Instant Pot Curried Carrot Soup

Curried Carrot Soup

This soup harkens back to a few decades ago, when we were introduced to it by good friends who always made it for their Christmas Caroling parties in Cambridge (MA), so it holds a special place in my heart.

What follows is loosely based on a recipe by Wilson Farms in Lexington, MA.

Curried Carrot Soup in the Instant Pot

1-2 TBS Grapeseed Oil (I've started using this for sautéing, as it has a higher burn point than Olive Oil.)
2 Tbs Butter
1 onion (chopped)
8 large carrots (cut into large chunks)
2 medium-large white potatoes (cut into large chunks)
4 stalks celery (chopped)
2 quarts chicken broth
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Curry Powder (to taste)
Large curd cottage cheese (optional)

*Asiago Cheese grated over top to taste (Optional)
Frozen Corn (optional)
Sausage/meatballs (Optional)

*Sprinkle of Lemon Pepper Seasoning to "finish" each bowl (Optional)
*New Additions/Updates 

Instructions

1. Set your Instant Pot on sauté, adjusting to the "low" setting if your pot has one.
2. While it is heating up, chop your onion (I prefer to use sweet).
3. When the display shows hot add your oil and butter, and when the butter has melted add the onions.

Sautéd onions and veggies waiting to be added

4. While the onion is sautéing, chop your celery, peel and chop your carrots and potatoes.
5. When the onion is golden, add the rest of the veggies to the pot, the salt and pepper and curry powder, and one quart of chicken broth. Turn the pot off.
6. Close the lid, and set the venting knob to seal.
7. Push the "pressure" button, "manual" button,  and "adjust" to make sure it is now on "high" and set for 8 minutes.

8. When the timer beeps let the pot sit for 15 minutes natural pressure release. You can let it finish that way (till the pin drops), or if you are in a rush, you can turn the knob to vent to release the rest of the steam, being careful to watch out for splatters...

9. After the pin drops, open the lid and turn the pot off. Let it cool for a couple of minutes and then use an immersion blender (<- One of my favorite "newer" kitchen tool!) to puree what's in the pot. Alternatively, scoop carefully into a blender and puree in small batches. Too much hot stuff will cause your contents to explode all over the place (Ask me how I know? Broccoli soup is a mess to clean up! ), so be careful.

10. Add the rest of the chicken broth, and adjust the seasonings to taste.

I like to add a big spoonful of (large curd) cottage cheese to this soup (As pictured at the top of this post), which gives it a very nice texture, but it isn't always in house (oops... forgot that on the grocery list today!) So instead we went with adding frozen corn and some tortilla chips for crunch, which was also good! Other optional ingredients I listed are sliced/diced sausages and/or meatballs, either of which would be a great addition as well. 

Really a very versatile soup, and if you try it, let me know what you think!

Blessings~