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Easy Instant Pot Panera Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup

This Easy Instant Pot Panera Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup is the best, quick pressure cooker recipe that includes stovetop directions, too. This copycat recipe is actually better than the real thing. Make this dish for meal-prep using fresh or frozen broccoli.

keto low carb instant pot broccoli cheddar soup in a white bowl
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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.

How to Make Instant Pot Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup

Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

  1. Gather your ingredients.
  2. Saute the onions and garlic.
  3. Add the chicken broth, broccoli, and seasonings.
  4. Pressure cook for 4 minutes. Quick-release the steam and add the remaining ingredients.
ingredients for keto low carb instant pot broccoli cheddar soup
broccoli and onions sauted in Instant Pot
keto low carb instant pot broccoli cheddar soup in an Instant Pot

What Type of Cheese to Use

I like to use sharp cheddar cheese. You can use whatever cheese you wish.

Substitutions and Ideas for Additional Ingredients

  • Shredded or Chopped Carrots
  • Spinach
  • Kale
  • Celery
  • Crumbled Bacon
  • Sausage
  • Green Peppers
  • Red Peppers

How Many 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.

The low carb version of this soup has 6 net carbs per serving.

keto low carb instant pot broccoli cheddar soup in a white bowl

How Long Will it Last in the Fridge

It will last tightly covered for 3-4 days.

keto low carb instant pot broccoli cheddar soup in a white bowl

Freezer Tips

I love to use these soup freezer molds from Amazon to freeze the soup. I reheat it using the slow cook function or you can thaw and microwave. It will freeze up to a few months.

spoonful of keto low carb instant pot broccoli cheddar soup
spoonful of keto low carb instant pot broccoli cheddar soup

You may also enjoy my Keto Cheeseburger Casserole and Keto Peanut Butter Cookies.

Popular Keto Recipes

Keto Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
Keto Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
Keto Shrimp Alfredo

More Instant Pot Soups

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Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
Instant Pot Chicken, Seafood, and Sausage Gumbo
Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
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Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Sweet Potato Soup

Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Canned Pumpkin

keto low carb instant pot broccoli cheddar soup in a white bowl
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5 from 139 votes

Instant Pot Panera Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup

This Easy Instant Pot Panera Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup is the best, quick pressure cooker recipe that includes stovetop directions, too. This copycat recipe is actually better than the real thing. Make this dish for meal-prep using fresh or frozen broccoli.
Save this recipe here.
Course dinner, lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword instant pot broccoli cheddar cheese soup, panera copycat broccoli cheddar soup
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Instant Pot come to pressure 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 487kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter Divided
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 2-3 garlic cloves Minced
  • 2 cups stock or broth I used chicken.
  • 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.
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 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 the flour 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 flour. 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 the flour 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 flour. 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.

Video

Notes

I love really chunky broccoli cheddar soup, but sometimes I like to use an immersion hand blender, to smooth out the soup.
To make this dish low carb use 1/2 teaspoon of xantham gum to substitute flour.
 
Recipe Tools Used in this RecipeAs an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition (displayed with net carbs)

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 487kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 44g
Easy Keto Chicken RecipesCheck out 20 Keto Low-Carb Chicken Recipes here!
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Nutrition DataMacros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Recipe Rating




Elaine

Tuesday 28th of November 2023

I don't know when I last had Panera broc/cheese soup so I was delighted to find this version. Delicious! It seems there's been a lot of discussion here about "how much" the recipe makes. Maybe there are differences in how things are measured? In any case, I doubled all of the ingredients and got 12 cups of soup. Plenty to take a big batch to a friend coming home from the hospital, and dinner for 2 of us with leftovers for lunch. Thanks, this is a keeper!

staysnatched

Thursday 30th of November 2023

You're welcome!

Caitlin

Sunday 22nd of October 2023

So quick, easy, and absolutely delicious! Tastes even better than Panera.

staysnatched

Sunday 22nd of October 2023

Glad you enjoyed it!

Day

Thursday 27th of July 2023

Hi, thanks for this recipe, gonna make it tonight. I'm new to using the Instant Pot so I was wondering if I wanted to add potatoes (diced russets) when would I have to add them? Should I partially cook them beforehand? Thank you.

staysnatched

Thursday 27th of July 2023

I haven't tried this with potatoes because they have a completely separate cook time. You can try it that way. Let me know how it turns out!

Paul

Wednesday 24th of May 2023

Recipe is good and works well. We had it for dinner tonight. It’s one of the recipes that get in my favorites. The only thing is that I only got two 14 once servings. Still a good recipe.

Lo

Friday 17th of February 2023

Love the keto version. What happened to the xanthum gum version? Can you add that back?

staysnatched

Friday 17th of February 2023

It's in the notes of the recipe.