Save Time and Space on the Stove With an Instant Pot Soup
A warm bowl of creamy pumpkin-based soup is a welcome start to any meal in the colder months, but something about it feels utterly sumptuous on Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving course with soup has always seemed a little overwhelming, partly because I never ate that particular meal in the course, and mainly because there just isn’t room for a saucepan.
Since stove space is an extremely valuable real estate on turkey day, there is simply no room for a large saucepan to stand, simmer and condense, while there are other, higher priority items (gravy and mashed potatoes) that need it. place. But by shifting the soup off the stove to our handy Instant Pot, you can make a bowl of subtle-tasting liquid velvet in less than an hour, and you don’t even technically need to be in the kitchen.
You can make this soup with any pumpkin soup, but I went with Hubbard because it is delicious and also because you don’t need to peel it and I prefer skinning my face than peeling nuts. Aside from pumpkin, all kinds of delicious treats like ginger, garlic, cider and – my favorite not-so-secret ingredient – better than broth will be good for you.
There is also no need to stick to one pumpkin in this soup. The gourmet and kabocha mix can be fun, so go crazy. The only squash I wouldn’t try it with is, of course, spaghetti squash; it would be the saddest soup ever.
To make this super welcoming first course you will need:
- 3 pounds of your favorite squash
- 2 tablespoons duck fat, divided (butter works too.)
- 1 shallots, thinly sliced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-inch piece of peeled and minced ginger
- 1/4 cup dry cider
- 3 cups vegetable or Indian stock
- 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon No Chicken base
- 1/4 cup maple syrup ( grade A: dark in color and strong taste )
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs of marjoram
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Fresh herbs, sour cream and pomegranate seeds for garnishing (optional)
Cut the pumpkin into 1/2-inch pieces without peeling. Place the pumpkin cubes in a bowl, season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir to coat. Set aside. Add one tablespoon of duck fat to the instant pot and press the fry button. When the duck fat has cooled, add the shallots, garlic and ginger. Season with a pinch or two of salt and cook until the garlic and ginger are golden brown and the shallots are soft and caramelized. Remove fragrances from the saucepan and set aside.
Add the remaining duck fat to an instant saucepan, let it melt and add the pumpkin, stirring from bottom to top until coated. Cook the zucchini until the skin is dark and tender and the edges are brown, about 15 minutes. Add the cider and stir vigorously, scrubbing the bottom of the insert with a wooden spoon or grater to loosen the delicious browned pieces.
Add the fragrances again along with all the other ingredients to the cream, leaving the herbs and bay leaf on top so that you can easily find them later. Close the pot, move the outlet valve to the “seal” position. Press manual and set the time to 7 minutes using the + and – buttons. When the cooking time has elapsed, manually release the pressure and let the soup let off steam.
Remove the lid, let cool for five minutes, then remove the herbs and bay leaves and beat with a hand blender until smooth. Add the cream, beat again with a blender and serve with any side dishes you deem necessary. Of course, this soup could be more than the opening of the Big Casserole Parade. Serve it after your Black Friday shopping trip; you probably need some consolation after this nonsense.