit recipes. If I wanted to add chicken, at what point/how long would I pressure cook it in the pot?
Can’t wait to try it!
Thank you!
staysnatched
January 22, 2019 at 10:15 amI would cook the chicken separate from the soup, as chicken breasts require a 10 minute cook time with 10 minutes of natural steam release vs quick release. Cook the chicken first and remove it from the pot. Then cook the soup. While the soup cooks, shred the chicken. When it’s finished, add the shredded chicken to the pot with the dairy ingredients.
Rich R
January 22, 2019 at 12:22 pmCan you use cream cheese to thicken
staysnatched
January 22, 2019 at 2:47 pmYes you can.
Marlene
January 25, 2019 at 8:38 pmThank you for this recipe, I’ve been looking for a good Keto broccoli cheddar soup recipe and this is it! Of course I tweaked it to my personal taste but it would be amazing as written. I made this as a full meal so I cooked chicken breasts, sprinkled with salt, pepper and garlic powder, I removed the chicken and diced it. In the pan I cooked the chicken I added the onion and garlic and two chopped jalapeños . I followed the recipe as stated but then added two extra cups broth. I don’t have an insta-pot but it worked beautifully on the stove top.
My husband and I will add this recipe to our Keto menus.
Again many thanks!
staysnatched
January 26, 2019 at 7:52 pmI love your modifications! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Rebekah
February 2, 2019 at 10:53 amWill this work if doubled in the 6quart instanta?
staysnatched
February 3, 2019 at 10:53 pmYes, you can double the recipe. You will have to check if the sizing of your pot will be ok.
Kristina
February 20, 2019 at 12:39 pmIf I use frozen broccoli do I still set the cook time for 4 minutes.
staysnatched
February 20, 2019 at 8:40 pmYou can start with the same time. The pot will likely take longer to come to pressure.
Anonymous
February 22, 2019 at 10:23 amThis was great! Thanks!
Kristi
February 22, 2019 at 10:27 amThis was great! My daughter also loved it. Will add to my recipes! Thanks for sharing!
Keri Horn
March 10, 2019 at 11:34 amWhat’s the net carbs for one serving
staysnatched
March 15, 2019 at 11:31 amIt’s noted at the top of the post.
Vic
June 24, 2019 at 4:02 amThis soup looks so yummy! I can’t wait to try this someday! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!