Instant Pot Spiced Carrot and Cashew Soup
Smooth and creamy, this comforting soup draws on the Indian pantry for its lively aroma and flavor. Moderately spicy Madras curry powder is a good choice here, but you can use whatever type you prefer.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbs. olive oil
- 6 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp. curry powder
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 3/4 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups (10 oz./310 g) raw unsalted cashews
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups (32 fl. oz./1 l) chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 tsp. grated orange zest
- Crème fraîche for garnish
- Fresh tarragon leaves for garnish (optional)
- Chopped toasted almonds for garnish (optional)
Directions
In an Instant Pot set to “sauté,” warm the olive oil. Add the carrots, celery and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, curry powder, paprika, cumin, chili powder, ginger and cayenne, season with salt and black pepper, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are well coated with the spices, about 5 minutes more. Add the cashews, bay leaf and broth and stir to combine.
Lock the lid in place and turn the valve to “sealing.” Press the “keep warm/cancel” button to reset the program, then press the “soup” button and set the cook time for 20 minutes at high pressure.
When the Instant Pot beeps at the end of the pressure cooking, turn the valve to “venting” to manually release the steam. When the steam stops, carefully remove the lid and transfer half of the mixture to a blender. Process the soup on high speed until smooth and creamy. Transfer the puree to a saucepan, puree the remaining half the same way, and add to the saucepan.
Heat the soup on the stove top over medium-high heat until piping hot. Stir in the orange zest. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper. Divide among individual bowls, garnish with the crème fraîche, tarragon and almonds, and serve immediately. Serves 6.
Adapted from Williams Sonoma The Instant Pot Cookbook (Weldon Owen, 2017)