How To Make Any Blended Soup In The Instant Pot
Learn how to make delicious blended soups in your Instant Pot so you can enjoy the healing, blood sugar-stabilizing, nutrient-dense benefits of more veggies in your healthy lifestyle! Here’s how to make ANY blended soup in the Instant Pot!
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If you thought blended soups were just for babies and old people missing their teeth, you thought wrong!
Don’t click away yet… I’m going to show you how to make any blended soup in your Instant Pot — and it won’t taste like baby food or look like pea green mush!
First, Why Blended Soup?
When there are so many awesome soup and stew recipes out there (like my Green Chile Chicken Chowder and Potato-Free Vegetable Beef Stew!!), why take all the texture out and blend it up?
That’s a fair question. Here’s my answer:
Ok, can we all just admit that we probably aren’t eating enough veggies? (Contrary to my childhood beliefs, corn and potatoes are NOT vegetables.)
I hear from people all. the. time. who say they know they’re supposed to eat more veggies. They want to like veggies. They even feel guilty for not eating and loving veggies.
But… their veggie experience has been one of canned, tasteless mush. In exasperation, their taste buds have said, “No more!”
So, even though Smokey Turmeric Cauli-rice, Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Stew, and Kale Chips sound like a good idea, veggie haters are understandably reluctant.
Hence, blended soup.
For those who are sensitive to or picky about textures (raising my hand here!), blended soups provide a texture-friendly option!
Blended soups are also a wonderful way to…
- use up produce that’s about to spoil
- use random bits of produce (like that one pepper or half an onion)
- incorporate veggies that are out of your comfort zone
- use veggie scraps — like carrot peels or leftovers from spiralizing!
What’s In A “Serving” Of Veggies?
Most experts recommend between 5 and 9 servings of vegetables and fruits per day. I *hate* this serving recommendation because it groups fruits and vegetables together. Technically, a person could eat 1 apple, 2 bananas, 1 orange, 1 cup of grapes, 1 cup of pineapple, an avocado, and 1/2 cup of green beans and be following the “guidelines”.
But… THAT IS SO MUCH FRUIT and SO MUCH FRUIT SUGAR!
You have to decide what’s right for your body. Personally, that much fruit would have my blood sugar on a rollercoaster. On the other hand, vegetables are known for stabilizing blood sugar!
So, we absolutely need to commit to eating more vegetables than fruit — LOTS more!
When I work with clients (did you know I’m a certified health coach?), I recommend no more than 1 or 2 servings of fruit per day, maximum. Preferably, those fruits would be low-glycemic fruits — a palm-full of berries, 1 plum, 1 peach, 1/2 a green apple.
Then, just try to eat as many servings and as many different types of vegetables as you can! I frequently eat blended soup for breakfast so I am incorporating vegetables into every meal of the day!
Furthermore, my naturopath says that one serving of vegetables is equal to 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked vegetables. Technically, I *think* blended soup is even more since 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables is less than 1/2 cup once it’s pureed.
Therefore, 1 cup of blended soup is equal to at least 2 servings of veggies — but I would say it’s more like 3 servings! Either way, if making a blended soup in the Instant Pot is what it takes to nourish your body with more healing, fiber-rich veggies, then here we go!
What Veggies To Use?
The short answer is: use any vegetables you want/like/have on hand!
The long answer is…
There is no right or wrong answer! Do you have tons of squash from your garden? Use that! Did your neighbor unload his bumper crop of cauliflower on you? Use that! Did you find a great deal on organic beets or broccoli or spinach? Use those!
Mix and match any veggies you like. And, use blended soups as an opportunity to nourish your body with vegetables that are out of your comfort zone. They’ll be blended and you don’t have to taste/feel them!
Here are some combinations I’ve tried:
- yellow squash + carrot + onion + cauliflower + garlic
- onion + zucchini + celeriac + garlic
- carrot + onion + cauliflower + fresh ginger
- butternut squash + sweet potato + onion + garlic
- cauliflower + onion + zucchini + dried nettle + spinach + garlic
Are you seeing a pattern here? Always onion + garlic! 😉
I love using cauliflower, too — either fresh or frozen (super convenient!) because it adds a creamy consistency without dairy.
If you like, think of onions + garlic + cauliflower as a “base” and build on it with:
- squash or zucchini
- winter squashes, including pumpkin
- sweet potato
- celery
- celeriac
- sweet peppers, bell pepper, jalapeno
- tomatoes
- carrots
- radishes
- broccoli
- greens like kale, spinach, and arugula
- beets
What Herbs/Spices To Use?
SALT! Always salt!
Your veggie soup is going to be boring and bland without it — and we can’t have that, can we?
If you need to keep it simple, a tablespoon or more of a high quality, mineral-rich salt is perfect. Really.
Yet, if you have some fresh herbs or other spices you just love, feel free to add them!
For a slightly spicy, smokey soup, add one or more of the following:
Or, blend in fresh or dried herbs for added flavor and nutrition:
If you just want more flavor, add additional salt plus a teaspoon of:
- garlic powder and/or
- onion powder
Finally, to give your blended soup an anti-inflammatory, healing boost, add in fresh or dried:
If using fresh turmeric and/or ginger, add them in prior to pressure cooking. You can add in dried ginger and/or turmeric just before blending.
This is so simple, it can hardly be called a recipe!
How To Make Any Blended Soup In The Instant Pot
Learn how to make delicious blended soups in your Instant Pot so you can enjoy the healing, blood sugar-stabilizing, nutrient-dense benefits of more veggies in your healthy lifestyle! Here's how to make ANY blended soup in the Instant Pot -- a formula to use up what you already have!
Ingredients
- 4tablespoonsnourishing fat of choicebutter, tallow, ghee, coconut oil, avocado oil
- approximately 10 cups chopped or sliced vegetablessee below
- 1 to 2cupsbone brothvegetable broth, or water
- plenty of good salt
- other herbsspices, and seasonings of choice (see below)
- an Instant Pot - the 6-quart is fine
- an immersion blender or high-speed blender
Instructions
- First, press the Saute button on the Instant Pot and add your chosen fat. This is mostly to heat up the Instant Pot so that it comes to pressure more quickly, not to soften the veggies.
- Second, chop, slice, or dice your veggies of choice and place them in the Instant Pot. They do not need to be small or uniform in size.
- Conveniently, the IP has cup measurements on the side of the stainless insert pot, so just fill your pot with veggies to about the 10-cup mark.
- Next, add 1 cup of broth or water. I prefer broth just to give my blended soups a boost of healing nourishment, but water will do.
- Save the other cup of broth or water for later; you may not need it.
- Add a tablespoon of high quality salt.
- Close the Instant Pot, seal the vent, and press the Cancel button, then the Manual button.
Adjust the time to 5 minutes.
- Once it beeps, release the pressure.
- Then, add any fresh or dried herbs or other spices to your soup.
- Blend in the Instant Pot with an immersion blender. This is the easiest method and dirties fewer dishes.
- If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer to a high-speed blender and puree until smooth. You may need to blend in 2 or 3 batches if all of the soup won't fit into your blender at once.
- If you desire a thinner soup, blend in some or all of the extra 1 cup of broth or water. I find that 1 cup of broth is plenty, but it's up to you!
- Finally, taste! Add more salt, herbs, spices, or whatever suits you until your blended soup is perfect!
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Your page is my bible for blended soups. I share it whenever someone asks for soup ideas!
Tonight, I made a butternut squash, carrot, cauliflower, and leek soup. I’m very happy with how it tastes, but it doesn’t look as “soupy” as I expect. That’s been the case for the dozen or so blended soups that I’ve made.
Is it simply blending longer? More liquid? Both? Maybe I have a weak immersion blender!?!?!?!
So great to know, Greg! Thank you! And yes, if you want a thinner soup, just add more liquid. 🙂
I usually start my soup with the juice left behind from making chicken in the instant pot. Love all of your suggestions! What’s the reason that you hold back on the herbs until after cooking?Thank-you!
Anyone tried with mushrooms, they are my favorite, but not sure how the texture would work. Thinking a little cauliflower would give I cream of mushroom type soup, just not sure if the mushrooms would work
There’s a misprint in this article. It should read “If you don’t have an immersion blender, then go buy one tomorrow.” There, fixed it. Nobody who cooks should be without one. And don’t cheap out on a discount brand as I did for my first one. That was money down the drain.
I’m with Jas on roasted vegetables. There aren’t many whose flavor isn’t improved with roasting. But I do still rely on my IP for last minute impulse soups and they’re great, too.
I’ve been making blended soups ever since I got my immersion blender 12 years ago. LOVE that thing. I tend to make a double batch of roasted vegetables for dinner one night and then make blended soups out of the left overs the next day – the roasting adds a nice layer of flavors especially if paired with warm spices like ginger, cumin or even chinese 5 spice (delish on broccoli!) I’ve also been doing regular clean out the fridge meals with that lone carrot and half an onion and a pepper and zucchini and whatever else remains plus a… Read more »
Yes! That’s exactly why I love blended soups so much! I’m sure roasting the veggies first does give them amazing flavor!
So easy! I love how it’s basically one of those “clean out the fridge” meals. 🙂
Yes! That’s exactly what it can do!
This is great! I LOVE my instant pot and don’t like strict recipes. 🙂 Great list of suggestions!!
Right!! I love the flexibility to use up whatever I have without feeling bound to a recipe, too!
YAY!! Cannot wait to try this in my new Instant Pot!
I am a soup gal… Making soups weekly..on stove top.. Now I have a new ‘gadget’ to try out and so grateful for your guidance here.. Thanks !
Careful, it’s a little addicting! 😉 Congratulations on getting an IP! You’re going to LOVE it!
Love it! Yay for fall soups and the Instant Pot!