Select Sauté/Browning on Instant Pot pressure cooker and allow to fully heat.
As pressure cooker is heating up, wash and rough chop broccoli, removing the green leaves.
Add butter and broccoli (holding back the crumbles) to the cooking pot and allow the broccoli to "roast" undisturbed in the pot (do not stir).
Gather the rest of the ingredients (this gives the broccoli time to "roast"/brown in the cooking pot).
While broccoli is roasting, add carrots, onion and celery to large food processor. Pulse until rough chopped. (If you do not have a food processor, chop the veggies by hand.)
Add chopped carrots, onion and celery to cooking pot on top of broccoli; do not mix through.
To the cooking pot, add garlic, salt, pepper, ground mustard, hot sauce and nutmeg.
Pour in chicken or vegetable broth and cream and now mix through.
Cancel/turn off Sauté/Browning setting on pressure cooker.
Lock on lid and close pressure valve. Cook at high pressure for 2 minutes.
When Beep sounds, wait 10-15 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure.
Carefully remove lid. Use an immersion blender and process soup until smooth.
Stir in cheese, a bit at a time until your desired "cheesy" profile.
Notes
While the fresh broccoli is in the pressure cooker roasting, do not stir at all. Allow the broccoli to brown on the bottom.If you want to use packaged frozen broccoli (but why would you, when fresh is sold all year around in stores), skip the first step and just dump all ingredients except cheese the pressure cooker and set the cook time.If using anything other than full fat cream, add it in after pressure is released. Otherwise, it will curdle and become not edible.Start with the lesser amount of cheese and add more for cheese lovers.
Vegetable Stock, Broth or Chicken Bone Broth?
Vegetarians, obviously will use vegetable broth. For this recipe, I used this Better than Bouillon Vegetable Base and added water to make a broth. Short of making your own, I find it to be the best brand.
Vegetable broth or stock enhances the flavor of the vegetables.
If you are following a low carb of keto diet, this soup recipe is a perfect meal for you, especially in the beginning. I've just lost seven pounds in four days and this soup has been a huge help. It is delicious and very, very filling.
The chicken broth will enhance the cheese flavor. This is the only brand I use.
If choosing the non-vegetarian option, I would suggest using my Homemade Bone Broth recipe. It helps to prevent the "keto flu" as the bone broth adds minerals, nutrients and electrolytes to the soup. Yes, there is such a thing...I just went through it.An alternative to my Homemade Bone Broth is Better than Bouillon Chicken Base.Originally published July 28, 2018. Republished March 5, 2021.