Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

Making really good minestrone in the Instant Pot with dried, un-soaked beans is possible. I wasn't sure at first, and it required a few attempts to get the recipe right, but check it out! Deliciousness. Let's start at the beginning. Like many of you, I love minestrone soup. It's hearty and filling. It's healthy, made with a diverse mix of ingredients your body wants more of. And, if you have an Instant Pot, a good minestrone is going to be one of your standbys. That said, most of the IP minestrone recipes I see rely on canned beans, which I was hoping to avoid. Instead, I wanted to develop a minestrone version from dried beans - un-soaked(!) dried beans. Because, that way, you don't have to plan ahead. Second, I want to avoid that murky, overcooked, canned soup flavor (and texture) we're all familiar with - it shows up when you use canned beans and then cook them again under pressure. The size you cut your ingredients ended up being important as well, and so was when you add them to the pot. I landed on a specific order here that maintains brightness, acidity, flavor definition, and general deliciousness. More on that below!



A few notes & techniques:

Potatoes: I found any potatoes cut too small turn to mush after cooking under pressure for 35+ minutes. Not great. So, I started using big chunks of potato, really big - and they're incredible! Creamy, perfectly cooked, and nicely structured. Carrots are more dense, and handle the pressure just fine.

Tomatoes & Kale: I think the inclination is to add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot, seal it up, and go for it. The minestrones I attempted to cook this way lost a lot of vibrancy. But not this version! This version has you stir in crushed tomatoes, and kale immediately after releasing pressure. The acidity of the tomatoes brightens the soup immediately, and holding the kale back until the last minute keeps a bit of structure, color, and flavor definition.

Pasta: A lot of people love to add pasta to their minestrone. You can certainly add a handful of dried, short pasta before pressurizing, but, quite honestly, it's much better if you cook the pasta on its own. You can also stir dried pasta into the soup directly after it has pressure cooked, adding a bit more water if things get too thick. In short, on the pasta front, you can be pretty flexible. It's open to personal preference (and how convenient you'd like the process to be).

Serving Ideas:
I like this minestrone straight and simple, and I also like it flaired out with toppings. A few ideas: a dollop of pesto, a drizzle of lemon olive oil, or a big squeeze of bright lemon, some chopped olives. Stir in a couple of handfuls of day old bread for something more like a ribollita.

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The Ultimate Vegan Nachos

Let's do nachos today. I know the title says vegan nachos, but whether you're vegan or not, when you need a nacho fix, this is how you should roll. At least once. To see if you like them. I mean, nachos are always a crowd pleaser, and this is no exception, I promise. Chances are, you won't even miss the classic cheese bomb version. On the flip side, your body will thank you because the "cheese" in this version is non-dairy, vegan, packed with beneficial spices, cashews, garlic, and grated sweet potatoes, and lasts up to a week refrigerated.

Sweet potato nacho cheese is a thing for good reason, it behaves a lot like a classic nacho cheese, it's the right color even, but(!) its arguably more delicious, and made from natural ingredients. I incorporate a bunch of short-cuts in my version to speed things along, like grating the sweet potato. Also, if you make the sauce a day or two ahead of time, you can have a pan of nachos ready to go in a flash. Ready? Let's do this.

Nacho topping suggestions: I'm including two different versions here. Option one is your typical pile-it-on semi-classic approach (pictured above): baked tortilla chips, black beans, sweet potato nacho cheese, olives, salsa, guacamole, chiles, etc. The other? Option two (pictured below) is what I like to think of as my hippie version: baked tortilla chips, sweet potato nacho cheese, chickpeas, roasted broccoli, guacamole, hemp seeds, pickled serrano chiles. The only things that would make it more hippie-ish would be to sprinkle it with nutritional yeast, and perhaps do a green version of the cheese (which I've considered ;)...If you're trying to make a meal out of the nachos, a good approach is to pile them high with an added sheet pan of simple, roasted vegetables. Broccoli and cheese is a classic combo (that even a lot of kids like), so I tend to go that route, but experiment! Roast a pan of vegetables while you're making the cheese. Easy.

Choosing chips. Is it me, or are baked tortilla chips increasingly hard to find? I look for baked chips (and sometimes fail). And/or ones with added heirloom corn, added quinoa, maca, etc. I also look for lightly-salted (some are SO salty!).

The cheese: Any extra cheese is also tops as a sandwich spread, crudité dip, or keep it on hand anytime you're grilling or roasting.

Oven to table: Bake and serve on the same plate (or pan). I use an oven-proof platter here. A baking sheet or sheet pan also works. It makes it simple to go from oven to table. Pile as many chips as you like on your platter/pan, top with beans, top with cheesy dollops, and bake for a few minutes. Don't worry that they don't look particularly nice, everything changes when you add your finishing toppings! No need to dirty another plate.

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10 Minute Instant Pot Mushroom Broth

I'm going to share one of my favorite broths with you today, and then I'm going to share a list of all the different ways you can use it. If you have dried porcini mushrooms, a few cloves of garlic, salt, pepper, and a bit of thyme, you're in business. This broth is fragrant, earthy, direct, golden, and peppery - wonderful to sip hot and straight. It's also great as a component in other preparations. I'm including an Instant Pot version of the recipe here (because, so fast!), and stovetop instructions as well (30 minute simmer). No one is going to miss out! It's the prime time of year for this broth!

If you don't have dried porcini mushrooms, but you do have dried chanterelles or portobellos, those will work too. Or, veer into the weeds, and make your own dried mushroom blend. If you love shiitake, maybe work those in here.

There are a bunch of different ways I like to use this broth. The photo you see here is some pasta I had on hand in a bowl with the hot mushroom broth, topped with some leeks and mushrooms (roasted on a sheet pan after a toss in a bit of olive oil), finished with a dusting of grated pecorino and toasted pine nuts. You could use raviolis, you could use another short pasta, you could also throw in chopped chard or kale for good measure.

Other Ideas: Use it as the broth in your favorite mushroom risotto. Use it as the broth in a soba noodle bowl with broiled tofu and some smashed scallions and olive oil. Pour it over a bowl of hot, steamed dumplings. I love it scalding hot with plump raviolis, like on a Wednesday night if I'm eating solo.

Broth Variations: There are also a bunch of ways to build on this broth, and tweak it. There's a coconut version I love, and a turmeric version, as well, so be sure not to miss those in the recipe down below.

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Last Minute Red Lasagna

Making lasagna doesn't have to be an all-day affair. This is a true weeknight lasagna. No pre-cooking sauces, no pre-cooking noodles. You, literally, stir the first five ingredients together into a vibrant crushed tomato sauce, and start layering. Also, it isn't a cheese bomb. I try to keep things light here. It's the rare lasagna that is arguably healthful enough to make once a week, and still feel like it is working in your favor. Very light on the cheese front, yet still hitting the lasagna mark. Served alongside a good salad? It's nice payoff, with minimal effort.

A couple of related tips. If you come across fresh pasta sheets, stock up. You can freeze them, and then you always have them on hand. Alternately, if fresh pasta is hard to find where you are, stock up on no-boil (whole wheat, if possible) lasagna sheets. These are the ones I come across where I live. It's hard to make the mental leap that they will work out. It seems impossible, because they're like dense, stale crackers, and...no boil!? But I'm always pleasantly surprised.

Last thing! Sometimes I spice the red tomato sauce with curry powder and a big squeeze of fresh orange juice for a fun twist - I'll note that variation in the recipe below. I'll also note a variation that omits dairy altogether. If you use egg-free pasta, it's a good vegan version.

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Instant Pot Fiasco Beans

Not the most attractive recipe, but never mind that! What this pot of beans lacks in looks, it makes up for in flavor and simplicity. Seriously! This recipe is for all of you with a new Instant Pot, but I'll also include the conventional version where you slow cook these beans in a low temperature oven. Both are incredible, but I have to say, I was astonished by the flavor and texture of the beans cooked in the Instant Pot, and the broth had so much body!

Here's the scoop. I'm still putting my new Instant Pot through its first paces (here's a starter guide I pulled together), and decided to attempt to adapt one of my favorite bean recipes. If you've heard of fagioli al fiasco, you know where we're headed - I included a version in my last book. Traditionally this is a Tuscan way of slow cooking beans, overnight in the embers of a fire place - beans, garlic, chile flakes, olive oil, and rosemary. Not much else. Unfortunately there's no wood-fired oven in my house, so years ago, I adapted a version to slow cook in a dutch oven for a few hours in a low-temperature oven. It's one of my favorite bean recipes. And now, taking things a step further, we're going to do a riff on that version for the Instant Pot (or whatever electric pressure cooker you have). The fragrant broth is freckled with olive oil and develops an incredible amount of flavor - even more so when cooked under pressure.

There are a couple details worth noting. We're going to pressure cook pre-soaked beans here, and then stir in kale after the beans are cooked, to make this more of a super healthful (and delicious!) one-dish meal. The residual heat from the pressure cooker will cook down the kale. You can serve the beans just like that, stew-like, perhaps with a thread of olive oil drizzled on top. Or, you can load up your bowls with whatever toppings you have. Pictured here: chopped scallions and cilantro, quick pickled red onions, a squeeze of lemon juice, dusting of cheese. If none of these are your jam, a simple, spicy chile oil might hit the spot. I love bean stews with a strong kick of chile oil.

Please let me know what you think here! This is my first attempt at writing a recipe for the IP, and I want to do a good job of communicating instructions (so many buttons!). Also - there are many different models, and I want the recipes to cross over devices, etc. This one seems pretty straight forward - ingredients in the pot, pressure cook, stir in kale, serve with any toppings you like.

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Green Curry Porridge

I thought I'd share another QUITOKEETO lunch with you today. This one in particular was a stand-out. It went something like this: a boisterous green curry porridge made with pan-toasted brown rice, spicy herb-packed green coconut broth, all punctuated with winter squash and lots of green onions. It's the kind of bowl that keeps you warm, and full, and happy - inside-out. I spent most of last week preparing for a shop update. One shipment I was particularly excited about was from India. For any of you who ever plan to go, or just want to day-dream about it, Fiona Caulfield's Love Travel Guides are hard to beat. The boxes of books actually smelled of saffron. I'm realizing the inventory is getting pretty low, but there are more on the way (if you hop on the list, I'll ping you when they come in).

1. This is a shot of my Love Guides as I was packing for India, they're considerably more worn-in at this point, and with lots of adventures under their belts. 2. Some QUITOKEETO favorites in the wild, and a guest appearance by Herriott Grace tucked into the the corner. 3. An early round of international shipments, ready for their long journeys.

There's also this playlist. Hope you enjoy the porridge! xo -h

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The Instant Pot Starter Guide for Me and You

This is for everyone who ordered an Instant Pot on Cyber Monday, and also, somewhat selfishly, for myself. It's all the links, references, and resources I've collected in eager anticipation of the delivery of my new 9-in-1 rice cooker killer.

Let me start by saying, my road to the Instant Pot hasn't exactly been straight. I like to think I shy away from of-the-moment appliances, and instead, have collected a good number of donabe, flameware, and other clay cooking vessels that I cherish and cook with regularly. But I've been increasingly intrigued by sweeping Instant Pot mania (couldn't be later to the party, I know). Some of my favorite cooks are making magic, or at least dinner, with them. One of them even released Dinner in an Instant: 75 Modern Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker, and Instant Pot. I buy every Melissa Clark book. Every one. So, it seemed like the time to pull the trigger here and have a little fun. Also, the newest Instant Pot has a yogurt function. And eight other functions - pressure, slow cooker, rice cooker, egg cooker, sauté mode, steamer, and on and on. Oh, and people are baking cakes in them? Woah.

My first impression stepping into this world? It's a lot. My guess is that many of you are either looking for instruction and inspiration (like me), or you are way ahead, and have your own favorite resources. So that's what this post is about. I'm going to include my list here, as I start feverishly googling, including anything that catches my attention, anything I don't want to lose track of - and I'll try to keep this list updated over time. But, please, if you're seasoned in the Instant Pot arts, with ideas, favorite tricks, inspiration, and whatnot - please (please!) leave a comment.

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THE BASICS
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- This is the Instant Pot I purchased: Instant Pot DUO Plus 6 Qt 9-in-1 Also! Note, there are over 1000 questions answered on this page. A lot of good questions, a lot of good answers.

- Alternative: I initially bought the Breville Fast Slow Pro. And I bought it for a few reasons. It slow cooks, it pressure cooks, and it aesthetically sparks much more joy than the Instant Pot. Also, I found a refurbished one deeply discounted on Amazon, which put it striking distance (price wise) of the Instant Pot I was considering. But it arrived and looked like someone took a sledgehammer to it. This gave me some extra time to rethink the Instant Pot (and its yogurt feature!), and read more reviews and comments. So I switched my order and ordered the Instant Pot DUO Plus 6 Quart 9-in-1 instead.

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OFFICIAL INSTANT POT
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This is the official Instant Pot site, it has videos, updated information related to the different models available, FAQs, and a recipe database. There is also a lively Facebook community, and Pinterest page.

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THE GUIDES & REFERENCES
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- How To Use an Instant Pot: A Guide by Melissa Clark (NY Times)

- The Instant Pot manual has tables with timing recommendations, this site has more.

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LOVE STORIES
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- Why Do Cooks Love the Instant Pot? I Bought One to Find Out (NY Times)

- The Instant Pot Cult is Real (TASTE)

- Send Help: I'm (Kind Of) Falling in Love With the Instant Pot (Food52)

- I Tried The $99 Kitchen Gadget That Everyone's Obsessed With (Buzzfeed)

- After Cooking All My Meals in an Instant Pot for a Week, I Get What All the Hype Is About (Self)

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RECIPE INSPIRATION
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I want to make amazing thali plates with this thing. That's my personal holy grail of Instant Potting.

- Ministry of Curry Instant Pot Recipes

- Ten Instant Pot Recipes Ready in 30 Minutes or Less (The Kitchn)

- Detoxinista / Instant Pot Recipes

- Cook With Manali / Instant Pot Recipes

- Five One Pot Indian Stews (Tasting Table)

- I'm excited about the concept of layering (or, pot-in-pot cooking)! For example, you use racks and containers to cook multiple recipes, like this one. - An explanation of PIP (pot-in-pot) cooking. And here's another one. And a great comprehensive video.

- Instant Pot Hot Sauce (Simply Happy Foodie)

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