Spicy Southwest Chicken Soup

May 17, 2024

This is a more “from-scratch” and meat-inclusive version of my quicker, spicy southwest veggie soup.

Ingredients

amount	ingredient
50g	black beans, dry
50g	white beans, dry
100g	kidney beans, dry
1 lb	chicken breast
24g	oil
160g	onion, diced
150g	bell pepper, diced
28 oz	tomatoes, diced
28 oz	water
15g	Better Than Bouillon
12 oz	corn, frozen
1 oz	jalapenos
2 T	cumin
1 T	chili powder
1 tsp	salt
to taste	black pepper
½ tsp	garlic powder
½ tsp	MSG

Process

Instant Pot

add all dried beans to Instant Pot and cover with ~1″ of water

pressure: high
time: 15 minutes
release: 10 minute natural

drain beans, set aside

sauté: high

add oil and chicken, sear until chicken is no longer pink; set aside
add onions and bell peppers, cook until translucent
add all other ingredients, including chicken, to pressure cooker

pressure: high
time: 4 minutes
release: 15 minute natural

remove chicken breast and set aside to cool enough to handle
blend soup sporadically with immersion blender until desired consistency reached (optional)
dice chicken into bite-sized pieces, return to pot

Stovetop

I’ve never bothered to make beans on the stovetop and wouldn’t recommend it to others. If you already have beans (canned, frozen, or just extra lying around, proceed with the below. Otherwise, just submerge dry beans in water and cook them forever.

in heavy-bottom pot, add oil and sear chicken until no longer pink; set aside
add onions and bell peppers, cook until translucent
add the rest of the ingredients, including chicken; simmer until chicken is cooked through and all other components have meshed together
remove chicken and allow to cool enough to handle
blend soup sporadically with immersion blender until desired consistency reached (optional)
dice chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to pot

Notes

This soup goes great with:

a dollop of sour cream
corn tortilla strips, chips, or broken up tostada/tortilla shells
shredded cheese of choice
avocado
fresh cilantro
fresh jalapeno coins
a dash of hot sauce

better than takeout ○ chicken ○ meat

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

November 29, 2021

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

Amount	Ingredient
3 T	butter
1 large	onion, diced
2 stalks	celery, diced
1	bell pepper, red, large, diced
1 tsp	garlic, minced
4 tsp	Better Than Bouillon no-chicken base
30oz	water
30oz	tomatoes, diced
¼ cup	basil, fresh
2½ T	tomato paste
1 tsp	salt + to taste
1 tsp	fresh ground black pepper
2 T	balsamic vinegar + to taste
½ tsp	MSG + to taste
½ cup	Parmesan cheese, fresh grated
½ cup	heavy cream

Process

Instant Pot

set Instant Pot to sauté mode, melt butter and sauté onions, celery, and bell pepper until tender
add garlic, cook 1 minute until fragrant
add the rest of the ingredients (except Parmesan and heavy cream)

Pressure: high
Time: 5 minutes
Release: quick

purée contents with immersion blender until smooth
stir in Parmesan and heavy cream, let warm through; serve hot

Stovetop

Use a heavy-bottomed pot and instead of pressure cooking in step 3, simmer until everything is tender and starts to break down.

Nutrition

Calories = 1,215 total recipe (152 per serving)

Notes

blend less for chunky soup
use (1) 28oz can or (2) 14 oz. cans for the tomatoes. 2 oz less than the full 30 called for in the recipe isn’t a big deal but the difference can be made up with fresh tomatoes so a third can isn’t opened unnecessarily
a 30oz box of stock can be used instead of the BTB base + water
a large carrot can be substituted for the red bell pepper, though the latter is tastier

See the freezing guide for tips and information on freezer-safe food storage.

Instant Pot // Recipe // Soup // Stovetop

better than takeout ○ calories calculated ○ freezer friendly ○ italian ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ vegetarian

Simple Aloo Salan

November 29, 2021

Credits

Recipe from My Heart Beets.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Amount	Ingredient
1½ lbs	potatoes, peeled, whole
2 T	oil
2 tsp	cumin seeds
½ tsp	mustard seeds
1	Serrano pepper, minced
2 cups	water
1 tsp	salt
1 tsp	turmeric
½ tsp	dried mango powder (amchur)
½ tsp	Kashmiri chili powder / paprika
¼ tsp	black pepper
¼ tsp	cayenne

Process

Dump all the ingredients except the cilantro in the instant pot

Pressure: High
Time: 10 minutes
Release: 10 minutes natural

Break up the potatoes into chunks, squishing some into the soup to thicken.
Garnish with cilantro.

Nutrition

Calories: 197 per serving (¼ of recipe)

Notes

If adding eggs, steam in instant pot separately

Pressure: High
Time: 6 minutes
Release: Quick

It’s possible to do the eggs at the same time as the salan by using a high trivet, but the potatoes would need to be chopped in order to account for the reduced pressure time, I haven’t perfected the timing yet so experiment at your own risk.

Instant Pot // Mains // Recipe // Soup

calories calculated ○ desi ○ dump and go ○ eggs ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian

Dumpling Soup

November 25, 2021

Ingredients

Makes 1 serving

Amount	Ingredient
¼ tsp	oil, sesame
½ tsp	garglic chili paste
1 tsp	ginger paste
1 tsp	garlic, minced
1 tsp	Better than Bouillon no-chicken base
1 cup	water
4 pieces	frozen wontons
2 T	carrots, shredded
½	green onion
1	mushroom, crimini, chopped
1½ tsp	hoisin sauce
2 tsp	ponzu sauce

Process

In a small pot, bloom the ginger, garlic, chili paste, and chicken base in oil for 1 minute.
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until dumplings are warmed through and carrots are soft, about 3-5 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 120

Notes

Can substitute 1 cup of vegetable broth or use vegetable base instead of the chicken base + water, I use the no-chicken version since the chicken one isn’t halal
Any flavor of frozen wontons will work
Can add chicken or other protein to it; probably easiest to use pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken and just let it warm through with all the other ingredients

Recipe // Soup // Stovetop

asian ○ calories calculated ○ comfort food ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian

Thai Curried Butternut Squash Soup

November 25, 2021

Credits

Recipe modified from Cookie + Kate.

Ingredients

Amount	Ingredients
2 T	oil
2 lbs	butternut squash (~1.5 squashes)
1	onion, yellow, medium
4 cloves	garlic
2-3 T	Thai red curry paste
2 tsp	coriander powder
1 tsp	cumin powder
¼ tsp	salt
⅛ tsp	red pepper flakes
1 T	lime juice, fresh
32 oz	vegetable broth
½ cup	coconut milk, full fat
handful	chopped cilantro, mostly leaves

Process

slice squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds and spray cut side lightly with oil and roast in the oven (optional)

Temp: 450º F
Time: 1 hour

peel and chop into rough chunks when cool enough to handle

Instant Pot

turn IP to saute mode and add oil, squash, onions, garlic, curry paste, coriander, cumin, salt, and red pepper flakes; cook for 8-10 minutes
add broth, close the lid and seal pot

Pressure: high
Time: 5 minutes
Release: 10 minute natural

use immersion blender to puree soup to desired consistency; taste for salt and curry paste, adjust as necessary
stir in lime juice, coconut milk, and chopped cilantro

Stovetop

in medium sized, heavy bottom pot, add oil, squash, onions, garlic, curry paste, coriander, cumin, salt, and red pepper flakes; cook for 8-10 minutes
add broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes
using immersion blender, puree soup to desired consistency; taste for salt and curry paste, adjust as necessary
stir in lime juice, coconut milk, and chopped cilantro

Nutrition

100g soup = 71 calories

Notes

roasting is an optional step, but increases flavor and makes peeling/chopping the hard butternut squash much easier
roasted squash pulp can be stored in the fridge for ~a week or so; freeze if storing longer
this soup freezes well; fresh cilantro and a hit of lime juice can help wake up the flavors a little bit when reheated from frozen

See the freezing guide for tips and information on freezer-safe food storage.

Instant Pot // Recipe // Soup // Stovetop

calories calculated ○ freezer friendly ○ fusion ○ photo ○ thai ○ vegetarian

Light Vegetable Soup

June 5, 2020

Credits

Recipe adapted from Spend with Pennies.

Ingredients

Makes 1 6qt Instant Pot FULL

Amount	Ingredient
1,360g	water
50g	vegetable base^*
160g	onion, small, diced
28oz	tomatoes, diced
225g	cabbage, chopped
350g	broccoli florets
300g	zucchini, sliced
300g	bell peppers, chopped
60g	celery, diced
60g	carrots, diced
28g	tomato paste
1 tsp	garlic
½ tsp	salt
½ tsp	thyme, dried
½ tsp	basil, dried
2	bay leaves
to taste	black pepper

^*I use Better Than Bouillon

Process

add all ingredients to pressure cooker

Pressure: high
Time: 6 minutes
Release: natural

Nutrition

Yields: 3,655g soup

Calories

Total: 650
Per 100g: 18

Notes

this makes a LOT of soup! The instant pot is almost completely full, so if you don’t think you’ll eat that much or can’t freeze the leftovers adequately, half the recipe by halving all the ingredients. Pressure cooking time will remain the same!
adjust salt/seasonings to your preferences
the recipe is pretty forgiving, so use vegetables that you have on hand or leave out what you don’t like

Instant Pot // Recipe // Soup

better than takeout ○ calories calculated ○ comfort food ○ dump and go ○ photo ○ vegetarian

Potato Leek Soup

April 5, 2020

Credits

Recipe adapted from Cooking Carnival.

Ingredients

Amount	Ingredient
28g	butter
25g	celery, diced
1	bay leaf
2 tsp	garlic
270g	leeks, greens removed
540g	potatoes, Yukon Gold
3½ cups	water
21g	vegetable base^*
1 tsp	thyme, dried
½ cup	heavy cream
~½ tsp	MSG
½ tsp	salt
to taste	black pepper, fresh cracked

^*I use Better Than Bouillon

Process

chop and wash leeks, set aside

Mode: sauté

melt butter in pressure cooker, add celery, bay leaf, garlic; sauté
peel and rough chop potatoes
add leeks, potatoes, water, vegetable base, thyme into pressure cooker

Pressure: high
Time: 7 minutes
Release: natural release

discard bay leaf, blend using immersion blender until smooth
add heavy cream, MSG, salt and pepper

Nutrition

Yields: 1,974g soup
Calories: 1,216 total, 62 per 100g

Notes

leeks must be washed multiple times and only AFTER cutting to remove all dirt and grit
can substitute stock base and water for 3½ cups vegetable stock

See the freezing guide for tips and information on freezer-safe food storage.

Instant Pot // Recipe // Soup

better than takeout ○ calories calculated ○ comfort food ○ freezer friendly ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian