I’m been making a lot of soup lately. It’s getting colder outside, which makes me crave warm, comforting soups and beverages. Soup is also very nutritious, depending what you add to it, and fills you up. Plus, I’m enjoying using my new pressure cooker!
I recently read about a new diet plan, called The Plant Paradox. It argues that lectins (a form of protein found in certain plant foods), can cause inflammation and be harmful to the body. The doctor had a convincing argument, so I purchased The Plant Paradox Cookbook, to check it out myself. I have enjoyed many of the recipes. Note that some of them are time consuming to prepare, but are delicious and worth the effort!
One of the recipes I’d like to share with you is the Cream of Mushroom Soup. It’s full of healthy vegetables, such as mushrooms, cauliflower, onions and celery. The cauliflower is the “secret” ingredient that gives it such a hearty, thick and creamy consistency, without the addition of any flour or other thickeners.
So I wanted to try making the soup in my pressure cooker. I started by using the saute function and added the oil, then the mushrooms. I cooked them for several minutes until they became soft and slightly browned. Note that the recipe instructs to remove half of the mushrooms and set them aside to add back to soup later, but I prefer to leave all the mushrooms in the pot to puree into a smooth soup when finished, rather than having some in chunks.
At this point, I added the onions, garlic and celery. When they started to soften, I added a whole large cauliflower, roughly chopped into florets. Then I added salt, pepper, onion powder, Dijon mustard and 4 cups of chicken broth.
I closed the lid and set it to cook at pressure for 7 minutes. I let the pressure release naturally for at least 10-15 minutes before releasing it and opening the lid. Here is the result.
Next, I used my convenient hand blender to puree the soup completely.
(Note that you could also transfer the soup to a traditional blender and do it that way.)
Here is the soup after pureeing. See how thick and rich it looks?
Next, the recipe calls for adding 1 cup of coconut cream, but I prefer to use organic heavy cream. I know that using cream sounds decadent, but the amount per serving is not actually that much, compared to all the nutritious vegetables you are getting. If you prefer, you can reduce the amount of cream.
If you set aside half of the cooked mushrooms earlier, add them back to the soup. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.
Instant Pot Healthy Cream of Mushroom Soup
Servings: 8
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds mushrooms, sliced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 large head cauliflower, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup organic heavy cream, or canned coconut cream
- Parsley for garnish, minced
Directions:
Turn on the saute function of the Instant Pot. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and cook the mushrooms until golden brown and tender, then add the thyme and cook for an additional 2 minutes, until very fragrant.
If you prefer your soup a bit chunky, you can remove half the mushrooms from the pot and set aside for later. Add the remaining olive oil, along with the onion, garlic, and celery, and cook until onion and celery are tender.
Add the cauliflower to the pot, along with the salt, pepper, onion powder, and mustard. Sauté until fragrant, then add the broth.
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. If you have more time, feel free to let the pressure release completely, keeping the soup on Warm until ready to serve.
Use a hand blender to puree the soup (or transfer to a blender). When the soup is smooth, add the reserved mushrooms if you set them aside, and pour in the cream. Stir to combine and serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.