We had a craving for minestrone soup. We are still new to Instant Pot, so we decided to try this recipe. The soup turned out well overall. Our modifications: first, we used lacinato kale, stems removed and hand-torn. Second, we found the soup too chunky (esp. with the 3/4 cup ditalini pasta) and added an…… Continue reading Instant Pot minestrone soup
Tag: plant-forward
Ottolenghi’s spiced pea stew
We love peas, and we are fans of Ottolenghi. We tried his Persian-inspired recipe using frozen peas: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026665-spiced-pea-stew-with-yogurt?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-shareo Our modifications: first, we found that the stew consistency at the end of cooking was less viscous than expected (more like a thin soup than a stew). In the future, we may reduce broth by 1/2 cup…… Continue reading Ottolenghi’s spiced pea stew
Mushroom, fennel, and lentil soup
We sought a healthy, plant-forward soup with a different flavor profile than we typically eat. So we tried this recipe: https://www.feastingathome.com/lentil-mushroom-soup/. It was delicious. Our modifications: first, we added 1 medium diced carrot along with the mushrooms. For the 1 lb mixed mushrooms, we used 8 oz cremini, 4 oz white button, and 4 oz…… Continue reading Mushroom, fennel, and lentil soup
Colombian lentil and rice soup (sopa de lentejas y arroz)
A few days ago, my husband savored a brothy lentil and rice soup at a local Italian cafe. That inspired us to make another version of lentil and rice soup, and we tried this Colombian recipe: https://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/vegetarian-lentil-and-rice-soup-sopa-de-lentejas-y-arroz/ Our modifications: first, we finely minced the 1/2 red bell pepper (seeded and quartered) and carrot (roughly cut… Continue reading Colombian lentil and rice soup (sopa de lentejas y arroz)
West African-style okra stew
I love okra and hoped to make a stew with a Ghanaian flavor profile (tomato-based, seasoned with onion, habanero, and ginger). We tried this recipe: https://honest-food.net/okra-stew-recipe/ Our modifications: first, we used only 1 habanero, which provided plenty of heat. Second, because we didn’t want a soupy stew, we reduced the liquid (no-salt chicken broth) to…… Continue reading West African-style okra stew
Split pea soup, Instant Pot version
We had a craving for split pea soup, and we wanted to give our new Instant Pot another spin. We tried this recipe: https://www.acouplecooks.com/instant-pot-split-pea-soup/ We followed the recipe closely, except that we tossed in a few sprigs of thyme along with the peas (picked over and rinsed), 1 tsp salt, and 8 cups broth. We…… Continue reading Split pea soup, Instant Pot version
Mexican vegetable soup with chipotle (caldo tlalpeño)
We were in search of a plant-forward soup with Mexican flavors, so we tried this recipe: https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2023/01/mexican-vegetable-soup-with-chipotles.html We found the blogger's recipe frustratingly incomplete (for example, she called for "some chicken broth" but did not specify the amount). Regardless, this soup was very tasty. Note: this recipe easily could be vegetarian if you use vegetable… Continue reading Mexican vegetable soup with chipotle (caldo tlalpeño)
Japanese cellophane noodle soup (harusame)
We returned home, but haven't gone food shopping yet. Relying on pantry ingredients, we tried this recipe: https://www.justonecookbook.com/japanese-glass-noodle-soup/ Our modifications: first, we made 1.5x the recipe (to yield 6 cups broth). This means: 3 eggs, 3 scallions, 3 Tbsp dried wakame, 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, and 6 cups liquid (4 cups no salt chicken… Continue reading Japanese cellophane noodle soup (harusame)
Furikake tomato sandwich
This is an easy shortcut that mimics a BLT: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024442-furikake-tomato-sandwich?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share. Very tasty. We applied only a thin layer of mayo. (Apr. 2024)
Ina Garten’s lentil soup
We craved homemade lentil soup, and I remembered Ina Garten's recipe from many years ago. Unlike in the past, I followed the recipe almost exactly: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lentil-vegetable-soup-recipe-1948822. We slightly reduced the salt to 2 tsp and used 1 3/4 Tbsp barrel-aged red wine vinegar. This is a delicious and comforting plant-forward soup. (Mar. 2024)