Cheddar Potato Soup with Broccoli
Made from leftover mashed potatoes, there are four good reasons to love this Broccoli cheddar soup recipe!
- Gluten-free
- Vegetarian
- Tastes just like the Panera version
- Needs only 20 minutes when you make it in an Instant Pot!
Read Anushree's full post, including step-by-step photos, here.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 1 bay leaf, optional
- 1 cup onions, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup carrots, julienned or shredded
- 2½ to 3 cups vegetable broth [see note]
- 2 cups leftover mashed Idaho® potatoes
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ teaspoon salt or as needed
- Ground black pepper as needed
- Green onions, as a garnish
Directions:
In an Instant Pot:
- Set the Instant Pot to 'Sauté' mode and adjust the setting to ’Normal'. When the display reads 'Hot', add oil.
- Add bay leaves, followed by chopped onions and minced garlic. Sauté until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add broccoli florets and carrots. Mix well.
- Add vegetable broth and stir.
- Put the lid on, move the vent to 'Sealing' and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, do a quick release (i.e. move the steam valve to 'Venting').
- Open the lid. Set the Instant Pot to use the 'Sauté' function and set it on 'Less'.
- Add mashed potatoes to the soup and mix until well combined.
- Add cheese 1/4 cup at a time so that it doesn't become one clumpy mess.
- Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
- To garnish, use green onions or any green herbs of your choice.
On the Stovetop:
- Add oil to a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add bay leaves, followed by chopped onions and minced garlic. Sauté until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add broccoli florets and shredded carrots. Mix well.
- Stir in vegetable broth. Continue to cook until the broccoli florets have softened.
- Add mashed potatoes and mix until well combined. Reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Add cheese 1/4 cup at a time so that it doesn't become one clumpy mess.
- Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
- To garnish, use green onions or any green herbs of your choice.
Notes:
- I used 3 cups of vegetable broth in all. I would recommend starting with 2.5 cups broth and adding more as needed.
- Use store-bought julienned carrots to save time instead of shredding carrots at home.
- This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days and up to a month in the freezer.
Variations
- This recipe calls for fresh broccoli but you can substitute frozen. Reduce the pressure-cooking time to 2 minutes.
- If you don’t have leftover mashed potatoes, you can replace it with 2 medium-sized Idaho® potatoes. Dice them into cubes and add it along with the shredded carrots and broccoli. They will soften when pressure cooked for 5 minutes. Use the back of your ladle to mush them.
- I have used sharp cheddar cheese in this recipe. Feel free to experiment with others like white cheddar or Parmesan.
- You can purée the soup or leave it chunky based on your preference.
Yield: 6
Calories: 370
Sugar: 5g
Sodium: 950mg
Fat: 17g
Saturated Fat: 9g
Carbs: 26g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 13g
Cholesterol: 40mg
Source:
Anushree Shetty
Food Blogger
Simmer to Slimmer