One Pot Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa

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We LOVE Broccoli & Cheddar soup in this house! It’s creamy, comforting and the fact that it has some broccoli in it also makes it feel more of a healthier choice (even thought we know it isn’t). We’ve been picking up take out from Panera Bread for a while and although we love their version, I felt really guilty feeding it to Shaan because I feel like it didn’t have much substance to it. I always like to add in a grain or pasta to his soups to make them a bit for filling. SO, I set out to make a version of my own that I could feel good about giving him. Turns out, the recipe was just WAY too good to make it solely a “toddler recipe”. Dev & Chandani (who normally wouldn’t touch quinoa) absolutely loved this and said it was better than traditional broccoli cheddar soup! It’s an easy weeknight meal, vegetarian recipe and it is under 30 minutes to make! It literally checks all the boxes.

Here are some more of my favorite Instant Pot Meals:

Instant Pot Lasagna Soup

Instant Pot Masala Khichdi

Instant Pot Refried Beans

Instant Pot Shredded Tandoori Chicken

Toddler Friendly Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Toddler Friendly Instant Pot Veggie & Rice

This entire recipe gets made in the Instant Pot so I love that it has minimal dish washing after, and it reheats REALLY well so you can make a batch and reheat it. I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I did and if you choose to make it, please be sure to tag me on @thechutneylife (I especially love watching your little ones eat my recipes- best thing ever!!).

Happy Eating!

Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa

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SERVES: 4

PREP TIME: 10 mins

COOK TIME: 5 mins

TIME: 15 mins

Ingredients

1 small onion, diced

1/2 cup carrot, shredded

1/2 cup quinoa rinsed

3 cloves garlic minced

3 heaping cups broccoli, cut into bite sized florets

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cups water or vegetable broth

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 cup whole milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (prferably shredded from a block- I love cracker barrel)

salt to taste ( I used 1 tsp salt)

Equipment

Instant Pot

Directions

Turn the Instant Pot onto saute mode and add oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, add the diced onions and carrots and stir until slightly softened (about 3-4 minutes).
Add the garlic cloves, stir until fragrant and add the cumin powder, salt, turmeric powder and quinoa and stir for 2-3 minutes until everything is well combined.
Add the broth , mix again and then place the broccoli florets directly on top of the mixture (without mixing them in).
Switch the Instant Pot to High Pressure mode and set timer for 1 minute. Quick Release after 5 minutes. Open the pot, switch the IP to saute mode and add in the milk. Stir and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes so the quinoa slightly thickens. Add cheese and stir until well combined. Taste for salt and add extra if needed. (The quinoa will thicken as it sits for a few minutes)
If you want to make this spicy, add a few dashes of crushed red chili flakes or sriracha ! Or additionally add diced green chilis when adding the onions in step one.
Serve hot and enjoy! Store refrigerated for upto 3-4 days.

One Pot Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa

Here are some more of my favorite Instant Pot Meals:

Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa