Recipe: Pressure Cooker Potato & Veggie Soup

Yes, I've made a couple other potato soups in my pressure cooker.  I wanted to really fill one up with veggies and make it extra delicious.

And I have to say - success!!!

Seriously.  This soup was easy, and thanks to the pressure cooker, speedy!  Hooray for pressure cookers!

This makes a TON of soup.  I had company, so I had 6 adults and 2 children eating, and there are still leftovers.  I'm not complaining.  But, you could halve this recipe if you don't want the leftovers... you could choose one kind of canned soup to add instead of both.  You could also adapt this to cook in a slow cooker (I would cook the bacon and onion first), or stovetop, but the pressure cooker is so easy. 

Pressure Cooker Potato & Veggie Soup

1/2 lb bacon, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped fine
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 c carrots, chopped fine
5 potatoes, washed and diced (peel if you want to, but you don't need to)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used one with roasted garlic)
1 can cream of celery soup
4 c water
1 c frozen mixed vegetables
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
salt, to taste

Set the pressure cooker to brown (if electric - if not, place on burner on medium high heat), and cook the bacon with the onion, celery, and carrot until softened.  Add in the potatoes, canned soup, and water.  Stir to mix, and place the cover on the pressure cooker and close the valve.

Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.  Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5-10 minutes, and then quick release to release the rest of the pressure.

Puree with an immersion blender (if you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a standard blender, but *warning* - this is SUPERHEATED in the pressure cooker and will burn you easily.  Work in batches, very carefully.  I really urge you to get  an immersion blender... it is much safer and so very easy...)

Stir in the frozen vegetables (they will cook quickly in the super-heated soup!) and the cheese, stirring to melt, and salt to taste.

Serve with some nice bread, and enjoy!

Recipe: Pressure Cooker Potato Cheddar Cider Soup

I saw this recipe for Cheddar-Ale Soup on Pinterest, and thought that I would put my twist on it.

Served with No-Knead Oat Bread from King Arthur Flour

I had some Woodchuck Hard Cider in the fridge that I thought would be a good compliment, and I didn't want to buy pre-cooked potatoes, so I turned to me previous (and totally delicious, if I do say so myself!) Pressure Cooker Potato & Ham Soup to use it as a base for alterations using fresh potatoes and quick, convenient cooking!


Pressure Cooker Potato Cheddar Cider Soup

1 large onion, chopped fine
1 stalk celery, chopped fine
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 box (~4 c) vegetable broth
1 12-oz bottle Woodchuck hard cider (or non-alcoholic apple cider, if you prefer)
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 c sharp cheddar cheese (Cabot preferred!), shredded
~ 2 tsp salt, to taste

In the pot of  a pressure cooker, saute the onion and celery in the oil until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the potatoes, the broth, vinegar, and the bottle of hard cider.  Cook on low pressure for 5 minutes, and then allow pressure to release naturally.

After cooking, before pureeing.

Puree using an immersion blender (or by transferring to a regular blender, but this could be treacherous, as things cooked in the pressure cooker are extra hot!!), then stir in the cheese until melted. 

No-Knead Oat Bread from King Arthur Flour

Recipe: Pressure Cooker Bean Curry

One thing I love about pressure cookers is how quickly you can cook beans!  Dry beans to deliciously cooked beans so fast, it's amazing.

I served this Bean Curry with white rice cooked with a little saffron (seriously, a tiny amount - a tiny pinch in with the water) and some raisins.  I cooked the rice according to package directions.  It would have been better with basmati or brown rice (or brown basmati), but I was out.  This was delicious.

I also made the curry very mild.  You could put in some spice if you like.  My kiddos ate it as is, with a little cheese on top.  Wish I had thought of pulling out the Major Grey Chutney... that would be nice.  I'm having leftovers for lunch tomorrow and will try to remember my chutney.  

Pressure Cooker Bean Curry

2 c dry beans (I used pinto)

1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp butter (ghee would be great, but I didn't have any)
1 Tbsp Teeny Tiny Spice Vindaloo (or a mixture of cumin seeds, clove, turmeric, ground cumin, and ground coriander)
1 can diced tomatoes
2 c water

2 tsp Teeny Tiny Spice Garam Masala

Beans soaked in the pressure cooker - 3 minutes at pressure!

Place the beans in the pressure cooker with at least 4 c water.  Put the lid on tightly and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes, then use the quick release (carefully), and drain and rinse the beans.  Set aside.

Combine the onion, garlic, and ginger in a small food processor to make a paste (or use a mortar and pestle).

Heat the oil and butter in the pressure cooker and cook the onion, garlic, and ginger paste until it is lightly browned.

Stir in the Vindaloo and the can of tomatoes.  Add the water and the beans.  If there is not enough water to cover the beans, add a little extra.  Cook at high pressure for 40 minutes.  Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, and then quick release the rest of the pressure.  Stir in the Garam Masala and serve over rice.

Recipe: Pressure Cooker Potato & Ham Soup

Because both of my sisters got pressure cookers for Christmas, I promised them that I would use mine more often to give them inspiration.  Today is a frigidly cold day here in Vermont, which wouldn't be anything to talk about in January of a normal year... but this year has been ridiculously mild, and this weekend, you could go outside in a light jacket...

I say, bring on the snow.  But also, bring on the soup.  Mmmmm.


Pressure Cooker Potato & Ham Soup

1 Tbsp oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 stalk celery, chopped fine
4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 c broth (I used chicken)
1 head roasted garlic, chopped (I used my garlic roaster in the microwave)
1 can fat free evaporated milk
~1-2 c chopped cooked ham (I used leftover spiral ham)

In a pressure cooker, saute the onion and celery in the oil until softened.

Add the potatoes, broth, and garlic.  Place the lid on the pressure cooker and cook at low pressure for 5 minutes, allowing the pressure to release naturally.

To the soup, add the fat free evaporated milk.  Using an immersion blender, puree the soup (or use a blender).  Stir the ham into the soup and serve!

Recipe: Pressure Cooker Beef and Root Veggie Stew

This morning, the kids had cold hands walking to school.  We've had to shut the windows in the house.  We need to pick our apples off the trees.  My thoughts are turning to pumpkin.

In short, fall has arrived.

Enter beef stew!

A bowl full of fall comfort

And the pressure cooker makes that all-day flavor quick and easy.  I have the electric Cuisinart pressure cooker, and I love it.

I threw in a bunch of different root veggies, which you could change up to suit your tastes.


Pressure Cooker Beef and Root Veggie Stew

1 lb stew meat, cubed
~1 Tbsp flour
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 sweet potato
1 parsnip
1 turnip
1 c chopped carrot
3 potatoes
3 c water
2 Tbsp Better than Boullion (or use your favorite broth instead of water)
1/2 Tbsp cooking sherry
1-2 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
2 Tbsp corn starch
8 oz sliced portobello mushroom

Dredge the stew meat in flour.   Chop the onion.  Heat oil in your pressure cooker, and brown the meat and the onion.

That's a lot of tasty veggies!

Before pressure cooking

After pressure cooking, before adding mushrooms

Meanwhile, peel and chop the root veggies.  Add to the pressure cooker, along with water, boullion, sherry, and Worchestershire sauce.  Put the lid on the pressure cooker, and set to high pressure for 20 minutes.  Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5-10 minutes, and then quick release the rest of the pressure.

Stir in the mushrooms (chop into smaller pieces if you prefer).  Add the cornstarch to a small amount of cold water and whisk until combined.  Stir into the stew and simmer for several minutes until the mushrooms are cooked and the stew has thickened.

Recipe: Pressure Cooker Vegetable Soup

Yesterday it was 90.  Today it was 55.  I love Vermont.

It was definitely soup weather.  You could make this with any vegetables really.  I've listed what I made it with.  Feel free to experiment!

Pressure Cooker Vegetable Soup

1 onion, chopped
1 c baby carrots, chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (mine was orange)
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 c cherry tomatoes
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 c chopped baby portabello mushrooms
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Soup Base (or use broth to cover the veggies)
water to cover the veggies

1/2 can coconut milk

All sauteed

In a pressure cooker, heat oil on saute.  Add onions and saute until softened.

Mmmmm, veggies

All covered with water.

Add in the other vegetables and cover with water.  Stir in Soup Base.

After 6 minutes.  All cooked

Place the cover on the pressure cooker and cook at high pressure for 6 minutes.  When done, quick release pressure.

Using a potato masher (or an immersion blender on low), mash some of the veggies to thicken the broth a little.  Stir in coconut milk and serve.

Recipe: Pressure Cooker Penang Chicken Curry

It was hot and muggy here today.  I thawed some chicken.  I really didn't want to turn on the oven.

Enter the pressure cooker!  Hurrah!

We ate this just over baby spinach, at room temp.  It was wonderful and light and delicious.

I used Teeny Tiny Spice's Penang Curry mix, and it was totally wonderful.  I'm sure you could use some other curry seasoning, but this one is something special, for sure.

Pressure Cooker Penang Chicken Curry

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 lime, sliced
1 onion, chopped fine
1/2 c water
2-3 Tbsp Teeny Tiny Spice Penang Curry Mix (or your favorite curry spice mix)

1/2 can coconut milk

Place chicken in pressure cooker.  Top with lime wedges and onion, then sprinkle spice mixture on top.  Add water and cook at low pressure for 12 minutes.  Allow pressure to release naturally for about 15-20 minutes.  Remove chicken from the pot and set aside.

Turn pressure cooker to brown (this will boil the liquid) and reduce for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Strain the reduced cooking liquid (which also has lime and onion pieces in it) through a sieve into a bowl.  Whisk in coconut milk.

Serve sliced chicken over baby spinach with some of the sauce.  (You could also serve it over rice or noodles, but this made a lovely light dinner)

Recipe: Pressure Cooker Dulce de Leche

I wanted to make something fun as a filling for The Boy's birthday cake.  I decided to try making dulce de leche.

I've seen methods of  making it that require boiling a can of sweetened condensed milk for several hours.  I also found that many people use their pressure cooker for less than an hour.  That sounds more like it to me!

I will admit, I was a little nervous about boiling a can.. I didn't want to deal with it exploding.  Apparently, that can happen.  It didn't, though, and I was left with something delicious and super simple.

Pressure Cooker Dulce de Leche

1 can fat-free sweetened condensed milk

Remove the label from the can of condensed milk.

Place the unopened can in a pressure cooker.  Pour water into the pressure cooker until it covers the can by about an inch and a half.

Hello, Pressure Cooker!

Cook on low pressure for 20 minutes.  Allow pressure to release naturally for about 15 minutes, and then use quick-release for the remaining pressure.

Lid off, water still boiling.. letting it cool.

Allow to cool slowly before removing from water - I took the lid off the pressure cooker and let the can sit in the water overnight.

When the can is cooled, remove lid and scoop out deliciousness.  It may need to be whisked a little to make it nice and smooth.  Enjoy as a filling, a dip, or a drizzle topping.