Keto Cheddar Broccoli Soup with Brats

This low-carb and keto broccoli cheese soup with beer and brats is THE soup to make on a chilly night! Three kinds of melted cheese, bratwurst, beer, and broccoli come together to make the ultimate stovetop and instant pot soup recipe! It's family-friendly and loved by non-keto followers alike.

Why You'll Love This Low Carb Broccoli Cheese Soup

There are SO MANY reasons why my family thinks this is the best broccoli cheese soup! It's a one-pot dish, healthy (low carb and keto), family-friendly, and so tasty! We love brats and my husband and I love beer! Why not combine with broccoli cheese soup? Perfect combination, right?

It's An Easy Instant Pot Recipe

You can easily make this low carb Instant Pot Recipe for broccoli cheese soup. It's truly a one-pot recipe with easy-to-find ingredients. It can be made ahead of time and re-heats well so it's perfect for make-ahead lunches and leftovers!

Perfect Family Friendly Recipe

It seems like most kids love cheese, but not all of them love broccoli. This is a great way to sneak in vegetables and lots of nutrients.

A Great Make-Ahead Soup

Instant pot broccoli cheese soup is A perfect make-ahead lunch recipe! I will often make a batch of this soup on the weekend and take it to work for my weekday lunches.

Bonus! This recipe freezes well too!

Broccoli, Brats, Beer, and Cheese...Oh My

The perfect combination!

Okay, so my husband is the inspiration for this Broccoli, Brat and Beer Cheese Soup. He is from Wisconsin and (of course) loves cheese, beer, and bratwurst. Three classic Wisconsin ingredients coming together to make this delicious cozy soup - the perfect remedy for those extremely cold Winter nights up North!

There are so many versions of Wisconsin beer cheese soup but this version has all of his favorites. I love that he thinks it's the best soup ever! Thanks, Honey!

Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Keto and Low Carb)

This low carb broccoli cheese soup has a lot of nutrients and vitamins from the broccoli. It is low in carbs and high in fat making it perfect if you're following the keto diet. The full nutritional analysis is below.

Remember! Use a low carb beer if you're following a low carb or keto diet.

⇓ To lower carbs even more, you can use chicken stock in place of beer.

⇑ To increase fat content, you can use half-and-half of a full-fat or heavy cream.

⇓ To lower the fat content you can use up to 1 cup less cheese.

Ingredients and Tools For Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup

For exact recipe ingredients, please see the printable recipe card below.

• Butter
• Onion
• Garlic
• Beer bratwurst - plain or cheese are fine too!
• Head of broccoli - frozen is fine too!
• Cheddar cheese, grated
• Smoked cheddar cheese, grated
• Parmesan cheese, grated
• Half and half
• Chicken broth
• Low carb beer - Michelob Light Ultra has 2.6 carbs and was used in this recipe
• Xantham gum - This is an optional low carb and keto friendly thickening agent. If not following a low carb diet you can use flour or cornstarch as a thickener.

How To Make Low Carb Broccoli Cheese Soup

Brown and Cook Brats

Brats are first browned in butter, then cooking is finished in the pressure cooker.

Using Saute (Medium heat) setting in your Instant pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter, place bratwurst in the pot and cook only until outside because a golden brown, turning as needed to brown evenly.

**You are only giving the bratwurst a nice color - final cooking is done on high pressure (next step)

Turn the pressure cooker off. Pour beer over bratwurst. Lock lid and select High pressure (5 minutes cook time). Once cooking is complete, allow pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then do a quick pressure release. Once the valve drops, carefully remove the lid. Remove bratwurst and set aside.

**Save all remaining liquid in the pot and set aside in a bowl for later.

Cook Onions and Garlic

Using Saute setting (Medium heat) melt your remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add onions and cook until they are soft.

If onions are sticking to the pot, add up to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. If the pot gets too hot, turn heat to low.

Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Turn the pressure cooker off.

Cook Broccoli and Start Broth

Add chicken broth, the reserved beer brat liquid, and broccoli to the pot. Secure lid, set on High pressure and 1 minute cook time.

While you are waiting, slice bratwurst into ½" slices. Once the cycle is complete use a quick pressure release until the valve drops. Carefully remove the lid.

**As you can see in the picture, I used frozen broccoli. This worked perfectly, and with no change in cooking instructions. I tested this recipe with frozen broccoli and fresh and both turned out great!

Finish Soup

Using a slotted spoon remove ¾ of the broccoli and set aside. Using an immersion blender directly in the pot, blend the broccoli that remains in the pot with the broth until there are no more chunks.

Turn the pot on Saute Low. In a small bowl, whisk ½ teaspoons of xantham gum with a scoop of hot broth until there are no chunks. Pour back into the soup and blend. This is an optional step, but it helps the soup thicken without adding flour, as in traditional recipes.

Stir in cheeses and allow to melt. Slowly whisk in half and half, until blended.

Add your reserved broccoli and bratwurst back into the pot. Then add salt and pepper. Continue to heat only if necessary. Only heat to serving temperature, stirring frequently, and then turn the pot off.

The soup will thicken slightly as it cools. If you prefer a thicker soup, add ¼ to ½ teaspoons more of the xanthan gum. A little goes a long way, so be careful!

If you prefer a more liquid consistency, do not use xanthan gum; add additional broth until the desired consistency is reached. You may need to adjust salt and pepper to taste.

How to Serve Keto Cheddar Broccoli Soup

Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with pepper, and additional cheese. If you've got bread eaters in your house, serve with crusty sliced bread. (Low carb followers don't be tempted!) Enjoy!

Keto Broccoli Soup Recipe Variations

How can I make broccoli cheese soup that isn't low carb or keto?

• Use regular beer, not low carb
• Instead of Xantham Gum, use a ¼ cup of flour as a thickening agent whisked into ¼ cold water. Add into the soup and stir into the soup.

Can I make broccoli cheese soup on the stove?

Yes. Follow all of the same instructions for making the, except you would add the broccoli to your stockpot and cook on the stovetop, covered, until the broccoli is very tender. It is very easy to cook on the stove. Sometimes, it is even quicker because 20 minutes of the 50-minute cooking time with the pressure cooker are waiting for the pressure to build.

Can I substitute another ingredient for beer? 

Yes. You can substitute bone broth or chicken broth in place of the beer. This will lower the carbs in this recipe even more!

FAQs

Keto Broccoli and Cheese Soup with Beer & Brats

A tasty twist on your typical broccoli cheese soup made simple in your pressure cooker. Using low carb beer, savory brats, broccoli, gooey melted cheese, and cream. Instant Pot and stovetop instructions provided. A delicious cozy comfort soup  - minus the carbs. Perfect!

4.91 from 11 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!

Author Kori Butler

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Soup and Stew Recipes

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 267 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 (16-ounce) package of beer bratwurst (regular or cheese are fine too)
• ▢ 1 large onion (diced)
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• ▢ 12 ounces low carb beer (substitute 12 ounces of chicken broth if preferred)
• ▢ 12 ounces chicken stock or broth
• ▢ 1 head of fresh broccoli cut into florets (or 5 cups of frozen broccoli)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon xanthan gum (optional thickener)
• ▢ 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (medium or sharp)
• ▢ ¼ cup shredded smoked gouda cheese (any kind of smoked cheese will work)
• ▢ 16 ounces heavy cream or half-and-half
• ▢ ¼ cup parmesan cheese (use only freshly grated)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

 

Instant Pot Method

• Select Saute, Medium heat, and preheat your pressure cooker.  Melt 2 tablespoons of butter, place bratwurst in the pot, and cook only until brats get a golden brown. Make sure to turn as needed to brown evenly. If brats are not browning fast enough, increase heat to High.
• Remove brats and set them aside until later.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pot then add onions and sauté until tender. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
• Turn the saute setting off. Add brats back to the pan and pour beer over the top. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer until the bratwurst is cooked all the way through. Secure lid and select High pressure, 5 minutes cook time. Once cooking is complete, allow pressure to release naturally for approximately 7 to 8 minutes, then a quick pressure release. Once the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.  Remove bratwurst and set aside. Remove the brats and set them aside.
• Add chicken broth and broccoli to the pot. Secure pressure cooker lid, set on High pressure and 1 minute cook time. While you are waiting, slice bratwurst into 1/2" slices. Once the cycle is complete use a quick pressure release until the valve drops. Carefully remove the lid.
• Using a slotted spoon remove 3/4 of broccoli and set aside. Using an immersion blender directly in the pot, blend the broccoli that remains in the pot with the broth until there are no more chunks.
• Turn pot on Saute Low. Whisk in 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum (optional thickener) until there are no chunks.
• Stir in cheeses and allow to melt. Slowly whisk in half and half, until blended.
• Add the sliced bratwurst and remaining broccoli back into the pot. Add the salt and pepper and stir.
• Turn the pressure cooker on Saute Low, and heat until the soup reaches your desired temperature, stirring frequently. The soup will thicken slightly as it cools.
• Turn the pressure cooker off. Ladle into bowls, adjust seasoning, and sprinkle with additional cheese if desired.

Stovetop Method

• In a 6 to 8-quart stockpot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add bratwurst and sauté just until golden brown on the outside. If brats are not browning fast enough, increase heat to High.
• Remove brats and set them aside until later.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pot then add onions and sauté until tender. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
• Add brats back to the pan and pour beer over the top. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer until the bratwurst is cooked all the way through. Remove the brats and set them aside.
• Add chicken broth and broccoli to the pot. Cover and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering until the broccoli is very tender.
• While the broccoli is cooking, slice the bratwurst into 1/2" slices.
• Using a slotted spoon remove 3/4 of broccoli and set aside. Using an immersion blender directly in the pot, blend the broccoli that remains
  in the pot with the broth until there are no more chunks.
• Reduce heat to low. Whisk in 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum (optional thickener) until there are no chunks.
• Stir in cheeses and allow to melt. Slowly whisk in half and half, until blended.
• Add the sliced bratwurst and remaining broccoli back into the pot. Add salt and pepper and stir.
• Continue to heat until the soup reaches your desired temperature, stirring frequently. The soup will thicken slightly as it cools.
• Remove from the heat. Ladle into bowls, adjust seasoning and sprinkle with additional cheese if desired. Enjoy!
  
  

Kori's Tips

This recipe allows for chunkier broccoli pieces. If you would prefer a smoother soup, do not remove any broccoli as mentioned above, and blend all with an immersion blender.

Use any combination of favorite cheeses, up to 2-1/2 to 3 cups of cheese.

If you prefer a more liquid soup, do not use xanthan gum and add additional broth until the desired consistency is reached. You may need to adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 267kcalCarbohydrates: 8.4gProtein: 13.9gFat: 19.9gCholesterol: 55.3mgSodium: 788mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 4g

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More Instant Pot Soup Recipes

Here are more easy instant pot soup recipes you will like! All of the below recipes are keto-friendly and low carb. Also, the sloppy joes can be made in the slow cooker or your Instant Pot. Bookmark the pages or save the pins in each post to Pinterest so you can easily find them later!

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