Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup: An Easy Panera Copycat Recipe

heavy cream

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: milk + cornstarch

Greek yogurt reduces calories while maintaining creaminess

Hit sauté on the Instant Pot and add 0.5 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter.

Mince 1 small yellow onion and shred 1 carrot.

Add the minced onion to the melted butter and oil in the Instant Pot.

Sauté the onion and carrot for a couple of minutes until caramelized.

Chop a head of fresh broccoli into bite-sized florets, removing most of the stem.

Cancel the sauté function and deglaze the pot with a little chicken stock, scraping up any brown bits.

Pour in 2.75 cups of chicken stock, reserving a little for later to dissolve cornstarch.

Add a pinch of salt, freshly cracked black pepper to taste, and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to the pot.

Add the 4 cups of chopped broccoli florets to the broth.

Seal the Instant Pot lid and set the cooking time to zero minutes.

Once the soup comes to pressure, let it sit for 5 minutes for natural pressure release.

Prepare the thickener by mixing the reserved chicken stock with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and whisking it together.

Grate about 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese using a box grater or food processor.

After 5 minutes, do a controlled quick release of the pressure using a long utensil.

Turn the Instant Pot back to sauté to thicken the soup and add the cornstarch mixture, whisking until incorporated.

Add 2 cups of half and half to the soup and then add the grated cheddar cheese, stirring until melted.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

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