The Best Instant Pot Broccoli and Cheese Soup | Easy Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken up broccoli cheese soup? ›

Add a cornstarch slurry

An alternative to using a roux is making a cornstarch slurry. In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch with a small amount of cold water until it becomes a smooth paste. Gradually add the slurry to your soup while stirring continuously. The cornstarch will thicken the soup as it heats up.

The temperature you cook Broccoli Cheese Soup at is key to making sure it doesn't end up grainy or curdled. Medium heat is best for dairy-based soups so it doesn't boil and curdle.

Sometimes that's great, infusing our home with delicious smells and warmth, but a lot of the time, we're craving soup NOW. Enter: the Instant Pot. It can make delicious, hands-off soup, usually in just under an hour. Check out our best Instant Pot soups, stews, and chilis—you'll be feeling all warm and cozy in no time.

The Soup setting on the Instant Pot operates by using high pressure to create a sealed cooking environment. It brings the contents of the pot to a boil, allowing flavors to infuse and ingredients to become tender. The extended cooking time helps to develop rich flavors in your soup.

Avoid too high of heat when using dairy (milk or cream) because the soup can curdle and separate. Try not to take it to the boiling point. Sometimes an acidic ingredient, like wine, can prevent the soup from curdling. Slowly add the cream or milk and continually stir after adding.

Mild cheddar, Colby, Monterey jack, mozzarella, Swiss and queso blanco can all work well. “The best cheeses to melt into soups are cheeses that are higher in moisture and have a lower melting point,” says Bauer. In addition to cheddar and Monterey jack, he recommends Fontina and Gruyère.

Go low and slow. When you add the cheese to the soup, make sure that the pot is over very low heat. If the heat is too high, the cheese won't incorporate into the soup, giving it a thin, gloopy texture. I also recommend adding a little at a time and stirring well between additions.

Cheese can curdle when added to soup due to the high temperatures and acidity in the soup. The proteins in cheese are sensitive to heat and acid, causing them to separate and form curds.

Make sure the pressure regulator is set to the “Sealing” position. Program the cooker to pressure cook 25 minutes at high pressure. (Instant Pot users can also select the "Soup" program and follow the same cooking time. For stovetop pressure cookers, cook at high pressure for 22 minutes.)

What is the difference between low pressure and high pressure pressure cooker? ›

At lower pressures, water boils at a lower temperature. That means something simmering away is cooking below 100°C (212°F) and will take longer to cook. At high altitudes, by raising the pressure and boiling point above what happens at sea level, a pressure cooker can really boost the reactions cooking your food.

Cornstarch is a great option as it is a natural thickening agent, but you'll want to be careful about how much you use. Start with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch whisked together with cold water to create a slurry. Then, gradually add the slurry to the soup, letting it boil for one to two minutes before adding more.

Whisk in a bit of flour or starch.

Both flours and starches help thicken sauces effectively. However, if you add them directly into your soup, they will clump. Instead, whisk a small amount of soup into the starch or flour until it dissolves, then add the resulting mixture into the soup.

Add Flour, Cornstarch, or Other Thickener: Starches thicken soup and give it body. Whisk a few tablespoons of starch into a little of the broth in a separate bowl before whisking it into the main pot. This prevents the starch from clumping and helps it dissolve into the soup evenly.

Ok, this may be a little obvious, but just adding water is going to make your soup go a little further. If you stick to a 50/50 ratio between water and whatever flavoured liquid you're using in your soup (be it tomatoes, a stock type, or a cream), you're unlikely to dilute it to the point of making it unpalatable.