Instant Pot French Lentil Soup

The dictionary definition of “Cozy” might as well include French Lentil Soup. It fits right in there between "giving a feeling a comfort” and “keeping warm.”

In addition to French lentils, bay leaves, white wine, and fresh thyme go into the pot. What comes out is this steaming hot, broth-y stew that boasts every flavor a “French” soup should. It’s amazing what a splash of wine can do! Lentils are not the first thing I think of when I imagine French food (maybe brie, or baguettes, or wine) but lentils are a huge part of French culture. Even though lentils originated in the Middle East, Le Puy Lentils (French Lentils) are specific to France and have the same Protected Designation of Origin as Champagne — to be called lentilles du Puy, they must be grown in Puy.

Instant Pot French Lentil Soup

Published December 6, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 8   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

2 cups french lentils, rinsed (also called Le Puy or French Green Lentils)

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 large onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

Splash white wine (about 1/4 cup)

2 large carrots, diced

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

6-1/2 cups vegetable broth

1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper 

Leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme

1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt (more if using homemade broth, less if using store-bought broth with sodium), plus more to taste

Garnish: minced parsley

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil in the bottom of an Instant Pot on the sauté setting. Add onion, garlic, and celery, and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until onions are translucent and starting to brown. Add the splash of wine and stir. Continue to cook on sauté setting until wine has cooked off.
2. Add carrots, canned tomatoes, lentils, bay leaves, vegetable broth, black pepper, salt and thyme, and stir.
3. Place lid on Instant Pot and turn to “Bean/Chili” setting with timer set to 14 minutes and vent in the sealed position.
4. When timer goes off, release the pressure. Stir soup and season with salt additional to taste. Serve topped with minced parsley.
5. Tip: For extra veggies in your meal, place a handful of baby kale or spinach in the bottom of your bowl when serving, and spoon the hot lentils over top.

Lower Sugar Sweet Potato Casserole with Oatmeal Pecan Topping

I grew up on the sort of sweet potato casserole that is topped with marshmallows, and I love the stuff.

One Thanksgiving in California is vividly stamped in my mind — the year we visited my grandparents and I realized for the first time that my grandma cooked almost every dish for Thanksgiving dinner in the microwave. IN THE MICROWAVE! Coming from rather culinary parents, it was a bit of a shock, and I’m not sure why I hadn’t noticed in previous years (I don’t even remember other Thanksgiving dinners at their house; maybe this was a first).

Anyways… this sweet potato casserole is not made in the microwave (do I even need to say that?) and so it’s off to a far superior start already! But it’s also been revised in other ways, calling for less sugar and being topped with crumbly, crispy pecans and oats instead of marshmallows. Because, sugar and marshmallows just don’t leave me feeling my best.

Sweet potatoes are quite sweet as they are, so adding sugar to the filling feels unnecessary (most recipes call for 1/4 to 1/2 cup of added sugar). In this version the filling is “natural,” meaning all the sweetness comes from the sweet potatoes, and the topping is made with maple syrup and cinnamon (which has sweet notes of it’s own!).

As Oliver would say, this dish comes out of the oven “smelling sweeter than a plate of yams with extra syrup.”

Tip: Cook the sweet potatoes ahead of time! You can cook the potatoes up to three days before you’re going to make this casserole. Here are a couple of ways to cook them (affiliate links ahead!):

• In an Instant Pot: Place whole sweet potatoes in your Instant Pot with 1 cup of water (use a steamer basket if you have one). Use manual mode and set to high for 15 minutes (vent in sealed position). Allow pressure to release naturally, then open pot. Allow potatoes to cool, and then remove skins, which should easily pull off at this point.

• In an oven: Preheat oven to 425°F. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork and rub with oil (such as coconut oil). Place potatoes on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or a sil-pat and bake for 45 minutes.

In both of these methods, the natural sugars in the sweet potatoes will caramelize so that your sweet potato casserole tastes sweet without the added sugar.

Thanksgiving is THIS WEEK. What else are you making? What’s your favorite thing once you sit down at the table?

Lower Sugar Sweet Potato Casserole with Oatmeal Pecan Topping

Published November 20, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 4 hours

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Ingredients:

3-4 cups mashed sweet potato

1/4 cup half and half or canned coconut milk

3 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

For Crumble Topping:

1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/3 heaping cup rolled oats

1 heaping cup pecan halves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine the first five ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until well incorporated.
3. Spread sweet potato mixture in an even layer in a 9x9 baking dish.
4. In a separate bowl, combine ingredients for crumble topping. Spread crumble topping in an even layer over the sweet potatoes.
5. Place baking dish in the middle rack of the oven and bake 25-30 minutes. Sweet potatoes should be warmed through and pecans on top should be lightly toasted. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

Instant Pot Spicy Ginger Sweet Potato Soup

Pairs well with grey days, warm slices of sourdough toast, and your favorite mug. We’re talking about this Spicy Ginger Sweet Potato Soup.

Often times, sweet potato soups (and for that matter, pumpkin and butternut squash soups) are too sweet for me. This one employs a generous amount of shallots, roasted garlic, fresh ginger, and a dash of cayenne to balance that out. Plus, it’s velvety smooth, thanks to a can of coconut milk.

The result is a soup that is like one big creamy autumn hug. Which, sometimes you just need.

We keep our house at a brisk 62°F during the winter months, and I’ve grown used to living in my slippers and wrapped up in a blanket. (That’s not a complaint, I do like being all bundled up and cozy!) Something warm to sip on or slurp is definitely a bonus on the chilliest days!

Keep things simple, by topping your mug with cilantro and cayenne, or if you’re feeling fancy try crème fraîche (I love a good dollop of crème fraîche, though I’m never quite well enough prepared when the time is right.)

Instant Pot Spicy Ginger Sweet Potato Soup

Published November 1, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 6   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

2-3 shallots, peeled and sliced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons minced ginger

1 tablespoon coconut oil

3 pounds sweet potato, washed and peeled

1 15-ounce can coconut milk

2 cups vegetable broth

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Dash ground cayenne

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional, to serve: minced cilantro, additional cayenne, and/or crème fraîche

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil in the bottom of your Instant Pot (affiliate link!) on the sauté setting.
2. Sauté the shallots, ginger, and garlic until fragrant and shallots being to turn translucent.
3. Roughly chop sweet potatoes and place in pot, along with coconut milk and broth.
4. Add nutmeg, cayenne, ground black pepper, and salt. Place lid on Instant Pot and set to “Soup” setting, with the timer at 7 minutes and the vent sealed.
5. After the timer goes off, release the pressure. Using an immersion blender (I use this one (affiliate link!)) puree soup to desired consistency. You can make it super silky smoothy, or leave a few small chunks if you prefer.
6. Serve soup hot, topped with cilantro, additional cayenne, and/or crème fraîche as desired.