Check out my recipe for making Ninja Foodi Broccoli Cheddar Soup using the pressure cook function. !
If you’ve been to Panera Bread, then you’ve likely had broccoli cheddar soup! Broccoli cheddar soup is a very thick and hearty soup made of broccoli and lots of cheesy goodness! It’s perfect as a full meal (serve in a bread bowl to really kick it up a notch!) or as an appetizer for your favorite meal.
Ninja Foodi broccoli cheddar soup is incredibly quick and easy to make. It doesn’t call for a ton of expensive ingredients, and everyone in the family loves it! For this recipe, you basically just need to cook the broccoli, onions, and carrots down and then add the cheesy goodness! Ok, there’s a couple more steps in the process, but that’s the basics.
Ninja Foodi broccoli cheddar soup reheats incredibly well, so feel free to double the recipe and make a big batch to eat over the next couple of days. If you double the recipe, there is no need to adjust the cook time. Just, double the ingredients and cook per the directions in the recipe.
Something to keep in mind when making any Ninja Foodi soups is the process for releasing the pressure. When you go to release the pressure on a soup, or anything that has a lot of liquid or starch, you want to be very careful not to release the pressure so quickly that the liquid comes spraying out the pressure release valve.
To avoid a mess, delay the release of the pressure for just a couple of minutes and then check to see if it’s safe to release the remaining pressure. Do so by slowly moving the valve to the release position. If liquid starts coming out of the valve, close it and let the pot sit there (make sure it’s turned off) and naturally release pressure for a couple more minutes. Repeat this process until there is no liquid coming out of the pressure release valve.
A little steam is ok…and expected. But, the steam should be clear when it’s released. If the steam is milky or white in color, close the valve and let it naturally release the pressure for a couple of minutes.
Tips for making Ninja Foodi Broccoli Cheddar Soup
A mixture of flour, butter, and milk will thicken up broccoli cheddar soup. Melt the butter, add the flour, and stir. Pour in the warmed milk and stir until smooth. Pour this mixture into the soup and stir until well combined.
When cheddar cheese gets too hot, the fat in it separates. To avoid this from happening, we are adding the cheddar cheese to the broccoli cheddar soup after pressure cooking it. The cheese is the last ingredient to be added to the soup, this way it does not get too hot and it should not separate.
Pre-shredded cheese has a coating on it that can prevent it from melting properly and get super creamy. To prevent this from happening, freshly grate the cheese before adding it to the soup.
Broccoli cheddar soup has a lot of vegetables in it, which are good for you and provide a lot of vitamins, such as vitamins A, C, K, and B6. However, the cheese, butter, and half & half contain a lot of calories.
If you have leftovers, you can pour the broccoli cheddar soup into an airtight container or ziplock bag and refrigerate it for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. When ready to eat the frozen leftovers, thaw and reheat until hot. You can reheat the leftovers in the Ninja Foodi using the saute function, in the microwave, or in a medium pan on the stovetop.
Looking for more of the best Ninja Food Recipes? Check out all of my Ninja Foodi recipes here!
Ingredients for making Ninja Foodi Broccoli and Cheddar Soup:
Ingredient substitutions and tips for making Ninja Foodi Broccoli and Cheddar Soup:
The full ingredient list is found at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Butter (Salted)- I prefer to use salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter if you prefer.
Onion (Finely Diced) – Fresh or frozen diced onions can be used. Yellow onions work great in this recipe. Make sure that you dice them quite small. You want the onion to add flavor but not texture to the soup.
Garlic (Minced)- Fresh or jarred garlic works great.
Carrots (Shredded)– You can use baby or full-sized carrots. Or, if your grocery store sells pre-shredded carrots, use those as they will save you a bunch on time shredding them yourself.
Broccoli Florets (Chopped)- For this recipe, I would recommend using fresh broccoli florets instead of frozen ones. Frozen broccoli needs virtually no time to cook under high pressure. You want the broccoli cooked but not way over cooked and mushy. Using frozen broccoli can bake the broccoli soup mushy.
Vegetable Broth– I used vegetable broth, but you can use chicken broth instead if that is all you have on hand. The taste will be slightly different but still delicious. Feel free to use regular or low-sodium broth. It is NOT recommended to use water instead of broth.
Flour– I use all purpose flour. You only need a little bit, but it is important in the recipe, so do not leave it out.
Milk- Whole, 2% or skim milk can be used. The higher the fat content of the milk, the thicker and creamier the Ninja Foodi broccoli cheese soup will be.
Half and Half- If you don’t have half and half, you can add extra milk and a little bit of heavy cream instead.
Salt & Pepper- Freshly ground is preferred. You can modify the amount of salt and pepper that you add to the recipe based on your own preference. If you are on a low-sodium diet, you can omit salt if needed.
Paprika- If you don’t have paprika, you can substitute it with a very small amount of cayenne pepper or chili powder. Cayanne is the closest spice in flavor compared to Paprika, but cayenne is much hotter in spice. A little goes a long way if you are substituting paprika with cayenne.
Cheddar Cheese (Shredded)– Traditionally, sharp cheddar cheese is used in broccoli and cheddar soup, but you can use a mixture of sharp cheddar, extra sharp, or mild cheddar cheese if you prefer. Freshly shredded cheese melts the best and helps make the soup extra creamy. But, you can use pre-shredded, it just might not be quite as creamy.
Steps for making Ninja Foodi Broccoli and Cheddar Soup:
Directions for making Ninja Foodi Broccoli and Cheddar Soup:
1. Turn the Ninja Foodi on and select the sauté function.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of butter (the other 4 tablespoons of butter will be used in a later step).
3. Once the butter is melted, add in the onion and saute until transluscent. This should take 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, carrots, and broccoli, and stir.
5. Pour in the vegetable broth and stir.
6. Turn the saute function off and put on the pressure cooking lid. Make sure the valve is in the sealed position. Pressure cook on high for 2 minutes, naturally release the pressure for 3 or 4 minutes, and then quick release the remaining pressure. If the liquid starts to come out of the vent, close the vent, wait a couple of minutes, and then try to release the pressure again.
7. Melt the rest of the butter (¼ cup) in a bowl in the microwave and then mix in the flour until it’s well combined.
8. Microwave the milk to warm it up for about 30 seconds, and then whisk the warm milk into the melted butter and flour mixture. Whisk until there are no clumps.
9. Turn the Ninja Foodi back on and choose the saute function.
10. Pour in the milk, butter, and flour mixture and stir well for 2-3 minutes.
11. Pour in the half and half, salt, pepper, and paprika, and stir well.
12. Add in 1 cup of shredded cheese and stir.
13. Once the cheese is well combined with the soup, add in the rest of the cheese and stir until creamy.
14. Serve in a bread bowl or with crackers.
Pin Ninja Foodi Broccoli and Cheddar Soup on Pinterest for later:
Recipe
Ninja Foodi Broccoli Cheddar Soup
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Ingredients
- 5 Tablespoons (5 Tablespoons) Butter (Salted)
- 1 Cup (160 g) Onion (Finely Diced)
- ½ Tablespoon (½ Tablespoon) Garlic (Minced)
- 1 Cup (128 g) Carrots (Shredded)
- 4 Cups (364 g) Broccoli Florets (Chopped)
- 4 Cups (940 g) Vegetable Broth
- ½ Cup (62 ½ g) Flour
- 1 Cup (244 g) Milk
- 1 Cup (242 g) Half and Half
- ½ Teaspoon (½ Teaspoon) Salt
- ½ Teaspoon (½ Teaspoon) Pepper
- ¼ Teaspoon (¼ Teaspoon) Paprika
- 2 Cups (226 g) Cheddar Cheese (Freshly Shredded)
Instructions
- Turn the Ninja Foodi on and select the saute function.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter (the other 4 tablespoons of butter will be used in a later step).
- Once the butter is melted, add in the onion and saute until transluscent. This should take 2-3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, carrots, and broccoli, and stir.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and stir.
- Turn the saute function off and put on the pressure cooking lid. Make sure the valve is in the sealed position. Pressure cook on high for 2 minutes, naturally release the pressure for 3 or 4 minutes, and then quick release the remaining pressure. If the liquid starts to come out of the vent, close the vent, wait a couple of minutes and then try to release the pressure again.
- Melt the rest of the butter (¼ cup) in a bowl in the microwave and then mix in the flour until it's well combined.
- Microwave the milk to warm it up for about 30 seconds, and then whisk the warm milk into the melted butter and flour mixture. Whisk until there are no clumps.
- Turn the Ninja Foodi back on and choose the saute function.
- Pour in the milk, butter, and flour mixture and stir well for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the half and half, salt, pepper, and paprika, and stir well.
- Add in 1 cup of shredded cheese and stir.
- Once the cheese is well combined with the soup, add in the rest of the cheese and stir until creamy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only.
Leave a comment and rate this recipe!
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Kim says
I have some Velveeta I would like to use up. How would that work in this recipe?
Lauren Cardona says
I love Velveeta! You can add in the Velveeta at the end of the recipe, after pressure cooking, just as you would with the shredded cheese. I’m not sure if the amount would be the same or if you would only be using Velveeta or a combination of Velveeta and shredded cheese. Just keep adding cheese until it gets nice and thick and cheesy.