Keto Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

The Best Keto Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe – this low carb keto soup is creamy, rich, and full of cheesy bacon and broccoli flavor!

If you love deliciously cheesy broccoli cheddar soup, you can love this recipe.

We've tweaked one of our favorite soups to be quick and easy – it goes from fridge to table in 20 minutes – but also completely keto!

If you are strictly monitoring carbs, please read recipe notes carefully to omit carrots and reduce onion.

Don't skip our section about how to thicken keto soups in the tips – it can make a big difference too your soups texture!

If you aren't counting carbs, find our notes about adding cornstarch to thicken soup.

Take Me to the Best Keto Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe!

We have a lot of loyal readers on Avdaye who are still becoming comfortable in the kitchen and learning to make great meals for themselves who have asked for more information with the recipe.

Fresh or Frozen Broccoli for Soup

This recipe can work with either frozen or fresh broccoli crowns – even still frozen!

If you prefer a toothier, crunchier broccoli in your soup, opt for fresh broccoli.

If you prefer softer broccoli, use frozen broccoli crowns.

We personally prefer to NOT thaw frozen broccoli crowns before adding to the pot since it helps them from overcooking to the point of mushiness.

How to Thicken Keto Soups

Keto soups can be a bit thinner since they don't usually involve a roux or cornstarch – but using these tricks you can thicken up your soup without carbs.

Keto Roux Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter
• 2 tbsp xantham gum

How to Make a Keto Roux

• While soup is coming to pressure and cooking, prepare keto roux.
• Melt butter in a small nonstick pot on medium heat.
• Using a whisk, stir in one teaspoon xantham gum, whisking to quickly incorporate.
• After xantham gum is incorporated in butter, whisk in second teaspoon.
• Whisk to smooth, heat until color is soft brown, and remove from heat.
• Perform a quick release on the instant pot.
• Once complete, remove the lid and pour in the cornstarch mixture.
• Whisk well to combine.
• Continue on with recipe below.

Cornstarch to Thicken

Using cornstarch is pretty universally panned in keto cooking – but we do know a few people who follow a looser keto diet who will use gluten free quick thickening cornstarch to thicken soups.

We personally like to use a quick-thickening modified cornstarch we found at a food expo – no mixing with cold water needed.

Its gluten and GMO free and family owned (this company hasn't asked us to say this in any way- we love how this modified cornstarch works more easily for soups.)

If you have regular cornstarch on hand, you can use a water mix to easily add it in.

How to Thicken Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Cornstarch

1. While soup is coming to pressure and cooking, start mixing cornstarch.
2. In a small bowl, whisk ¼ cup of cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water.
3. Perform a quick release on the instant pot.
4. Once complete, remove the lid and pour in the cornstarch mixture.
5. Whisk well to combine.
6. Continue on with recipe below.

How To Make Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This recipe relies on browning vegetables and frying bacon to add tons of extra flavor – without carbs – so we will use the sauté function quite a bit before bringing the soup to pressure.

While you might be tempted to skip each step, it pulls out so much more flavor and a less gummy texture.

Don't rush the steps – pressure cooking takes off tons of time for this dish, but you need to develop the flavor!

1. Prepare ingredients.
2. Dice onion, bacon, and carrots and mince garlic. Cut broccoli into ½” pieces.
3. Set aside 1 cup of broccoli.
4. Set instant pot to sauté mode.
5. Add butter, onions, and bacon and sauté 4 minutes.
6. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
7. Turn off the instant pot.
8. Add chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the instant pot to deglaze.
9. Then, add broccoli and carrots. Seal and set on manual high pressure for 1 minute.
10. In a small bowl, whisk ¼ cup of cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water.
11. Perform a quick release on the instant pot. Once complete, remove the lid and pour in the cornstarch mixture.
12. Stir well to combine.
13. Set instant pot to sauté mode.
14. Add half and half, garlic, dill, pepper, and salt.
15. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
16. Once boiling, add cheese and stir until melted (about 1 minute)
17. Add remaining 1 cup of broccoli.
18. Cook for 2 minutes.
19. Top with cheese and serve with your favorite bread.
20. Enjoy!

Keeping leftovers

This keto broccoli cheddar soup is one of our favorites to make because it stores beautifully – and can even be frozen!

You can whip up a big batch of this soup to have leftovers you'll want to eat again and again – and they taste even more good when reheating!

How to Reheat

Reheating this instant pot broccoli cheddar soup from the refrigerator or the freezer is a snap – and unlike many recipes, tastes great from the microwave as well as the stovetop.

From frozen:

Let soup thaw fully before reheating – place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw.

From the refrigerator:

Add soup to pan on stovetop, or in instant pot on sautee, and heat on medium high until lightly boiling.

If soup reduces too much, add a couple tablespoons bone broth to thin soup.

Serve it with

Broccoli cheddar soup is awesome alongside roasted meats, with low carb or regular bread, vegetables, or a side salad!

If you're watching carbs, our keto naan is a great side roll – and if low carb isn't a concern, try this good no knead bread!

We're linking our favorite dishes to serve with this soup below:

[mv_create key=”1261″ type=”list” title=”What to serve with broccoli cheddar soup” thumbnail=” layout=”grid”] Keto Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter
• ½ white onion, diced
• 5 strips bacon, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup carrots, diced – omit if strictly limiting carbs
• 4 cups broccoli, 2 broccoli crowns
• 4 cups chicken broth
• ¼ cup cold water
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp dill
• 2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 10 oz grated cheddar cheese

Method

1. Prepare ingredients.
2. Dice onion, bacon, and carrots and mince garlic.
3. Cut broccoli into ½” pieces.
4. Set aside 1 cup of broccoli.
5. Set instant pot to sauté mode.
6. Add butter, onions, and diced bacon and sauté 4 minutes.
7. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
8. Turn off the instant pot.
9. Add chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the instant pot to deglaze.
10. Then, add broccoli and carrots.
11. Seal and set on manual high pressure for 1 minute.
12. Prepare cornstarch thickener or keto roux.
13. Perform a quick release on the instant pot.
14. Once complete, remove the lid and pour in the keto roux or cornstarch mixture.
15. Stir well to combine.
16. Set instant pot to sauté mode.
17. Add half and half, garlic, dill, pepper, and salt.
18. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
19. Once boiling, add cheese and stir until melted (about 1 minute) add remaining 1 cup of broccoli.
20. Cook for 2 minutes.
21. Top with cheese and serve.
22. Enjoy!