Instant Pot Butternut Squash Coconut Curry

I am newly obsessed with this curry. I see piles of squash as I walk through the grocery store; I begin wondering how many bowls of curry I could make, and how many cans of coconut milk I should buy. 

What's better is that my grocery list is short: I add cauliflower, carrots, and check my cupboard to ensure I have all of my typical spices on hand. Onions, garlic, and ginger are already sitting in the vegetable basket, as if they knew this was coming. 

When it comes time to put everything together, I pull out the Instant Pot-- this stew is no waiting game, you just throw it in the Instant Pot and hit go. I chop everything up, pour in the coconut milk and spices, and lock the lid. I take a shower, and next thing you know this curry is piping hot and ready to go. Does it get any better?

Butternut Squash Coconut Curry

Paleo, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

Naturally sweet and nutty butternut squash meets bold and spicy curry to create this new-comfort dish.

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 20 active minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 inch ginger
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 white onion
• 1 serrano chile
• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 butternut squash
• 2-3 large carrots
• 3 sprigs cilantro OR Thai basil, plus more for serving
• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk
• 2-3 cups vegetable broth
• 1- 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• A few cracks each of salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Dice the onion, ginger, garlic, and serrano chile. Then, roughly chop the carrots, and cut the cauliflower into small bite-sized florets. Peel and seed the squash, and chop that into bite-sized pieces as well. Add all of the vegetables to the pot.
2. Add cilantro, coconut milk, vegetable broth, and spices to the pot. Secure pressure cooker lid, and set Instant Pot to Stew setting with the timer at 4 minutes.
3. Once Instant Pot is done, release the pressure. Remove lid, and store curry. Serve in bowls and top with cilantro sprigs.

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

When there is Tortilla Soup on the menu, I'm the first person to notice and there's a pretty high chance I will order it, no matter the weather. I've been in love with Tortilla Soup for as long as I can remember. 

Despite my appreciation for what is a really simple soup, I've never mastered making it at home — I always over think it, adding something extra or missing some key ingredient.

But I’ve done lots to try to learn the magic sauce, and each experiment gets closer and closer. What I’ve learned: simple poblano chilis, sautéed with the onions and garlic, and freshly made chicken broth. Oh, and not over thinking it. Tortilla Soup should be simple, like a tortilla.

It’s comfort in a bowl for me — this cozy bowl of broth-y goodness and full of Mexican flavor.

And the best part of any tortilla soup? The toppings! Cheese, avocado, crispy tortilla strips (or tortilla chips, which is much faster and less labor intensive), cilantro, and on and on.

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Published September 24, 2016 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 45 minutes

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Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 poblano chili pepper, diced and seeds removed

1 yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound boneless chicken breasts

1 28-ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes

2 tablespoons minced cilantro, plus more for garnish

6 cups bone broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Optional: 1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

Optional, for serving: avocado, cheddar cheese, corn toasted tortilla strips or chips, lime wedges

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil in the bottom of an Instant Pot on Sauté setting. Add diced onion, minced garlic, and poblano pepper.
2. Add chicken, tomatoes, broth, cumin, lime juice, cilantro and optional black beans to pot and stir. Place lid on Instant Pot and turn to slow cooker setting (to use soup setting instead, see step 4). Set timer for 10 hours with vent turned to the sealed position.
3. When soup is done, open Instant Pot. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove chicken from soup and place in a bowl. Use a fork to shred chicken, and then return to soup and stir. Season with additionl salt to taste, and serve hot with toppings of choice.
4. To make this soup more quickly, use the soup setting instead of the slow cooker setting: In step 2, set Instant Pot to “soup” setting and set timer to 10 minutes with the vent in the sealed position. When timer goes off, release pressure, and the move on to step 3.

Lemony Garden Vegetable & Chicken Soup

Update 1/27/2018: I love photography, and have learned a lot over the last few years! This recipe is on of the most popular on my blog, but it's images we lacking, so I shot new ones. One of the original photos is at the bottom of this post if you need it as a reference. Hope you enjoy this one! 

My middle name is Summer, and I'm not just saying that. I've always loved that my middle name is Summer because when I use the saying, it rings true in more ways than one. My first name is fine but Summer... That's something I can identify with. It's a bit off beat, and outdoorsy, and warm. It's full of light and fun to write. Plus, I loooove summer, so it just fits.

About now, you may be wondering why this post, titled Lemony Garden Vegetable and Chicken Soup, is all about summer. Soup and summer aren't usually thought of as a "match". But I have a few reasons to share a soup recipe with you on this bright summery day.

Lemon Garden Vegetable & Chicken Soup

Paleo, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood   

Feel free to flex your creative muscle with this recipe. Every garden is different, so every garden vegetable soup should be different, too. The instructions below are for either a pressure cooker (Instant Pot) or simply using a soup pot on the stove.

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 20 minutes using Instant Pot

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Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 pound chicken breasts (boneless, skinless), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 leek, sliced thin OR 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced small
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 medium summer squash, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Juice from 1 lemon, plus additional lemon slices for garnish
• 6 cups chicken broth OR bone broth
• 1/4 teaspoon each salt & ground black pepper
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach OR 1 cup frozen chopped kale
• Optional additional veggies: 1 cup fresh sugar snap peas, chopped; 1 cup fresh asapragus, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat the coconut oil in the bottom of your Instant Pot on the sauté setting, and add the leeks/onion and garlic to the pot.
2. When the leeks/onions are soft, add the chicken, carrots, celery, zucchini, summer squash, canned tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and if using, the asapragus and and sugar snap peas. Pour in the broth and lemon juice, and stir.
3. Secure lid on Instant Pot, and turn to Soup setting. Set timer for 4 minutes, with the vent sealed.
4. When timer goes off, release pressure. Add spinach/kale and stir.
5. Serve in bowls and top each bowl with a single lemon slice. Serve hot!