Spicy Moroccan Lamb and Lentil Soup

This is a delicious soup from the Mediterranean Instant Pot - Easy, Inspired Meals for Eating Well cookbook.

Serves 6-8       
Total Time 1 hour
 
Ingredients
 
1 lb of lamb shoulder chops (blade or round bone), 1-1 1/2 inches thick, trimmed and halved
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup harissa
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
8 cups chicken broth
1 cup green lentils, rinsed
1 15-oz can of chickpeas, rinsed well
2 tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
 
Directions
 
Pat the lamb dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Using highest sauté function, heat oil in instant pot for 5 minutes (or until just smoking). Place lamb in pot and cook until well browned on the first side, about 4 minutes, transfer to plate.
 

Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt to fat left in pot and cook, using highest sauté function, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in harissa and flour and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Stir in the lentils, then nestle lamb into multicooker and add any accumulated juices.

Lock the lid in place and close pressure release valve. Select high pressure cook function and set for 10 minutes. Turn off instant pot and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.

Transfer lamb to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces, using 2 forks; discard excess fat and bones. Stir lamb and chickpeas into soup and let sit until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top individual portions with tomatoes and sprinkle with cilantro. Sprinkle, passing extra harissa separately.  
 
My notes:
 
Next time add the entire bag of green lentils.

I diced the onion rather than finely chopped. 

I used canned diced tomatoes.
I purchased the harissa at Harris Teeter (Asian food section)
For the lamb I had the Coscto Kirkland Australian lamb chops, cut into chunks; later cutting into bite-size pieces, as well as removing all the meat from the bones.
It took 17 minutes for the instant pot to come to pressure.

Mexican Soup

Tony made this Mexican soup, which he adapted from Taste of Home: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/super-fast-mexican-soup/

See notes below for his changes. This was an excellent soup.
 
Prep/Total time: 25 minutes
Serves 4
 
Ingredients
 
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium taco seasoning
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup salsa [red]
1 carton (32 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
 
Directions
 
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in taco seasoning.
 
Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Skim fat before serving.
 
Notes:
 
Used 1.5 lbs chicken thighs, lightly salted.
 
Used 1 t chili powder, 1 t Tajin, and 1 t paprika in lieu of the taco seasoning. This was so flavorful!
 
Added minced garlic and some diced celery.
 
Added 1/2 c green salsa and  1 4-oz can diced green chili’s.
 
Added some fresh chopped parsley; and a handful of fresh spinach.
 
Added a couple of small potatoes (about 3/4 lb), diced, microwave until half cooked; then added to the pot.
 
To serve: We added some tortilla chips, crushed, and a dollop of sour cream.
 
Next time:  Will use cilantro instead of parsley. Will add beans and will double the amount of potatoes.
 
Other optional toppings: diced avocado, a fresh squeeze of lime juice, or shredded cheese.

Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup with Sesame and Green Onions

My friend Candy followed this recipe for a soup dinner at our book club last night: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chinese-chicken-noodle-soup-with-sesame-and-green-onions-106192 

The chicken was tender and I loved the flavor of the broth with the fresh ginger and other ingredients. 

 
Ingredients:
 
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into thin strips
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry Sherry
2 tablespoons oriental sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)*
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce**
4 cups chopped Napa cabbage (from 1 head)
6 green onions, thinly sliced
8 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
1 14-ounce package fresh yakisoba noodles or Chinese pan-fry noodles
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
 
Directions:
 
Stir chicken, soy sauce, Sherry, and 1 tablespoon sesame oil in medium bowl to blend. Let stand 20 minutes or refrigerate up to 2 hours.
 
Whisk garlic, tahini, ginger, sugar, vinegar, and chili sauce in small bowl.
 
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add cabbage and green onions and sauté until cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to boil. Add chicken with marinade and tahini-garlic mixture. Reduce heat to low and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly; cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)
 
Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Add to soup in pot. Stir in half of cilantro. Season soup with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro.
 

* Sold at Middle Eastern markets, natural foods stores and some supermarkets.
 
** Available at Asian markets, specialty foods stores and some supermarkets.

Instant Pot Split Pea Soup

This was a delicious soup that I made today for my book club for tonight! Tonight is a soup bowl party, along with discussing our book. 

Recipe by: https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/instant-pot-split-pea-soup-ham-bone/. See my notes below of my additions/changes.

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Time to pressurize and depressurize 25 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Servings: 8 servings
 
Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

1 onion diced
2 ribs celery diced
2 carrots diced

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cooked ham bone, a smoked ham hock, or 6 oz. diced deli ham (Don’t use fresh/uncooked ham or country ham)
1 lb. dry split peas sorted through and rinsed
6 cups low sodium chicken stock/broth or veggie stock, water, or a mixture
2 bay leaves
kosher salt and black pepper [don’t add salt if using a broth with salt]
chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional                                            
 

   

Instructions
 

Turn pressure cooker to the "sauté" setting. Melt butter and sauté onion, celery, and carrots for about 5 minutes, until softened.

 

Add the split peas, chicken stock, ham bone, and the 2 bay leaves.

 
Turn off the "sauté" function.
 
Cover pressure cooker and set to manual, high pressure for 15 minutes.
 
Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10-15 minutes. Then, quick release the pressure valve.
 
If you used a ham bone or hock: remove the it from the soup and remove the ham meat that's still attached to it. Add the ham meat back into the soup.
 
Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary (see notes). Serve immediately, or store in your refrigerator for up to 1 week or freezer in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
 
My Notes:
 
I used 3 T avocado oil instead of butter.
I added 2 cloves of garlic, minced, along with the vegetables.
I added a pinch of dried thyme.

I did the natural release for 14 minutes before the quick release.

This was such an easy soup to make with the instant pot. This recipe is a keeper!

Pork, Shrimp, and Bok Choy Soup with Ginger and Garlic

Pork, Shrimp, and Bok Choy Soup with Ginger and Garlic

 

I saw several recipes recently that had bok choy, so I wanted to make some soup. I adapted from several recipes and came up with this tasty soup, which I made last night. 
 
4 to 6 Servings depending on having this for dinner or lunch.
 
Ingredients
 
1 T. avocado oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. ginger, minced
4 c. low salt chicken broth
1.5 c. water
5-6 whole cloves (or 2 whole star anise)
3 T. soy sauce
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced [I prefer shitake mushrooms but didn’t have any on hand]
1 c. cooked roast pork, sliced or shredded chicken
6 large shrimp, peeled
2 small heads bok choy, chopped
2 nests of medium rice noodles (see photo below)
 
Chopped scallions for garnish
 
Directions
 
Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, stirring often, for about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for about a minute to bring out the flavors.
 
Add the chicken broth, water, cloves and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
 
Add the mushrooms, pork, shrimp, bok choy and noodles. Cook for about 6-8 minutes or until the noodles are tender and the shrimp cooked through.
 
When serving, top each bowl with the chopped scallions.

 

Italian Wedding Soup

 For a recent Cookbook Club dinner, 26 June 2023, one person made this soup. This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook.

Ingredients
 
For the meatballs:

3/4 pound ground chicken
1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
 
For the soup:

2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
10 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed
 
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
 
In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.
 

Sicilian Chickpea and Escarole Soup

In the area where I live, there’s a health coach that hosts a monthly cookbook dinner club. About 15-17 people attend. Everyone gets the chance to look through the cookbook and select a recipe to make. Last night (6 Feb 2023) it was recipes from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen. One person made this delicious soup.
 
Sicilian Chickpea and Escarole Soup

Servings: 6-8.
 
Ingredients
 
Salt and pepper
1 pound (2¾ cups) dried chickpeas, picked over and rinsed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
2 fennel bulbs, stalks discarded, bulbs halved, cored, & chopped fine
1 small onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 Parmesan cheese rind (or 2-inch chunk of cheese), plus grated Parmesan for serving
2 bay leaves
1 (3-inch) strip orange zest
1 head escarole (1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large tomato, cored and chopped
 
Directions
 
Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Add chickpeas and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
 
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add fennel, onion, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables are softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
 
Stir in 7 cups water, broth, drained chickpeas, Parmesan rind, bay leaves, and orange zest and bring to boil. Reduce to gentle simmer and cook until chickpeas are tender, 1¼ to 1¾ hours.
 
Stir in escarole and tomato and cook until escarole is wilted, 5 to 10 minutes.
 
Off heat, discard bay leaves and Parmesan rind (scraping off any cheese that has melted and adding it back to pot). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, drizzling individual portions with extra oil and sprinkling with grated Parmesan.
 
Nutrition information per serving: 455 calories; 120 calories from fat; 13 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 11 mg cholesterol; 435 mg sodium; 65 g carbohydrate; 16 g fiber; 15 g sugar; 23 g protein.
 

Spicy Lentil and Sausage Soup

This is a quick recipe to make. Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to your taste.
 
2 Italian hot sausage links (I used Italian style hot turkey sausage)
1 T. Olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, minced
About 1/4 of a small onion, diced
1 19-oz can Progresso Lentil Soup
3 baby carrot’s, diced
1 Small tomato, diced, seeded
1 cup chicken broth
Red pepper flakes
Thyme, Basil, Oregano, Parsley; Salt and Pepper to taste
 
 
In a pan, cook the sausage until brown, breaking up into pieces. 
 
In a large pot, add the olive oil and sauté the garlic and onions. 
 
Add the lentil soup, sausage, and remaining ingredients. 
 
Adjust seasoning as necessary. 
 
Cook on low heat for 15 minutes.
 
Serve with grated parmesan cheese. 
 
Serves 4.

(November 2004)

Lentil & Quinoa Soup

Recently I was in the mood for lentil soup. I looked online site for recipes and found several good ones. I wanted to use my Instant Pot, so I followed this recipe with some adaptation: 
 
https://profusioncurry.com/lentil-quinoa-soup-instantpot/?fbclid=IwAR3T2x7z4ANRczVvcXYAWvUyURKlMLYWYigYeZ1wXteu4SYtWmYQ_tH-aJI
 
In bold are my additions/changes
 
1 cup dry brown or green lentils washed and rinsed
1/2 cup quinoa rinsed
4 carrots chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups water or broth [I used low fat, low sodium chicken broth]
Added 1 can of diced tomatoes with the juices
Splash of dry white wine (about 3 tablespoons)
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Umami Seasoning Blend (optional ) [I didn’t have this so I added a bunch of mushrooms, sliced, along with a teaspoon or so of Dijon mustard, some red pepper flakes, and dried thyme]
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot. Stir.

Close the lid. Switch the vent to "sealing". Choose MANUAL ( Pressure cook) mode, choose High Pressure and adjust the time to 12 minutes. It will take around 10 minutes to get up to pressure.

When the InstantPot beeps after cooking, wait on KEEP WARM timer for 5 minutes. Then move the valve to "venting". After the pressure is released, and pin is down, carefully open the lid.

Give the soup a good stir. Adjust the seasoning. Squeeze a quarter of lemon or stir in lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning. Add some fresh cracked black pepper on top and garnish with fresh herbs.
 
I topped the soup with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Instant Pot Sausage Lentil Stew

  

I made this 11 December 2019 – my changes are in  [  ]

Prep Time 10 minutes    Cook Time 25 minutes   Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 8

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb Italian sausage  [I used a combination of sweet and hot; 6 links, which came to 1 lb 2.7 oz total]

1 large onion chopped [I had 3/4 of a large onion on hand]

2 stalks celery chopped [I used 3 stalks]

3-4 carrots peeled and chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

29 oz canned diced tomatoes

5 cups chicken stock  [Only had 4 cups chicken stock, so I added 1/4 white wine and 3/4 cup beef broth]

1 1/2 cups dry lentils rinsed and picked over (preferably French Green Lentils)

1 cup finely chopped kale (optional)

Press the SAUTE button on the instant pot and let preheat for 1-2 minutes. Add the olive oil and Italian sausage. Cook, breaking into small pieces with a spoon, until no longer pink.

Add the onion, celery and carrot. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and salt.

Add the diced tomatoes, chicken stock, and lentils. Stir to combine.

Close the instant pot [turn the dial to pressure cook] and press MANUAL and set timer for 10 minutes. When the time is up let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release the rest of the steam.

Stir in the chopped kale. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!

Recipe from: https://meaningfuleats.com/instant-pot-sausage-lentil-stew/

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

A friend made this delicious mushroom soup (from Allrecipes.com) for our rotation group dinner.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 35 min

Ready in: 50 min

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

4 T unsalted butter

2 C chopped onions

1 Lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 t. dried dill weed

1 T paprika

1 T soy sauce

2 C chicken broth

1 C milk

3 T all-purpose flour

1 t. salt

Ground pepper to taste

2 t. lemon juice

1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley

1/2 C. sour cream

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onions in the butter for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 more minutes. Stir in the dill, paprika, soy sauce and broth. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

In a separate small bowl, whisk the milk and flour together. Pour this into the soup and stir well to blend. Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Finally, stir in the salt, ground black pepper, lemon juice, parsley and sour cream. Mix together and allow to heat through over low heat, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not boil. Serve immediately.

Creamy Potato Leek Soup

Monica J. Pileggi, Dec 2003


½ cup sliced leeks, washed well
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 T. butter
2 cans chicken broth
4 medium potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
¾ cup half and half cream
½ tspn pepper
½ tspn salt
1 tspn dried thyme (or dill, chives, parsley)
½ tspn celery seeds
2 T. butter

Sauté leeks, onions, and garlic in 2 tablespoons of butter, until tender. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and reduce to medium. Simmer, covered, for about 25 minutes.

Add the seasonings and cream and simmer 5 minutes more. Puree the batch along with 2 T of butter. Serve with a salad or crusty bread.

Serves 6-8.

Chilled Gazpacho

Enjoy this recipe on a hot summer's day.

3 large tomatoes

2 garlic cloves
1 cucumber
1/4 green pepper
Green onion stems
Salt
1/2 T. cumin
Olive oil to taste
Sherry vinegar to taste
Croutons

Puree everything except the croutons, sliced olives, and chopped green onion stems.

Add water to desired consistency.

Garnish with extra chopped tomato, cucumber, green onions, olives, and croutons.

Cream of Artichoke and Mushroom Soup

I made the following soup for a rotation dinner this past weekend. The recipe calls for chopping the artichoke and mushrooms, but I decided to puree the soup. I also preferred it chilled. This recipe is adapted from Recipezaar.com. I also revised the serving from 4 to 12 people for the rotation dinner. This made a large batch and could have served up to 20 at a party. 

Cream of Artichoke and Mushroom Soup 

20 ounces mushrooms 

1 clove garlic, chopped 

3 bunches green onions, chopped 

1 stick butter 

1/4 olive oil 

1/2 cup flour 

6 cups chicken broth 

3 (14 ounce) cans artichoke hearts 

1-1/2 teaspoons salt 

Black pepper to taste

4 cups half and half cream 

Splash Sherry 

1/4 c. white wine 

Drain artichoke hearts and chop into small pieces. Set aside. 

Thinly slice the mushrooms. I used a food processor to finely chop the mushrooms.

Finely chop green onion, including tops. 

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add the oil. Sauté the onions, garlic, and mushrooms for about 5 minutes.

Slowly add the flour and cook slowly for two minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add the broth, and then the artichokes, salt and pepper. Puree the soup in batches. 

I pulled out another large pot to put the pureed soup into. 

Once done, add the half and half, sherry and wine and cook on low for 5 minutes or so.

Vichyssoise A La Ritz

I recently made an artichoke and mushroom soup (see above), which I enjoyed eating it chilled. It reminded me of the vichyssoise I used to make. The recipe I use comes from the New York Times Cookbook. It's a classic cookbook that every cook should have on his or her book shelf.

Here's the recipe:

Vichyssoise A La Ritz
The New York Times Cookbook, edited by Craig Claiborne, 1961
(8 or more servings)

4 leeks, white part, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1/4 cup sweet butter
5 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
1 quart chicken broth
1 tablespoon or less salt
3 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
Chopped chives

1. In a deep kettle, brown the leeks and onion very lightly in the butter. Add the potatoes, broth and salt and boil thirty-five minutes, or until very tender. Crush and rub through a fine sieve or puree in an electric blender.

2. Return the sieved mixture to the kettle, add the milk and one cup of the cream and bring to a boil. Cool and rub again through a fine sieve. Chill

3. Add the remaining cream. Chill thoroughly and serve garnished with chives.