Here is another delicious, healthy soup recipe that I adapted from Food Network Kitchen. I wanted to make it in my pressure cooker, because it’s so easy and tastes like it’s been simmering for hours. And I reduced the amount of butter and flour called for in the original recipe. Your family will love it!

Start by using the Saute function, add some butter, along with chopped onions, carrots and celery, and a bit of salt.

As the vegetables soften, add 2 tablespoons of flour, then turn off the Saute function, as the vegetables will continue to cook.

Gather some sprigs of fresh parsley, thyme and dried bay leaves and tie them together with kitchen twine. This is a great trick to make it easy to remove them later.

Another time-saving step is to use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, and shred or chop the meat.

Add the chicken to the pot, along with 7 cups of broth and the bundle of herbs.

Now close the lid and set the Soup function for 7 minutes. Note that with the amount of liquid in the pot, it will take several minutes to come up to pressure, before actually starting to cook. This may be a complaint that some people have when using the Instant Pot (that’s it’s not exactly instant), but it would be the same if you were waiting for the soup to start simmering on the stove. The difference is that with the pressure cooker, the finished soup tastes like it simmered for hours, when in fact it was only 7 minutes. And you can walk away or do other tasks while it’s cooking, instead of checking a pot on the stove to see when it might be boiling, then adjusting the temperature and waiting an hour for the flavors to develop.

When the timer beeps, let the pressure release naturally for at least 10-15 minutes, before manually releasing the pressure with the handle of a wooden spoon. (You can drape a kitchen towel over the pot so the steam or liquid doesn’t spray out too far.)

After removing the lid, take out the bundle of herbs and discard. Turn the Saute function back on, add the cream, and some arrowroot (cornstarch) mixed with water to thicken. It only takes a minute or two. Finally, turn off the heat and add the sherry, which really enhances the flavor of the soup.

Taste and add salt and pepper, if necessary.

Instant Pot Cream of Chicken Soup

Servings:  6

• 2 tablespoons organic butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 7 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 3 sprigs fresh parsley
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 large bay leaf, or 2-3 small
• 1/2 cup organic heavy cream
• 1/4 cup arrowroot (or cornstarch)
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 2 teaspoons dry sherry
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Parsley for garnish, minced

Directions:

Turn on the saute function of the Instant Pot.  Add butter and cook the onions, carrots and celery with the salt until tender.  Stir in the flour and cook for a minute.

Add the broth and chicken to the pot.  Tie the parsley, thyme and bay leaf together with kitchen twine and add to the pot.

Close the lid and lock into place, being sure that the valve is in the sealed position.  Press the button for Soup, and adjust the cook time to 7 minutes, then press Start.

When the time is up, let the pressure release naturally for as long as you prefer, (at least 10 minutes) before venting the steam.

Add the cream to the pot, then turn on the saute function and bring the soup to a simmer.  Stir together the arrowroot starch and cold water in a small container, then add to the pot.  Stir frequently until the soup thickens, then turn off the heat. Add the sherry, then taste to see if additional salt or pepper is needed.  Stir to combine and serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.