Easy Healthy Instant Pot Broccoli Soup (Vegan Recipe)

By making broccoli soup in the Instant Pot, you can have a flavorful comfort food without any of the guilt (and in a fraction of the time!).

Instant Pot broccoli soup is full of nutrients and flavor, making it an easy vegan soup! This delicious pressure cooker soup is Whole30 friendly and a healthy meal that is ready in no time!

LAST UPDATED: November 15, 2021

bowl of healthy Instant Pot broccoli soup (with no cheese) with a garnish of crushed red pepper flakes

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Upon hearing the knock at the door, I picked up my toddler and went to answer it.  When I opened the door, there she stood, slightly hurried but with the same familiar and warm smile I’d come to know and love.

My sweet friend and neighbor quickly handed me a container of soup from her refrigerator, along with a few other items, before saying her goodbyes and heading down the steps with her suitcase.

For more than a decade, my husband and I lived in a 1940s building that housed three separate apartments in a lovely historic neighborhood in Nashville. 

The top apartment was home to our dear friend Patsy, who lived most of the year in Paris, France, but would come to Nashville a few times a year, usually staying for a few weeks at a time.

Whenever the time came for her to fly back to Paris, she would often bring us leftover goodies that she didn’t want to throw away.  Hence, the parting gift of soup.

But it wasn’t just any soup–it was homemade broccoli soup. And it was delicious.

Healthy Broccoli Soup in the Instant Pot

I admit, I’d never had plain broccoli soup before.  Broccoli potato soup, yes.  Broccoli cheese soup, of course.  But never just broccoli soup.

So that evening, I popped open the container and warmed up some of Patsy’s broccoli soup.  My daughter, who was probably only one year old at the time and wasn’t extremely fond of vegetables, gobbled it up and asked for more.

Naturally, I asked Patsy for the recipe and she graciously obliged. It’s written on a yellow scrap of paper and, while the ingredients are extremely simple, the soup is delightful.

Patsy’s vegan broccoli soup recipe uses a traditional stove top method of preparation, but when I recently made the soup again, I opted to use my Instant Pot to save a little time. 

It worked like a charm–and this Instant Pot broccoli soup recipe was born!

two white bowls of Instant Pot vegan broccoli soup topped with croutons and crushed red pepper flakes

Vegan Instant Pot Broccoli Soup

I know you’re going to love this recipe, because it only requires a handful of simple ingredients, yet it transforms into a delicious savory soup!

It’s a healthy broccoli soup recipe, with no heavy cream or cheese, so it’s low in calories. It reminds me of a cream of broccoli soup, but without the dairy.

If you’re looking for a creamier soup with cheddar cheese, try my Instant Pot broccoli cheese soup or my Instant Pot broccoli potato soup!

If you’re trying to incorporate more veggies into your diet, you’ll love this super quick and easy broccoli soup in the Instant Pot! 

It’s flavorful comfort food without a smidge of guilt. 🙂

Then, go check out this Instant Pot cauliflower soup, Instant Pot potato leek soup, and Instant Pot butternut squash and apple soup for more ways to sneak in some veggies!

Check out my list of the best Instant Pot soup recipes as well as how to make soup with leftovers!

How to Make Quick and Easy Healthy Broccoli Soup in the Instant Pot

It’s so simple to make this healthy broccoli soup in the pressure cooker!

Ingredients:

  • Olive oil
  • Onion
  • Broccoli crowns
  • Vegetable broth or stock
  • Salt and pepper
  • Red pepper flakes (optional)
Instant Pot cream of broccoli soup with no cheese served in white bowls atop a blue and white napkin, with two spoons in the background

How to Make it:

(Full printable recipe is available below)

Chop. Before you get started, be sure to chop up your broccoli crowns. I like to use broccoli crowns because you don’t get as much of the stem.

I used to never weigh my broccoli crowns, but I had a reader ask about the weight. So the next time I made this recipe, I weighed the broccoli.

You’ll want between 1.5-2 pounds of broccoli crowns. You can get an idea here of how large mine were.

a woman's hand holding a crown of broccoli, with another broccoli crown on a cutting board.

Coarsely chop the broccoli into florets. What bits of stems you do have, don’t throw them away! You can slice them into rounds, like coins, and include them in the soup.

chopped florets and stems of broccoli for making vegan broccoli soup in the Instant Pot

Saute. First, you’ll saute some onions in some olive oil using the Saute function of the Instant Pot. 

diced onions being sauteed in olive oil inn the instant pot

Once they’re beginning to soften and turn translucent, throw in your chopped broccoli and add in the broth or stock and black pepper.

broccoli, broth, and black pepper in the Instant Pot for making broccoli soup.

Pressure Cook. Lock the lid in place and set a cook time of 3 minutes at high pressure. When the cook time is complete, you can perform a quick release of pressure. 

cooked broccoli and onions in broth, for making broccoli soup without cream or cheese

Blend. Use your immersion blender to get it to the consistency you prefer, then add in some salt to taste, if needed.

Because it’s pureed, the result is a creamy soup (without cream!). If you wanted, you could always add in a splash of coconut milk.

A wooden ladle scoops out some broccoli soup from the Instant Pot

This Instant Pot broccoli soup is delicious as-is, but you can top it with a sprinkling of red pepper flakes or vegan croutons (or even some shredded cheese, if you don’t need it to be vegan). 

You could also serve it with some homemade dinner rolls or in a bread bowl for a delightfully easy meal.

white bowl of pureed broccoli soup topped with croutons

Notes and Adaptations:

  • You can use frozen broccoli if needed, but I prefer fresh broccoli.
  • Because there are so few ingredients, their quality matters more. Be sure to choose a flavorful vegetable stock or broth.
  • I don’t add salt prior to cooking. The amount needed will depend on how salty your broth/stock is. I wait until afterward to taste, and I often don’t even need to add any salt.
  • If you prefer a thicker soup, you can decrease the broth to 4-5 cups.
  • If you don’t need the recipe to be vegan, you can use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth.
  • I’ve been asked if this broccoli soup recipe would work with the Instant Pot Ace Blender, which cooks and blends food. Although I haven’t tried it myself, I believe it should work fine. However, you will likely need to cut the recipe in half to avoid over-filling the blender.

Recommended Equipment:

Yield: 6-8 servings

Quick and Easy Broccoli Soup in the Instant Pot (Vegan)

two bowls of Instant Pot broccoli soup served on a blue and white napkin

This easy Instant Pot broccoli soup is full of nutrients and flavor, making it a delicious vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free soup!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Additional Time 15 minutes
Total Time 23 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 medium sweet onion, diced
  • 2 crowns of broccoli (approx. 1.5-2 lbs), roughly chopped into florets (slice any stems into thin coin-like rounds)
  • 6 cups vegetable broth or stock
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • Salt to taste
  • Optional: Red pepper flakes to taste, as garnish

Instructions

  1. In the insert pot of an Instant Pot, add olive oil and onions. Use the Saute function to cook the onions until they begin to turn translucent and soften.
  2. Add broccoli and vegetable broth/stock to the insert pot, along with black pepper.
  3. Press Cancel/Keep Warm to turn off the Saute function. Twist the lid into place and set the vent to the sealed position.
  4. Select the Manual/Pressure Cook function and a 3 minute cook time at high pressure.
  5. When cook time is complete, perform a quick release of pressure by carefully turning the vent to the open position.
  6. When pressure has released and the valve has dropped, carefully remove the lid.
  7. Use an immersion blender to puree contents to your desired consistency.
  8. Add salt to taste. If desired, add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes for garnish.

Notes

  • You can use frozen broccoli if needed, but I prefer fresh broccoli.
  • Because there are so few ingredients, their quality matters more. Be sure to choose a flavorful vegetable stock or broth.
  • I don't add salt prior to cooking. The amount needed will depend on how salty your broth/stock is. I wait until afterward to taste, and I often don't even need to add any salt.
  • If you prefer a thicker soup, you can decrease the broth to 4-5 cups.
  • I've been asked if this broccoli soup recipe would work with the Instant Pot Ace Blender, which cooks and blends food. Although I haven't tried it myself, I believe it should work fine. However, you will likely need to cut the recipe in half to avoid over-filling the blender.
  • If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can prepare this on the stove top. In a stockpot, cook onions in oil over medium-high heat until soft and translucent. Add broccoli and broth and bring to a boil. Cover and cook until broccoli is tender. Use immersion blender to achieve desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. If desired, add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
  • Nutrition Information:

    Yield:

    6

    Serving Size:

    1

    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 68Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 979mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 2g

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.

    Want more delicious recipe ideas?

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    collage image featuring two photos of Instant Pot broccoli soup. One photo is a close-up, showing the soup topped with crushed red pepper flakes for garnish. The other shows two bowls atop a blue and white napkin, with two spoons in the background.

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    8 Comments

    1. Karen Keeter says:

      How much do 2 crowns weigh? Thanks.

      1. Chrysti Benner says:

        Hi Karen! I don’t know for sure, because I don’t usually weigh mine. But as a guess, I’d say about a pound or so would be good. Broccoli crowns have had most of the large stem removed, so you’re not dealing with extra weight from the stem. I hope that helps–enjoy! 🙂

    2. Nancy Soper says:

      Delicious and fast. I used butter instead of oil and added some bok choy from my garden. Going to serve with the croutons and Parmesan.

      1. Chrysti Benner says:

        Thank you, Nancy! What a great idea to add some bok choy. Thank you for sharing! 🙂

    3. YUM! Had a 12oz bag of broccoli florets that needed to be used, and augmented those with some fresh-cut cauliflower florets. Used Better Than Bullion veggie base for stock. and added the pepper flakes after I’d pureed the soup. Sprinkled nutritional yeast on top servings. SO fast, SO easy, and delicious!

      1. Chrysti Benner says:

        Thank you so much, Karen! I love hearing that you enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing your tweaks, too! 🙂

    4. This soup was far too watery for my taste. A crown of broccoli is quite small; about 2 cups. So for 4 cups of broccoli, 6 cups of broth is quite a lot. Most recipes do the inverse ratio of solids to liquids and add something to thicken it to make the soup thick and creamy. I’m sort of starting over and tripling the broccoli and adding rice now…

      1. Chrysti Benner says:

        I’m sorry it was too watery for your taste! It is a thinner soup, but you’re right, you can always add more broccoli or even a starch. Hope that helps! 🙂

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