Recipes: Autumn's the Season for Soup

Instant Pot Lasagna Soup

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, removed from stalk
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)
• 3½ cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 10 lasagna noodles, roughly broken
• 1 tsp fresh black pepper
• 2 cups baby spinach
• ⅓ cup low-fat cream cheese (or substitute 1 cup ricotta or cottage cheese)
• Freshly grated parmesan, fresh basil and red chili flakes to serve

Directions

1. Press “sauté” on the Instant Pot. Add a small amount of cooking oil of choice. Once hot, add in the beef (or turkey).
2. Break up with a wooden spoon and sauté until browned. Add in the onions, stir and cook for about 2 minutes. Add in the garlic, stir and cook for another minute.
3. Add in the carrots, celery and oregano, stir and cook for about a minute and then turn off the sauté function.
4. Add in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, fresh tomatoes and stock. Give everything a good stir and then add in the broken lasagna noodles. Stir them in, making sure to cover them with the liquid otherwise they will not cook properly.
5. Put on the lid, seal and set the pot to “manual” pressure cook for 6 minutes.
6. Once the pot beeps do a “quick pressure release (QPR),” remove the lid and give everything a good stir. Add in the baby spinach and the cream cheese, give everything a stir, leave for a moment for the cream cheese to melt and then stir again.
7. Serve immediately with some freshly grated parmesan, fresh basil, and red chili flakes.

Recipe Notes: Break the noodles into small, 1-inch by 1-inch pieces to make for easier soup eating. If you like your soup to be thicker, only add 3 to 3½ cups of stock; use 4 cups if you prefer a thinner soup.

Recipe adapted from WholeFoodBellies.com.

Hearty Taco Soup

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (15 oz) can no-salt-added black beans
• 1 (16 oz) can no-salt-added pinto beans
• 1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 12 oz beer or chicken broth (alcohol will cook out of the beer)
• 2 (10 oz each) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 (1 oz) pkg taco seasoning
• 1 Tsp cumin
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 2%-milk cheddar cheese
• reduced-fat sour cream, crushed baked tortilla chips, optional

Instructions

1. Mix onion, beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, tomatoes, taco seasoning, cumin, garlic and chicken in a pot. Bring to a boil; turn down to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Serve with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips, if desired.

Tip: This recipe freezes very well! Divide chicken taco soup into individual freezer-safe containers and take with you to work. Simply defrost and reheat in the microwave.

Recipe adapted from Hy-Vee.com.

Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Sausage Soup

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 1 pound mild Italian sausage
• 2 bell peppers your choice of colors, diced
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 2 teaspoons fresh diced garlic
• 24 ounces marinara sauce
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 14½-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 cup dry Basmati rice
• 8 cups beef broth
• 8 ounces shredded cheese (provolone, cheddar, etc.)

Directions

1. Turn your 6 quart or larger* Instant Pot to “sauté.” Add the sausage and cook for 3 minutes while breaking apart. Add the onion, bell peppers and garlic to the pot and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and give them a quick stir. Place your lid on your Instant Pot and turn the vent to pressure. Manually set your pot to high pressure for 10 minutes.
3. When the time is up, turn the vent to steam to quick release the pressure.
4. Serve topped with shredded cheese.

Recipe adapted from TheCreativeBite.com.