This meat-free Mushroom Bean Soup is hearty, healthy and packed with flavor. Even better, you can make it on the stove, in a slow cooker, or using an Instant Pot and it can be a freezer meal.

During the cooler months, we love hearty soups like vegetarian pasta fagioli and minestrone soup!

My mom used to make this mushroom bean soup for years. Her trick is to add a can of organic cream of mushroom soup and grate carrots very finely, so the soup gets a nice yellow color.

If you love mushrooms, this is the best bean and mushroom soup to cozy up to this winter. It’s savory and earthy with lots of mushrooms, hearty beans, and a sprinkle of fresh dill.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One pot meal: Another delicious one pot meal for your recipe book, because you can never have too many!
• Affordable: Filled with budget-friendly ingredients, homemade soups are light on the wallet and freezer-friendly for when you need something quick and healthy.
• Hearty and flavorful: White bean mushroom soup is packed with protein and fresh veggies. The aromatics and fresh herbs lend to the amazing smell and taste, it’s so delicious!
• Can cook 3 ways: You have so many cooking options for this bean soup – stovetop, slow cooker, and Instant Pot so no matter what your schedule allows, you can enjoy a hot bowl.
• It’s also a freezer meal: If you’re meal prep obsessed like me, this soup recipe is for you! Just grab it out of your freezer and cook in your Instant Pot or slow cooker.

Ingredients for Mushroom Bean Soup

This mushroom bean soup recipe is brimming with simple ingredients.

• Mushrooms: I used white mushrooms because that’s all my grocery store had. Thinly sliced brown mushrooms would be the best.
• Onion: Finely chopped yellow or white onions add extra umami flavor to healthy soup recipes.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic sautéed with the onion enhances aromatics and flavor.
• Oil: You’ll need a splash of oil for frying, I used avocado oil.
• Vegetables: Chop up 3 celery stalks, and grate 2 medium sized carrots.
• Organic cream of mushroom soup: I use Pacific foods brand. If you can’t find organic cream of mushroom soup, look for a brand with no preservatives and artificial flavors. Or see FAQs for a substitute.
• Beans: Use 3 cans of low sodium cannellini beans or white navy beans, rinsed and drained. If you have dried beans on hand, check out how to cook dried beans.
• Vegetable broth: You can use store-bought low sodium broth or homemade vegetable stock.
• Spices: Salt and pepper to taste.
• Herbs: I added bay leaves for an extra layer of flavor, then garnished with fresh dill. Fresh parsley is also a great choice.

How to Make White Bean and Mushrooms Soup

With minimal prep time and some simmering, this mushroom and bean soup is ready in 35 minutes!

There is recipe card below with full instructions for all cooking methods.

• Cook the mushrooms: Preheat a large pot on medium-high heat. Once hot, add oil and mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a large bowl.
• Sauté vegetables: Add remaining oil, onion, garlic, carrots, and celery to the same pot and reduce heat to medium. Sauté veggies for 5 minutes, stir in the cream of mushroom soup and cook for 30 seconds.
• Combine: Add mushrooms back in along with beans, broth, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Stir to combine, cover, and bring to a boil. Then simmer soup on low heat for 20 minutes.
• Garnish and serve: Turn off heat and add dill. I let my white bean soup rest for 5 minutes so the flavors deepen. Then adjust seasonings to taste and serve.

Tips for Best Results

Here are some easy tips for making the best bean soup with mushrooms.

• Use brown mushrooms: For more flavor, use brown mushrooms or portobello mushrooms.
• To clean mushrooms: You can wipe them with damp paper towel. I like to break the rules of cooking and give them a quick rinse with cold water and scrub dirt off with a knife. They brown in a large pot just fine after this wash.
• Use bean broth, if you have it: Bean broth makes a rich, flavorful base for soups and stews. If you have any leftover broth from cooking dried beans, I highly recommend using it!

Variations

• If using dried mushrooms: Dried chanterelles or dried porcini mushrooms should be soaked for 30 minutes in a bowl with cold water. Don’t sauté them first. Instead, add to the pot with the beans and use the soaking liquid to replace some of vegetable broth.
• Other vegetables to add: Make it your own and sauté red or green bell pepper with the other veggies. Or add cubed parsnips, potatoes or sweet potatoes to the pot.
• Extra seasonings at the end: Add a pat of butter after cooking for extra depth of flavor. You can sauté veggies with butter as well. I also like to add freshly grated or minced clove of garlic at the end. Grated garlic will be more flavorful than minced though.

What to Serve with Bean Mushroom Soup?

Mushroom bean soup is a cozy meal on its own. I’ll add some homemade sourdough croutons on top if I have some, or serve crusty bread on the side.

Of course, you can never go wrong with soup and grilled cheese sandwich, or soup and salad combo. This simple butter lettuce salad or lemon kale salad are the perfect pairing.

Mushrooms are a delicious addition to my healthy green bean casserole, so naturally garlic green beans make a delicious side.

How to Make a Freezer Meal

• Before freezing (slow cooker): Preheat large skillet on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a resealable gallon size freezer bag. Then cook mushrooms until golden brown. Add to the same bag with other ingredients, except broth, to freeze.
• Instant Pot: In a gallon size Ziploc bag, add all ingredients, except broth. Let as much air out as possible, seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen with 7-8 cups of broth on High pressure for 5 minutes with 20 minutes of Natural Release.
• Slow cooker: Cook from frozen with 7-8 cups of broth for 4 hours on High or 7-8 hours on Low.
• After cooking: Add dill, stir and serve hot.

Check out my full list of 20 healthy freezer meals. I’m obsessed!

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Let soup cool, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Freeze: Once cooled, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Reheat: To reheat the soup, I like to do place desired amount of soup in a small pot and simmer on the stove on low heat until heated through. Of course, you can always reheat soup in microwave in individual bowls for 2-3 minutes.

FAQs

More Mushroom Recipes to Try

• Healthy mushroom stroganoff
• Lentil and mushroom casserole
• Stuffed parmesan mushrooms
• Broccoli mushroom stir fry
• Spaghetti squash quiche with mushrooms
• Parmesan mushroom appetizers

More Soup Recipes to Try

• Slow cooker lentil soup
• Vegetable soup recipe
• Russian cabbage soup

Print

Bean and Mushroom Soup

Meat-free Mushroom Bean Soup is hearty, healthy and packed with flavor. You can make it on the stove, in a slow cooker or in an Instant Pot.

Course Soup and Stew

Cuisine North American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 226kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Large pot
• Box grater

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds brown or white mushrooms sliced
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves minced
• 2 medium carrots finely grated
• 3 large celery stalks diced
• 2 tablespoons oil for frying
• 11 ounces can organic cream of mushroom soup I used Pacific Foods
• 3 14 ounces cans cannellini or white navy beans low sodium, rinsed & drained
• 7 cups vegetable broth low sodium
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/3 cup dill or parsley finely chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

On the Stove

• Preheat large heavy bottom pot on medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add mushrooms and cook for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cream of mushroom soup, stir and cook for another 30 seconds.
• Return sauteed mushrooms to the pot along with beans, broth, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Stir, cover and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer soup for 20 minutes.
• Turn off heat, add dill and let soup stand for 5 minutes, if you have time. Adjust any seasonings to taste and serve hot.

In Slow Cooker

• Saute mushrooms and veggies separately in a skillet. Then add all ingredients to a large slow cooker, cover and cook on Low heat for 4-6 hours or on High heat for 2-3 hours.

In Instant Pot

• Add all ingredients in the order listed above, skipping oil. You don't have to saute the veggies because food cooked under pressure comes out more flavorful, but you can, if you wish. Cook soup on High pressure for 5 minutes with 20 minutes natural pressure release, then release remaining pressure.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
• You can use 2 cups of dried beans with Instant Pot version and pressure cook for 30 minutes.
• If you can’t find organic cream of mushroom soup, look for a brand with no preservatives and artificial flavors.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 577mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 3g

The post Mushroom Bean Soup appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Mediterranean Ground Turkey Stew made simply with cannellini beans, kale, olives and fresh herbs in a savory tomato broth. Delicious light stew recipe without potatoes!

A big bowl of ground turkey stew always hits the spot on a chilly day. And while most traditional stews use plenty of potatoes, I left them out to create a lighter version with tender cannellini beans. It’s unique but so good!

It’s one of our favorite ground turkey recipes I’ve been making since 2014. I took some new photos, added a bit more beans, kept the flavors pretty much the same, and we still love it!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Lighter: All the comfort without the extra carbs, ground turkey and no potatoes make this dish light, delicious, and nourishing.
• Scrumptious flavors: Sweet pieces of turkey meat, soft white beans, chewy kale, tangy olives in a savory tomato broth. It’s a unique stew!
• Quick and easy: This one pot meal is ready in just 40 minutes and cleaning is a breeze.
• Perfect for meal prep: Stew with ground turkey continues to taste delicious days after you make it. The older it is, the better it gets. Just like wine!
• Versatile: Make it stovetop or in your slow cooker, pop it in the freezer for a quick dinner, and you can add almost anything to the pot. All that and you’ve got a healthy dinner recipe that’s easy, versatile, and budget friendly.

Ingredients for Ground Turkey Stew

This ground turkey stew recipe is filled with Mediterranean flavors and made with wholesome, simple ingredients.

• Onion and garlic: Finely chopped onion and freshly minced garlic add aromatics and flavor.
• Oil: Extra virgin olive oil for sautéing.
• Ground turkey: Extra lean ground turkey is a lighter, tasty replacement for ground beef.
• Diced tomatoes: They add chunks of tomato and flavor. I am using a can of low sodium tomatoes, if yours is not low sodium then use less salt.
• Cannellini beans: This creamy white bean adds protein, flavor, and texture. You’ll need 2 cans of low sodium cannellini beans, rinsed and drained. Also cooking dried beans at home is very easy and saves money.
• Chicken broth: Choose low sodium chicken broth to prevent a salty stew.
• Kale: I prefer to use green kale because it adds more volume, but dinosaur (lacinato) kale works.
• Olives: Any pitted olives. I use stuffed with garlic green olives because that’s what I had on hand.
• Italian seasoning: You can make your own or use a store-bought package.
• Other seasoning: Salt, pepper, and bay leaves.
• Lemon juice: A splash of lemon juice adds bright flavor.
• Fresh herbs: I used equal parts of fresh basil and fresh parsley.

How to Make Stew with Ground Turkey

Here’s an overview of how to make the easiest stovetop ground turkey stew, it practically cooks itself.

There is a full recipe card below.

• Sauté onion and garlic: Start by preheating a large Dutch oven on medium heat. Add oil, onion, and garlic then sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Cook ground turkey: In the same pot, cook ground turkey for 4-5 minutes. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir and break the meat into small pieces.
• Season turkey: Add Italian seasoning and cook for 30 seconds.
• Make the broth: Pour in the diced tomatoes, beans, and chicken broth. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add bay leaves, then stir and bring to a boil.

• Simmer: Once the stew comes to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add remaining ingredients: Turn off heat and add kale, olives and lemon juice. Give it a stir, cover, and allow it to rest until the kale is wilted.
• Garnish: Add basil and parsley, stir again and let it stand for 5-10 minutes to let flavors “marry” each other.
• Serve: Remove bay leaves and snuggle up with a hot bowl of stew.

Tips for Best Results

Follow these easy tips and everyone will rave how great this unique stew is.

• Be sure to remove kale stems: The stems are tough and chewy, it’s best to de-stem the leaves or buy pre-chopped kale.
• Rinse and drain the beans: Too much liquid will thin your stew, and both flavor and texture improves when canned beans are rinsed and drained.
• Break ground turkey into small pieces: Smaller chunks of ground turkey will incorporate evenly throughout the dish.
• If you don’t have a Dutch oven: Use a heavy bottom pot with a tight fitting lid.

Variations

Here are some optional variations and add-ins you could try:

• Use different ground meat: Tweak the recipe by using ground chicken or ground pork. You could also try ground beef.
• Try other beans: Substitute cannellini beans with white navy beans, Great Northern beans, or butter beans. If you’re out of white beans, red kidney beans would also work.
• Swap the broth: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, or beef broth if trying ground beef.
• Change up the tomatoes: Fire roasted tomatoes would give the stew a smoky taste.
• Use leftover holiday turkey: Toss in some shredded turkey at the same time as adding the kale and olives.
• Add tomato paste: This will add another layer of flavor. Add 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, and mix with cooked ground turkey.
• Play around with consistency: Add some other veggies for a thicker stew. For a looser stew, add more broth and fewer beans.

Can I Make This Stew Vegetarian?

Yes, just omit ground turkey. There are already two cans of beans, but you can always add tofu crumbles or any vegetarian meat substitute and sauté it with onions.

Be sure to use vegetable broth as well.

How Do I Serve Mediterranean Turkey Stew?

I enjoyed it with chopped fresh tomatoes on top and a slice of toasted sourdough bread spread with butter. Any crusty bread like a baguette would be great to soak up the juices. I even say it’s a must!

You can also sprinkle crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top of stew in each individual bowl.

Could also serve with a simple spring mix salad or butter lettuce salad for a soup and salad combo.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for 5 days.

Freeze: You can freeze it for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Kale might be a bit more limpy once thawed but it’s not that bad.

Reheat: The best way to reheat your turkey stew is on the stove on low heat while covered.

FAQs

More Stew Recipes to Try

• Lamb stew recipe
• Easy chicken stew recipe
• Chicken chickpea stew

More Ground Turkey Recipes to Try

• Ground turkey taco soup
• Ground turkey and zucchini skillet
• Ground turkey and potato skillet
• Ground turkey quinoa casserole
• Ground turkey and broccoli pasta

Print

Ground Turkey Stew

Mediterranean Ground Turkey Stew with cannellini beans, kale, olives and fresh herbs in a savory tomato broth. Delicious light stew!

Course Soup and Stew

Cuisine Mediterranean

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 12 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 42 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 182kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Dutch oven

Ingredients

• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 5 large garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
• 1 pound ground turkey extra lean
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 14 ounces can diced tomatoes low sodium
• 2 14 ounces cans cannellini beans low sodium, rinsed & drained
• 1 cup chicken broth low sodium
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups kale coarsely chopped & packed
• 3/4 cup olives pitted and sliced in halves
• 1/2 lemon juice of
• 1/2 cup basil finely chopped
• 1/2 cup parsley finely chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat dutch oven or large heavy bottom pot on medium heat and add olive oil. Add onion and garlic, saute for 5 minutes or until translucent, stirring occasionally.
• Add ground turkey and cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking into pieces and constantly stirring with a spatula. Add Italian seasoning and cook for 30 more seconds.
• Add diced tomatoes, beans, chicken broth, salt, pepper and bay leaves, then stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and add kale, olives and lemon juice, then stir. Cover and let stew stand for a few minutes or until kale is wilted.
• Add basil and parsley, stir again and it's best to let the flavors "marry" each other for 5-10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and serve stew hot.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Reheat on a stovetop covered on low.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 547mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g

The post Mediterranean Ground Turkey Stew appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Easy Instant Pot Lasagna Soup recipe with all the comforting flavors and far less work. Ready to serve in just over 30 minutes, this hearty soup is a quick weeknight dinner!

If you prefer the traditional pasta dish, Instant Pot lasagna is perfect for cold weather too!

Kids love this Instant Pot lasagna soup! And busy cooks love it because it’s easier to make than chicken lasagna roll ups, zucchini lasagna, and zucchini lasagna rolls.

Plus the cheesy topping makes it extra delicious, I call that a winner!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Satisfy your lasagna fix: Loaded with ground beef, tender noodles, Italian seasoning, rich tomato broth, and cheese, this recipe is full of traditional lasagna flavor packed in a delicious Instant Pot soup.
• No need to pre-cook the noodles: You can add uncooked pasta right to your electric pressure cooker.
• Quick and easy: Lasagna soup in Instant Pot is fully ready in 33 minutes!
• One pot meal: I love Instant Pot recipes because you can saute and cook all ingredients in same pot!

Ingredients for Instant Pot Lasagna Soup

The ingredients for Instant Pot lasagna soup are very simple, here’s what you’ll need.

• Onion: Yellow onion, finely chopped.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic cloves is best for flavor, jarred minced garlic can be used in a pinch.
• Ground beef: I like using extra lean ground beef, a fattier ground beef will have more grease and drippings.
• Diced tomatoes: Aim for a can of low sodium diced tomatoes to avoid added sodium.
• Marinara sauce: Homemade marinara sauce is my top choice for lasagna soup, you can use your favorite store-bought variety.
• Chicken broth: Really any broth will add a rich flavor to your soup. Choose from low sodium chicken broth, vegetable broth, or beef broth.
• Lasagna noodles: You’ll need 8 sheets uncooked and broken into pieces.
• Seasoning: Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
• Parmesan cheese: If possible, use freshly grated Parmesan cheese for best flavor.
• Fresh herbs: Finely chopped fresh parsley or fresh basil for classic lasagna flavor.
• Garnish ideas: Ricotta cheese, more parmesan cheese, parsley, and basil.

How to Make Lasagna Soup in Instant Pot

Here are the step-by-step directions for making this lasagna soup recipe in Instant Pot. It’s really simple and everything is done right in your Instant Pot, anyone can make it!

You’ll also find a full recipe card below.

• Preheat: Press the Sauté button and wait until the display says Hot, it takes a few minutes but you want it to be Hot before adding anything to it.
• Add meat and aromatics: Add onion, garlic, ground beef and cook for 7-10 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break it into small pieces, once it’s mostly cooked through press Cancel.
• Combine remaining ingredients: Now add in the diced tomatoes, marinara sauce, broth, lasagna noodles, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Then stir, making sure the noodles are separated.
• Pressure cook: Close the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 3 minutes.
• Release pressure: After pressure cooking, let soup stand for 5 minutes and then turn valve to Venting to release remaining pressure.
• Finish soup: Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, parsley or basil and stir. If you have time, let it sit for up to 15 minutes for flavors to mingle.
• Garnish and serve: Add a dollop of ricotta cheese, more Parmesan cheese and herbs, and serve hot.

Tips for Best Results

These easy tips help make this the best Instant Pot lasagna soup! It will jump up to the number one spot of your soup recipes list.

• Separate lasagna noodles: After adding all ingredients, give it a gentle stir. You want the pasta submerged in liquid, so it cooks evenly but separated. This way it won’t stick while cooking.
• To thin out the soup: It’s normal for soup to thicken as it sits and especially the next day. Thin it out only with broth to avoid diluting the flavor with water. I added 2 cups more in a few hours. You can also season it more with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
• Don’t release pressure immediately: Don’t do Quick Release. Wait 5 minutes, otherwise soup will splatter a lot through the venting valve.
• Let it stand: Just for 10-15 minutes to let flavors marry each other.

What Are the Best Noodles to Use?

You can use any wavy lasagna noodles. This time I used regular pasta.

Whole wheat lasagna noodles or Kamut noodles can be used, I would cook soup for 4 minutes then.

For brown rice or gluten-free lasagna noodles, you’ll want to pressure cook soup for 2 minutes. Also they will fall apart a bit more.

You could also use other short noodles like farfalle (bowtie pasta) and penne pasta.

Other Variations

We love this twist on lasagna, it’s super versatile too. Here are some fun variations to try.

• Add veggies: Load up soup with vegetables and feel good about serving your family one of healthy Instant Pot recipes. 2-3 cups of chopped zucchini, carrots, celery, mushrooms, or bell peppers are just a few ideas.
• Use ground turkey: Make soup healthier by swapping beef for ground turkey. You could even use ground chicken. Don’t forget to use oil for sauteing the meat then.
• Add Italian sausage: Use half ground Italian sausage and half ground beef. There is the possibility you would have to drain some fat.
• Stir in cheeses in the pot: Get more cheesy and creamy taste by slowly mixing in up to 1-2 cups of freshly shredded mozzarella cheese or ricotta cheese.
• Make it dairy-free: Omit Parmesan cheese and top with dairy-free ricotta cheese.
• Add spinach: Boost nutrition and add more color with 2-3 cups of fresh baby spinach.
• Make it lighter: Use a leaner meat such as ground turkey and skip the ricotta cheese, or top with cottage cheese or shredded mozzarella.

How to Top and Garnish Lasagna Soup

It’s all about the toppings! I like to keep things simple and use what I have on hand. You can add all or any of these ingredients on top to add flavor to the soup:

• Ricotta cheese: My personal favorite, I love the rich creaminess.
• Parmesan cheese: Shaved or grated parmesan cheese is always a popular choice for Italian dishes.
• Mozzarella cheese: For a mild, salty taste plus it melts into gooey deliciousness.
• Fresh herbs: Add extra flavor and make your soup beautiful with parsley or basil.

And of course serve pressure cooker lasagna soup with crusty bread or whole grain bread!

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Refrigerate soup leftovers for 2 days. Technically it can last for 3-4 days but I find pasta becomes too soggy after 2 days.

Reheat: In a microwave or small pot on the stove. You can also reheat right in Instant Pot on Sauté mode if you are planning to consume all the leftovers. It’s best practice to reheat only what you will eat.

Freeze: I don’t recommend to freeze this soup as noodles become mushy once thawed.

FAQs

More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes

• Instant Pot bolognese
• Instant Pot ground beef stroganoff
• Instant Pot chicken pasta
• Instant Pot spaghetti
• Instant Pot goulash

More Instant Pot Soup Recipes to Try

• Instant Pot zuppa toscana
• Instant Pot vegetable soup
• Instant Pot minestrone soup
• Instant Pot potato soup

Print

Instant Pot Lasagna Soup

Easy Instant Pot Lasagna Soup recipe with all the comforting flavors and far less work than a lasagna. On your table in just over 30 minutes!

Course Soup and Stew

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes minutes

Pressure Up&Down Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 33 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 278kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves minced
• 1 pound ground beef extra lean
• 15 ounces can diced tomatoes low sodium
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 6 cups chicken broth low sodium
• 8 lasagna noodles broken into pieces
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil for frying
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese grated
• 1/4 cup parsley or basil finely chopped
• Ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, parsley or basil for serving

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Press Saute and wait until Instant Pot says Hot. Swirl oil to coat and add onion, garlic and ground beef. Saute for 7-10 minutes, stirring often and breaking meat into small pieces. Meat should not be browned. Press Cancel.
• Add diced tomatoes, marinara sauce, broth, lasagna noodles, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir well to separate the noodles.
• Close the lid, set valve to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 3 minutes.
• After wait 5 minutes and then turn pressure release valve to Venting to release remaining pressure, called Quick Release.
• Add Parmesan cheese, parsley or basil, stir the soup and I recommend to let it sit for 10-15 minutes uncovered or half way covered to allow the flavors to meld, if you have time.
• Garnish individual bowls of soup with more Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese and more parsley or basil. Serve hot with a slice of bread.

Notes

Store: Refrigerate soup leftovers for 2 days. Soup can last for 3-4 days but I find pasta becomes too soggy after 2 days. You can also thin out the soup with more broth and spices as it will thicken with time.

I don’t recommend to freeze this soup because noodles will become mushy upon thawing.

Nutrition

Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 539mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g

The post Instant Pot Lasagna Soup appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup has everything you love about stuffed peppers but cooked easier in one pot. Made with ground beef or turkey, bell peppers and your choice of rice, it’s a family-friendly meal for sure!

This Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup is stove top stuffed bell pepper soup meets Instant Pot stuffed peppers. I just updated this recipe with a bit shorter list of ingredients. If you have made it before, you won’t notice the change and soup tastes the same delicious!

My boys loved this Instant Pot soup recipe a lot!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One pot meal: Everything cooks in Instant Pot, even the meat, making clean up a breeze.
• Hands off method: The only thing you have to pre-cook is the ground beef. All other ingredients are added raw and then cooked under pressure.
• Budget friendly: I always buy a pack of 4-6 bell peppers because it is one of affordable off-season veggies with so much flavor!
• Comforting and delicious: Stuffed pepper soup made in Instant Pot is perfect on a cold day or busy weeknight.
• Versatile: You can use ingredients you have on hand and like, let’s go over them.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup

You will need the following ingredients to make stuffed pepper soup. They are all fridge and pantry staples.

• Ground meat: I used extra lean ground beef but you can also use ground turkey or ground chicken. Even addition of ground sausage is welcome.
• Uncooked rice: I used brown rice but you can also use white rice. The cook time will differ and both options are noted in the recipe card below.
• Bell peppers: You will need four large sweet bell peppers. It can be a combination of yellow, orange or red bell peppers. You can replace them with as many green bell peppers as you like.
• Veggies: Onion, garlic and celery for flavor. Feel free to mix and match any of these vegetables and also add carrots.
• Broth: I use low sodium chicken broth. You can also use beef broth or vegetable broth.
• Diced tomatoes: I like my stuffed bell pepper soup a bit chunky, so I add one can of diced tomatoes. You can also replace them with fire roasted tomatoes or tomato sauce.
• Tomato sauce: It adds more flavor, liquid and acts as a thickener.
• Italian seasoning: I prefer to use my homemade Italian seasoning. Feel free to use a combination of dried herbs like oregano, basil and thyme with a pinch of red pepper flakes for some heat.
• Sugar: Just a pinch of any sugar to offset the acidity of tomatoes. Maple syrup or honey will also work.
• Vinegar: It adds another layer of flavor and makes soup taste a bit sweet and sour. It’s delicious! Use any vinegar you have on hand.
• Oil: You need it only for sauteing the ground turkey or ground chicken because it is more lean. I don’t use oil for sauteing the ground beef or ground sausage.
• Salt and pepper: I recommend to add salt and pepper to taste at the very end after cooking. It is because there are many canned ingredients with different levels of sodium, so you don’t want to end up with overly salty soup.
• Fresh herbs: Parsley or dill.

How to Make Stuffed Pepper Soup in Instant Pot

This Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup recipe can be made as written in 6 quart Instant Pot, 8 quart Instant Pot or 10 quart Instant Pot. For 3 quart Instant Pot, half the ingredients but keep same cook time.

Also you can use any brand of electric pressure cooker. Please find full recipe card below.

• Saute the meat: Press Saute and wait for Hot on a display. Brown ground beef until it is in small pieces. You would have to stir it and break with a spatula often. Add spices in this step as well to allow them become fragrant. Press Cancel.
• Add remaining ingredients: Add onion, garlic, celery, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, rice, sugar, vinegar and broth. No need to stir but if you did, it’s fine, Burn message shouldn’t happen because we have a lot of liquid in the pressure cooker.
• Pressure cook: Close the lid, set pressure valve to Sealing and pressure cook stuffed pepper soup in Instant Pot on high pressure for 8 minutes with white rice and 13 minutes with brown rice.
• Release pressure and let it stand: Then wait 5-10 minutes before releasing pressure, otherwise your counters will be covered in tomato soup. Just turn valve to Venting. Open the lid, give soup a stir and taste test. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir again and let it stand 5-10 minutes uncovered to allow flavors to “marry each other” and cool off a bit.

Tips and Variations

Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup has a few rules but otherwise is one of the most forgiving and flexible Instant Pot recipes ever!

• Don’t overcook the rice: After pressure cooking, don’t let soup sit and release pressure on its own, known as Natural Release. It is a lot of liquid and this process will take up to 45 minutes, while overcooking the rice and making it mushy.
• Don’t release the pressure right away: Known as Quick Release, do not turn valve to Venting immediately after cooking is finished. The liquids are still bubbling vigorously inside the pot, and pressure release will pull them along with rice, making it mushy. Be patient! There is that 5-10 minute sweet spot for the pressure release.
• Use any ground meat: Feel free to use ground chicken or ground turkey for a leaner stuffed pepper soup. You can also use ground beef, ground sausage removed from casing or ground pork.
• Drain the fat from beef: I like to use extra lean ground beef which doesn’t have to be drained. But if using regular ground red meat, I recommend to drain the fat, so the soup isn’t overly rich.
• To replace onion and garlic: Instead of fresh onion and garlic, you can use about 2 tablespoons of onion powder and 1 tablespoon of garlic powder respectively.

Should I Use White Rice or Brown Rice?

Good news is that to make this stuffed pepper soup, you can use white rice or brown rice. I have made it with long grain white rice and with long grain brown rice, the only difference is the pressure cooking time and the nutrition of brown rice is higher.

You may be able to use jasmine rice or basmati rice but it might fall apart a bit more than long grain rice.

Also please note we use uncooked rice. No need to precook your rice before adding it to the Instant Pot!

What Do I Serve Stuffed Pepper Soup with?

First of all, after the stuffed pepper soup cooled off a bit in Instant Pot and its flavors had a chance to melt, I add a big handful of chopped fresh parsley or dill to the pot and stir. You don’t want to add it to freshly cooked super hot pot of soup because herbs will “cook” and brown.

Traditionally stuffed bell pepper soup is served just like stuffed peppers with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt. And more parsley or dill into each individual bowl. A sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese would melt nicely in a bowl as well.

We like it with toasted or fresh whole grain bread or baguette. Hot sauce right in the bowl adds a bit of a heat kick too. Enjoy!

How to Store and Reheat

Store and meal prep: Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup is perfect for meal prepping for a week. It lasts in the fridge for up to 5 days as there are no veggies or pasta to get soggy.

Reheat: Always reheat only amount of soup you will eat at that time. Means don’t heat up entire pot, cool it and refrigerate again. It spoils the food.

Instead, pour desired amount of stuffed pepper soup into a small pot, heat on low heat while covered for about 5 minutes, stir and see if soup is warm enough.

You can always go the microwave route, and reheat a bowl of soup for 2-3 minutes.

If frozen, allow soup to thaw first in the fridge overnight or on the countertop for about 6 hours.

Can I Freeze It?

There is a big debate online how to freeze stuffed pepper soup but I personally think it’s actually very simple. I don’t think you have to cook rice separately or worry about it becoming mushy. Also bell peppers are already cooked and sort of limpy. I think this soup freezes just fine!

To freeze it, cook the soup and let it cool completely. Then transfer to a large airtight container leaving a few inches on top to allow room for expansion. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on a countertop for 5-6 hours.

FAQs

More Bell Pepper Recipes to Try

• Ground chicken stuffed peppers
• Baked chicken and peppers
• Cauliflower stir fry with bell peppers

More Instant Pot Soup Recipes

• Instant Pot zuppa toscana
• Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup
• Instant Pot taco soup
• Instant Pot minestrone soup
• Instant Pot beef barley soup

You might also love these healthy Instant Pot recipes!

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Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup

Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup is everything you love about stuffed peppers but made in one pot with ground beef, bell peppers and rice.

Course Soup and Stew

Cuisine North American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Pressure Up & Down Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 47 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 223kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef , turkey or chicken
• 4 large bell peppers chopped
• 2 large celery stalks finely chopped
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup white rice or brown rice rinsed & drained
• 14 ounces can tomato sauce low sodium
• 14 ounces can diced tomatoes low sodium
• 6 cups chicken broth low sodium
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1/4 cup parsley or dill finely chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• On Instant Pot, press Sauté and wait until display says Hot. Add ground beef and Italian seasoning. Cook for 4-5 minutes, constantly breaking meat into small pieces with spatula. Meat won’t get browned and some pink pieces are OK.
• Press Cancel and add bell peppers, celery, onion, garlic, rice, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar. No need to stir but you can.
• Close the lid, move pressure valve to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 8 minutes – with white rice, for 13 minutes – with brown rice.
• After let soup sit for 5 minutes and then release pressure using Quick Release method by turning pressure valve to Venting.
• Add parsley and serve warm with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container or inner Instant Pot liner with a fitting lid for up to 5 days.
• Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on a stovetop covered on low.
• Ground meat: Feel free to use ground turkey, ground chicken or lean ground beef.
• Colour of peppers: Green pepper adds nice more bitter taste which I love but now many don’t. You can mix and match any colours and shapes of peppers.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 422mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g

The post Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Hearty Chicken Chickpea Stew with tender chicken, chickpeas, and vegetables infused in a tahini flavored broth. Make it stove top, Instant Pot, or slow cooker, it’s the perfect meal to warm you up.

Love stew? Try this chicken stew or for hands off dinner make this chicken stew in slow cooker.

I always-always tell people when asked how I manage to cook healthy while raising 2 kids and running a business, that the key to success is to cook big pots of soup and stew, stir fries and other types of throw together one pot meals.

This chicken chickpea stew recipe is easy and flavor packed with tons of protein and fiber. Delicious, comforting, and filling, it’s everything a stew should be!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Budget-friendly: Healthy meals like this chicken and chickpea stew are affordable because many times anything can go in that pot.
• Easy: They are quick because chop-chop and simmer, it doesn’t have to be perfect.
• Leftovers: And because it makes a big batch, you open the fridge or freezer and leftovers are staring at you!
• Healthy: When it comes to healthy chicken recipes, a colorful stew will keep you super satisfied. It’s filled with wholesome ingredients and includes a medley of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Ingredients for Chicken Chickpea Stew

This chicken chickpea stew is great, using the simplest ingredients you could only imagine. See substitutions in FAQ’s.

• Boneless and skinless chicken breast: Just a pound to make meat more of a side rather than main ingredient.
• Tomatoes: You can use fresh cubed tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes. Another option is fire roasted tomatoes to add a smoky flare or kick up the heat with Rotel.
• Quinoa: Uncooked and any color you have on hand.
• Chickpeas: Low fat and a great source of protein, you can use canned chickpeas or Instant Pot chickpeas.
• Tahini paste: That 1/2 cup of tahini changes everything for this stew!
• Onion and garlic: Aromatics include diced onion and minced garlic, use fresh garlic for best flavor.
• Oil: Use a high smoke oil like olive oil or avocado oil for sautéing.
• Bell peppers: Chop 2 pounds of any color you like, I like orange, yellow, and red peppers for their sweeter taste but green peppers work great too. If you’d like to add more veggies I recommend celery, carrots, and potatoes. You could also stir in some fresh spinach towards the end.
• Chicken broth: I recommend low-sodium chicken broth or homemade chicken broth.
• Herbs and spices: Salt, pepper, bay leaves, fresh parsley or basil.

How to Make Chicken Chickpea Stew

Here’s a quick overview how to make easy one-pot chickpea stew on the stove.

There’s a full recipe card below along with instructions for making this hearty stew in the Instant Pot or slow cooker.

• Sauté aromatics: Heat a large Dutch oven on low heat, add oil and swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add vegetables and chicken: Increase to medium heat and add bell peppers to the pot, cook for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally. Next, add cubed chicken and cook for 5 more minutes.
• Combine remaining ingredients: Add tomatoes, quinoa, chickpeas, chicken broth, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and stir.
• Simmer: Cover with lid and cook on low for 20 minutes.

Tips for Best Results

Here are my pro tips to making a flavorful stew.

• Use chicken thighs: If you prefer dark meat feel free to use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
• Where to find tahini: You can find it in any supermarket, most grocery stores where I live have tahini paste. For sure, health food stores will carry it. You could also use ground up sesame paste.
• No need to rinse quinoa: Quinoa comes pre-washed and will get stuck in a mesh strainer. I did not find this stew bitter but some readers have, so rinse if you wish.
• Add other spices: Cater to your taste buds, add fragrance and flavor with spices like chili powder, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, turmeric, coriander, or ground cumin. You can also add fresh cilantro if you like its strong taste.

What to Serve Chickpea Stew with?

A crisp simple lettuce salad, massaged kale salad, or healthy broccoli salad pairs perfectly with this tender stew along with bread, pita, or naan to soak up the rich sauce.

How to Store

Store: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container, pop in the refrigerator, and enjoy within 5 days.

Freeze: Once cooked and cooled completely, store in an airtight container and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat on a stovetop covered on low.

How to Make a Freezer Meal

• Before freezing (slow cooker): Preheat large skillet on low heat, swirl a bit of oil to coat and add onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium, add pepper and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a gallon size resealable plastic bag with other ingredients (minus tahini and herbs) to freeze.
• Instant Pot: Freeze all ingredients (minus chicken broth, tahini and herbs) in a gallon size resealable plastic bag. Cook from frozen with 2 cups chicken broth on High pressure for 20 minutes. Quick release.
• Slow cooker: Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking. Cook with 2 cups chicken broth on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.
• After cooking: Add tahini and herbs, stir and let stand for a couple minutes.

Check out my full list of 20 healthy freezer meals. I’m obsessed!

FAQs

More Stew Recipes to Try

• Healthy white chicken chili
• Ground turkey stew
• Instant Pot beef stew
• Ratatouille

More Chickpea Recipes to Try

• Chickpea avocado salad
• Chickpea tuna salad
• Garlic hummus
• Mediterranean chickpea salad
• Sweet potato hummus

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Chicken Chickpea Stew

Quick Chicken and Chickpea Stew Recipe with tomatoes cooked on a stove, in slow cooker or Instant Pot. Plus how to turn into a healthy freezer meal instructions for busy families. So good!

Course Dinner

Cuisine North American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 8 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 53 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 391kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Dutch oven

Ingredients

• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves minced
• 2 pounds bell peppers seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 pound boneless & skinless chicken breasts cubed
• Oil for frying
• 1 pound tomatoes cubed or 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup quinoa uncooked
• 2 x 14 ounces cans chickpeas rinsed & drained
• 2 cups chicken broth low sodium
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup tahini paste
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley or basil finely chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Stovetop

• Preheat large dutch oven on low heat, swirl a bit of oil to coat and add onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium, add bell peppers and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken, cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add tomatoes, quinoa, chickpeas, broth, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Stir, cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.

Instant Pot

• Add ingredients in exact order listed: onion, garlic, bell pepper, chicken, quinoa, chickpeas, broth, salt, pepper, bay leaves and tomatoes. Do not stir.
• Pressure cook on High for 20 minutes and afterwards release pressure with Quick Release method.

Slow Cooker

• Preheat large dutch oven on low heat, swirl a bit of oil to coat and add onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium, add pepper and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Transfer to a large slow cooker along with chicken, tomatoes, quinoa, chickpeas, broth, salt, pepper, bay leaves and stir. Cover and cook for 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low.
• Last Step for All Methods: Turn off heat. Add tahini and herbs, stir and let stew stand for a couple minutes.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on a stovetop covered on low.
• You might need to add less salt if beans and broth you are using are not low sodium or salt free (for example, my cooked beans are unsalted).

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 391kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 641mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 7g

The post Chicken Chickpea Stew appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

In this Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes recipe juicy, tender meatloaf and creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes cook at same time in an electric pressure cooker. It’s classic comfort food at its best!

It’s turkey meatloaf meets Instant Pot mashed potatoes in one pot!

If this Instant Pot meatloaf recipe doesn’t convince you to buy an Instant Pot, I don’t know what or who else will! You can make so many one pot meals in it!

This meatloaf in Instant Pot comes out mind blowing and kids gobble it up. I just love healthy Instant Pot recipes!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy: You will skip turning on the oven, stove and washing a few bowls. You mix, cook, slice and serve entire dinner in same 2 pans in your Instant Pot! You can even refrigerate leftovers in the same 2 pans. And then reheat them in the same 2 pans in Instant Pot.
• Juicy meatloaf: Meatloaf can be made with any ground meat and it always comes out juicy thanks to captured steam inside.
• Creamy mashed potatoes: Mashed potatoes in Instant Pot always come out extra tender and creamy.
• It can be made ahead: You can make it in the morning and press Keep Warm for hot dinner later. I often make it on the weekend and go shopping.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

There are two parts to the ingredients for this Instant Pot meatloaf recipe – for meatloaf and for mashed potatoes.

For the meatloaf you will need:

• Ground meat: Use ground beef, ground chicken, ground pork or ground turkey like me. It turns out delicious either way. For red meat, I recommend to go for extra lean ground beef or ground pork.
• Egg: For binding meatloaf ingredients. You can try to replace it with one flax egg or chia egg.
• Oats: We use oats in place of breadcrumbs (forgot to picture it). I like to use rolled oats but you can also use quick oats, quick cooking steel cut oats or even steel cut oats. You can use equal amount of regular breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs as well.
• Garlic powder: To add flavor. Onion powder works just as well.
• Dried oregano: For more flavor. Also use your favorite dried herbs like dried thyme, dried basil or Italian seasoning.
• Salt and pepper
• Ketchup: For the glaze. I like to keep meatloaf recipe simple and it turns out delicious!

For the mashed potatoes you will need:

• Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes are the best choice for mashed potatoes since you don’t have to peel them, just cut into large chunks. You can also use russet potatoes but be sure to peel first.
• Water: Cold water to cook the potatoes in.
• Milk: Classic ingredient to make mashed potatoes creamy. I use whole milk but any milk works.
• Butter: To add another layer of flavor and creaminess to the potatoes. You can also use ghee.
• Salt and pepper

How to Make Instant Pot Meatloaf

To cook meatloaf and mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot, I’m using these two stainless steel pans. They are stackable, fit 6 quart and 8 quart Instant Pots and you can buy them on Amazon.

But don’t worry, if you don’t have them, below I share how to cook meatloaf with tin foil.

While this Instant Pot meatloaf recipe might seem hard and labor intensive, I assure you it’s one of the easiest Instant Pot recipes! There is also detailed recipe card with video below.

• Prep the potatoes: To the bottom pan, add chopped into large pieces potatoes and cold water.
• Prep the meatloaf: To the top pan, add ground meat of choice, egg, oats and spices. Mix with your hands and shape meat mixture into oval or round shape. Do not add water.
• Close and stack the pans: Stack the pans with meatloaf on top, making sure the lids cover them tightly. Then secure the easy-lift handle around them.

• Cook meatloaf and potatoes: Into 6 quart or 8 quart Instant Pot, add 1 cup cold water. Pressure cook on High Pressure for 25 minutes. You will either press Manual or Pressure Cook button. After release pressure right away, called Quick Release, by turning the valve to Venting position.
• Open the pans: They are hot and full of steam, so do it carefully wearing the oven mitts.
• Bottom pan with potatoes: Drain water. Add butter, milk, salt and pepper and mash the potatoes with a potato masher.
• Top pan with meatloaf: Squirt some ketchup on top and spread with a mini spatula or pastry brush.

That’s it! Your Instant Pot meatloaf and mashed potatoes are ready! As an option, you can place the meatloaf on a baking sheet and broil under the oven’s broiler to brown the top.

Tips for Best Results

• Do not overwork the meat: When mixing the meat mixture, mix just enough to combine. Otherwise, your meatloaf might turn out tough and rubbery.
• If you would like to use 2 pounds of meat: The question I get asked the most about this Instant Pot meatloaf recipe. I would recommend to shape it into a round shape instead of oval shape to make sure it cooks through. Pressure cooking time will not change.
• To cut recipe in half: Cut all ingredients in half but keep same cooking time. Just use same 1 cup of cold water added to the bottom of pressure cooker.
• With 3 quart Instant Pot: You will need to use smaller mini pans or the foil method. Use half the amount of ingredients, keeping the same cook time.
• If using ground beef or pork: If the meat you use is not lean, I recommend to drain the extra fat from the pan after cooking the meatloaf.

Can I Make Meatloaf in Instant Pot Using Foil?

If you do not have or do not wish to buy stainless steel pans, you can use aluminum foil to cook meatloaf and potatoes in Instant Pot. You will create “a pan” for the meatloaf to place on top of the potatoes.

Here is a quick photo visual with instructions:

• Add potatoes: Add chopped potatoes and cold water in the Instant Pot.
• Place trivet on top: Then put trivet that came with Instant Pot on top of the potatoes. Doesn’t matter if it has handles or not.
• Shape meatloaf in a foil “pan”: Mix and form meat mixture into an oval meatloaf on top of double layered foil and then shape foil into “a bowl”.
• Pressure cook: Cook as per recipe.

What to Serve with Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes?

While this is a one pot dinner, adding a few colorful vegetable side dishes is always a good idea!

Try to serve meatloaf and potatoes with quick and simple garlic green beans, sauteed broccoli or Instant Pot steamed vegetables (make them in 3 minutes after cooking the meatloaf).

As for the salad, I think this arugula feta salad, cucumber tomato feta salad or bell pepper salad with pair nicely.

If you have time, try your hand in making Ukrainian garlic bread.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Refrigerate leftovers in the same pans you cooked meatloaf and potatoes in for up to 2 days. Or transfer them into two separate airtight containers.

I personally find that mashed potatoes do not taste fresh after 2 days but you can store them another 1-2 days, if you wish.

Reheat: I recommend to slice leftover meatloaf for even reheating. To reheat, pop covered stainless steel pans into the Instant Pot, add 1 cup water and press Pressure Cook or Manual button for 1 minute.

Or reheat in a microwave for 2 minutes, check back and see if it needs more time.

FAQs

More Instant Pot Recipes to Try

• Instant Pot chicken and potatoes
• Instant Pot ground beef stroganoff
• Instant Pot meatballs
• Instant Pot pork chops

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Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

In Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes recipe juicy, tender meatloaf and creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes cook together in one pot, in your electric pressure cooker.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Pressure Up & Down Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 servings

Calories 413kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Instant Pot
• Stackable stainless pans
• Trivet
• Mini spatulas

Ingredients

For the Meatloaf (Top Pan):

• 1 pound ground meat beef, turkey or chicken
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup oats any
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1-2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano basil, thyme or Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons ketchup

For the Mashed Potatoes (Bottom Pan):

• 2 pounds potatoes cubed
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

How to Make Meatloaf in Stackable Pans

• Bottom pan: Add potatoes and water.
• Top pan: Add ground turkey, egg, oats, balsamic vinegar, dried herbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Using your hands mix well. Shape meat mixture into oval or round meatloaf shape. Do not add water.
• Place lid on a pan with meatloaf. Then stack it on top of pan with potatoes. You want top pan to sit comfortably. If too many potatoes, remove some and save in a bowl with cold water for another recipe.
• Into 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot, add 1 cup water. Place both pans in a trivet (sling) that came with pans, secure it and place inside Instant Pot.
• Close the lid, set pressure release valve to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High Pressure or Manual for 25 minutes. After release pressure using Quick Release method – turn valve to Venting immediately after cooking.
• With a mitt on, remove pans from Instant Pot on a towel and open them.
• Bottom pan with potatoes: Drain the water and add butter, milk, salt and pepper. Mash.
• Top pan with meatloaf: Squirt some ketchup on top and spread with a mini spatula or brush. Slice meatloaf right in a pan and serve!

How to Make Meatloaf Using Foil

• Potatoes: Place potatoes and water at the bottom of Instant Pot. Then put trivet that came with Instant Pot on top. Doesn't matter if it has handles or not.
• Meatloaf: And then shape meat mixture into a meatloaf on top of double layered foil and then shape foil into a bowl. Place on a trivet.
• Close the lid, set pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual button for 25 minutes. After release the pressure immediately.
• Drain and mash potatoes with butter, milk, salt and pepper. Glaze loaf with ketchup. Slice and enjoy!

Video

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate leftovers in the same pans for up to 2 days. Or transfer to an airtight container. Mashed potatoes do not taste fresh after 2 days.
• Reheat: Slice loaf for even reheating. To reheat, pop covered stainless steel pans in Instant Pot, add 1 cup water and press Pressure Cook or Manual for 1 minute. Or reheat in a microwave for 2 minutes, check back and see if it needs more time.

Nutrition

Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 886mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g

The post Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice is quick and easy one pot meal that tastes better than takeout. Not to mention it is healthy and makes great leftovers that entire family enjoys!

We also love this Instant Pot chicken and rice and Instant Pot rice and beans for quick easy dinners.

This Instant Pot chicken fried rice is a hit in our family every time I make it! It uses very simple ingredients and everything cooks in one pot. Scrambled eggs, rice, vegetables and chicken garnished with soy sauce and green onions. Mmmmmmm.

This is one of those healthy Instant Pot recipes that makes a lot but I like it. When kids get back from school, they are always hungry and ate their lunches. So having chicken fried rice in Instant Pot on Keep Warm function has been a life saver.

Especially, with sports practices in the evening. It is healthy and cheap vs. expensive granola bars and snacks!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• You will need just 9 simple ingredients plus seasonings.
• Everything cooks in one pot – even the scrambled eggs.
• Takes about 20 minutes of prep.
• It’s healthy but tastes better than a takeout.
• Perfect for Sunday meal prep.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice

Here is everything you need to make this Instant Pot chicken fried rice recipe!

• Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
• Rice: You can use brown rice, long grain white rice, jasmine rice or basmati rice. The only kind I wouldn’t recommend to use is short grain white rice and sushi rice because it will come out mushy.
• Water: For even more flavor you can use chicken broth. Just be sure to use low sodium one because there is no added salt that you can reduce easily in this recipe. We do need full amount of soy sauce for flavor, and it is usually high in sodium.
• Veggies: Onion, mushrooms, peas, carrots and green onion.
• Eggs: A staple in any fried rice recipe.
• Soy sauce and oil: For frying and seasoning. You can also use gluten-free tamari and any oil you usually use for sauteing.

How to Make Chicken Fried Rice in Instant Pot

• Make scrambled eggs: Press Saute function and wait until display says Hot. Then cook 6 eggs, stirring after each 2 eggs to make sure they don’t set. Transfer eggs to a bowl. Stuck to the bottom eggs are OK and didn’t cause Burn for me. But please see FAQs if it happens to you.
• Add vegetables, chicken and rice and do not stir. Flatten rice with spatula, so it cooks evenly. If you forget, not a big deal. Some rice grains on top might be a bit crunchy. But they will finish cooking once stirred and fried rice sits for a bit.
• Cook: Close the lid, turn pressure vent to Sealing position and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual. Cook chicken fried rice in Instant Pot with brown rice – for 22 minutes, with white rice – for 3 minutes.

• Release pressure: With brown rice – release pressure using Quick Release method by turning valve to Venting immediately after cooking. With white rice – wait 10 minutes and then release remaining pressure, if any.
• Add soy sauce, peas, eggs and stir: If there is a little bit of liquid at the bottom, it’s OK. It will get absorbed by rice quickly once you stir and it sits for 5 minutes. Especially if you keep it on Keep Warm mode. If you see chicken pieces are stuck together, just break them gently with spatula.
• Garnish: Add green onions, give another gentle stir and serve the dish.

Tips for Best Results

• To cut recipe in half: This Instant Pot chicken fried rice recipe makes 8 generous servings. So, if you don’t want to have leftovers or freeze them, cut all ingredients in half but keep same pressure cooking time.
• Instant Pot size: You can make chicken fried rice in 6 quart Instant Pot or 8 quart Instant Pot. I think 3 quart Instant Pot would be too small.
• Rinse rice very well: You need to remove as much starch as possible, so it turns out fluffy and not mushy.
• Be sure rice is submerged in liquid: It is ideal to have water covering the rice completely, so rice cooks evenly. It’s advisable but not critical.
• If you stirred by accident: Instant Pot cooks food better when it is layered. And certain order is a must. This is all due to a heating element located at the bottom of the pot. If you stirred by accident, nothing you can do at this point. Just cook it as is and hopefully Burn message won’t come up.
• If your rice comes out crunchy: Stir, close the lid and let it sit for 20 minutes. It will get there. Also try to add a few more minutes to cooking time next time. Unfortunately, you can’t re-close the lid, cook for extra 2 minutes and say that’s your new cooking time.

Variations

• Shrimp fried rice: Omit chicken and when fried rice is cooked, add 2-3 cups of small cooked shrimp along with seasonings. I don’t think you even need to thaw it, just close the lid and let it sit along with frozen peas.
• Vegetable fried rice: Omit chicken. At the end, add chopped bell pepper, more frozen peas and even roasted peanuts to bulk up the Instant Pot fried rice.
• To use frozen chicken: Add 2 frozen chicken breasts, cook as per instructions, remove and either shred with 2 forks or dice. Return back to the pressure cooker and proceed to next step.
• To use frozen peas and carrots: No need to thaw them. In this case, skip fresh carrots in the recipe. And just beware once you add frozen vegetables at the end, carrots will be more crunchy, which is totally OK.
• To use use fresh peas: Add shelled fresh peas at the end.
• If you do not have toasted sesame oil: It is perfectly fine to omit it. Last time I didn’t have any on hand and Instant Pot chicken fried rice still came out delicious! Add sesame seeds or a splash of extra virgin olive oil, if you wish.

What to Serve Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice with?

Because this dish is quite filling and high in carbs, my body naturally craves a salad as a side dish to go with it. We had it with Thai cucumber salad, that screamed summer to me, the other night.

Other year-round affordable salads that would go nicely here are Asian chopped salad and butter lettuce salad. Also you can never go wrong with a simple green smoothie.

Can I Make It Ahead of Time?

Sure. To make ahead, you will have to prep some elements of this dish. Most labor intensive part is to chop the chicken and vegetables.

Dice chicken and refrigerate in covered container. You can also slice the mushrooms and chop the onions and carrots and refrigerate in one container together. Chopped green onion can go in another separate container. Scramble the eggs and store them the same way.

All of these ingredients will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Then all you have to do is dump and saute, and just cook as per recipe. Huge time saver!

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Cooked rice keeps very well in the fridge and this Instant Pot chicken fried rice makes a lot of food. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also portion them out in glass meal prep containers for easy grab-and-go meal that you can reheat in a microwave in the same container.

Freeze: Cook, cool and freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Reheat: Reheat in a microwave in 30 seconds intervals after initial 1 minute warm up. Or you can also reheat chicken fried rice in a small pot with a splash of water by simmering on low heat, covered, for about 5 minutes. Check and stir a few times.

FAQs

More Fried Rice Recipes to Try

• Cauliflower fried rice

More Instant Pot Rice Recipes to Try

• Instant Pot long grain white rice
• Instant Pot jasmine rice
• Instant Pot basmati rice
• Instant Pot brown rice
• Instant Pot jambalaya
• Instant Pot stir fry
• Instant Pot teriyaki chicken

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Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice

Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice is quick and easy one pot dinner that tastes better than takeout. Not to mention it is healthy, makes great leftovers that entire family enjoys.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Asian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Pressure Up & Down Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 52 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 488kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3 cups mushrooms sliced
• 3 carrots diced
• 2 large chicken breasts diced
• 3 cups white rice or brown rice rinsed & drained
• 1 tablespoon oil for frying
• 3 1/2 cups cold water
• 2 cups peas frozen
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil optional
• 1 bunch green onions chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• On Instant Pot, press Saute and wait until display says Hot. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and eggs. Stir with spatula until scrambled eggs are formed. Press Cancel and transfer eggs to a bowl.
• For this step no need to rinse Instant Pot. Also do not worry about stuck to the bottom eggs. Just add ingredients in the following order: water, onion, mushrooms, carrots, chicken and rice. Level with spatula to flatten the rice, so it cooks evenly.
• Close the lid, turn pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual: for white rice – 3 minutes, for brown rice – 22 minutes.
• After Instant Pot has finished cooking, release pressure by turning valve to Venting: white rice – after 10 minutes, brown rice – right away. And open the lid.
• Add peas, soy sauce, previously cooked scrambled eggs and toasted sesame oil (if using). Stir gently, close the lid and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then garnish with green onions and serve hot.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Freeze: For up to 3 months.
• Do not worry if there is a little bit of water left. Once you stir the fried rice and as the rice sits, it will get absorbed.
• Toasted sesame oil is a nice flavor touch but not a big deal if you don’t have one. Last time I didn’t, and fried rice was still fantastic. Some people also do not like it. You can add a touch of extra virgin olive oil instead.
• You can use frozen mix of peas and carrots if you have one. Then just skip fresh carrots.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Sodium: 545mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g

The post Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup is made with tender chicken, crispy tortilla strips, veggies, and herbs in a deliciously spiced broth. An easy, healthy soup that combines so many fresh Mexican flavors!

We love having Mexican soups at our house. This Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup and ground turkey taco soup is another winner!

This healthy chicken tortilla soup is an easy one pot meal. It’s a great dinner idea on a busy weekday and even better as leftovers the next day.

Whether you serve this healthy soup recipe on its own or with a side of Mexican street corn salad, the anticipation of that first spoonful is something you will look forward to again and again!

Ingredients for Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup

To make this version of chicken tortilla soup recipe, you will need very simple ingredients. The list might seem long but many are fridge and pantry staples.

• Chicken: Can use either boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
• Black beans: Low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained. You can use canned beans, Instant Pot black beans or here is a guide how to cook dried beans at home.
• Corn: Canned corn, frozen corn or fresh corn will work. Also leftover Instant Pot corn on the cob or crockpot corn on the cob are great options too and eliminate food waste.
• Tomato sauce: Low sodium tomato sauce from a can. If using regular and not low sodium sauce, add less salt. Save salting the soup step till the very end.
• Chicken broth: Low sodium chicken stock or chicken broth. Just like with tomato sauce, if you use regular one, add salt at the every end of cooking, to taste.
• Tortillas: Corn tortillas, cut into thin strips, to make tortilla strips for topping. Corn tortillas are more thick and hearty than wheat tortillas. You can also use store-bought tortilla strips.
• Seasonings: Smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, cayenne pepper.
• Oil: Whatever cooking oil you have on hand for frying veggies and tortillas. I use avocado oil, olive oil is always a good choice too.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves, minced.
• Garnishes: Fresh cilantro, lime, red onion, and avocado.

How to Make Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Here is a quick overview how to make healthy chicken tortilla soup in one pot. Find instructions how to make homemade tortilla strips right down below. Full recipe card is located at the end of this post as well.

• Saute the aromatics and chicken: Preheat large Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot on medium heat. Add a bit of oil and saute minced garlic in it for 30 seconds. Stir often as it burns quickly. Add chicken, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper to the pot and cook until slightly brown. Stir a few times.
• Add remaining ingredients: Pour chicken broth, tomato sauce, corn, and black beans into the pot. Stir, then cover and bring to a boil.
• Cook the soup: Reduce heat to low and simmer chicken tortilla soup to allow the flavors to blend nicely. About 20 minutes is all it takes.
• Shred the chicken: Remove chicken breasts onto a plate to shred with two forks. Chicken should be nice and tender and fall apart easily. Return the shredded chicken back to the pot. Stir to combine and serve hot with optional garnishes.

How to Make Homemade Tortilla Strips

If you have time, I highly recommend to make your own tortillas strips at home because it’s so easy. They come out more authentic, flavorful and healthier than store-bought tortilla strips.

You can make them first in same Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot you will be cooking soup in, before cooking the soup.

All you have to do is cut corn tortillas into thin strips.

Then heat the pot on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add tortilla strips and cook them until golden brown. Stir often to avoid burning. Then set aside on a plate.

Tips for Best Results

• Adjust heat and smokiness to your taste: Instead of smoked paprika and cayenne you can use 2 tablespoons of chipotle in adobo sauce or taco seasoning. Although this is mild spicy soup you can always adjust your seasonings to your taste preferences.
• This recipe is versatile: Keep in mind that it’s one of most forgiving soups and you can use whatever ingredients you have on hand. Please see Variations section below.
• To thicken the soup: Mix 3 tablespoons of soup liquid with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to make a slurry. Then add it to the pot and simmer for a few minutes until soup has thickened.
• Make it creamy: You can make creamy chicken tortilla soup by adding some cubed cream cheese or sour cream at the end. For healthier option, add Greek yogurt but do so off the heat, so it won’t curdle. I also recommend to mix a small amount of soup with yogurt in a bowl first and then add to the pot.

Variations

• Chicken: Any part of the chicken works! Chicken thighs and chicken breasts are great and boneless is more convenient, but you could also use chicken drumsticks and cook them a bit longer. You can also use leftover shredded rotisserie chicken.
• Black beans: Substitute pinto beans instead.
• Roasted corn: I use frozen corn, no need to thaw. Canned corn works as well. If you’re taking niblets right off the cob, try roasting your corn first. The charred smokiness from the roasted corn will add another layer of flavor.
• Tomato sauce: Passata or crushed tomatoes will work. It’s generally the same as tomato sauce. You can also use diced tomatoes pulsed in a blender. Rotel might be something else to try!
• Broth: If you don’t have any chicken broth, feel free to use water and more spices to taste. I have done this many times.
• Diced green chilies: Always a welcome addition in Mexican dishes.
• Best tortillas: I recommend using corn tortillas rather than wheat. You can also use tortilla chips, crushed right in the soup to thicken it, or a basket of chips on the side for munching and dipping.

Favorite Toppings for Chicken Tortilla Soup

When it comes to serving any of Mexican recipes, I like to use what I have on hand for toppings. Use what you like but make sure not to forget the tortilla strips! They make this soup taste next level.

Here are a few of our other favorites:

• Lime: Freshly squeezed lime juice adds a nice zesty flavor to the soup.
• Cilantro: I love cilantro and it’s a must for me in all of Mexican dishes.
• Jalapeno: Add chopped jalapeno with seeds to each bowl for extra heat.
• Avocado: Diced avocado at the end or a dollop of easy guacamole makes this soup more creamy while still dairy-free.
• Yogurt: A dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream makes this soup wonderfully creamy.
• Cheese: Shredded Mexican cheese, Tex-Mex cheese or sharp cheddar cheese will melt in the soup and make it uber delicious.
• Tortilla strips: Chicken tortilla soup is not a tortilla soup without tortilla strips. They are amazing crunch! You can also add crushed tortilla chips.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Refrigerate soup leftovers in an airtight container or right in the pot for up to 5 days. It’s one of those soup recipes that gets even better with each day.

Freeze: Freeze in airtight containers, portioned out for easy thawing and reheating, if you wish. This soup is fantastic for meal prep! Freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then your soup is ready to reheat.

Reheat: To reheat the soup, ladle desired amount into a small pot and simmer on low heat covered. It should take about 5-10 minutes.

FAQs

More Soup Recipes to Try

• Healthy white chicken chili
• Chicken lemon orzo soup
• Mexican vegetable soup recipe
• Healthy chicken noodle soup
• Chicken vegetable soup

You may also love these 65 healthy chicken recipes!

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Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup with tender chicken, beans, and crispy tortilla strips in delicious spiced broth. One pot meal perfect for busy weeknights!

Course Soup and Stew

Cuisine Mexican

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 346kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Dutch oven

Ingredients

• 9 corn tortillas cut into thin strips
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 2 lbs chicken breasts or chicken thighs boneless & skinless
• 2 tbsp oil divided
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• Pinch of cayenne
• 5 cups chicken broth low sodium
• 2 x 14 oz cans tomato sauce low sodium
• 2 cups corn fresh or frozen
• 14 oz can black beans low sodium, rinsed & drained
• Cilantro, lime, red onion and avocado for garnish

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat Dutch oven or large pot on medium heat and swirl 1 tablespoon of oil to coat. Add tortilla strips and cook until golden brown, stirring often. Remove onto a plate and set aside.
• Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and garlic, saute for 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
• Add chicken, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne. Cook for 5 minutes or until browned a bit, stirring a few times.
• Add broth, tomato sauce, corn and black beans. Stir, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Open the lid, remove chicken onto a plate, shred with 2 forks and return back to the pot.
• Stir and serve hot with tortilla strips and garnishes.

Video

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container or right in the pot for up to 5 days. Reheat by simmering on low heat in a small stove pot. Shouldn’t take more than 5-7 minutes.
• Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.75cups | Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 678mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g

The post Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti is a true 8-hour healthy slow cooker dinner with your choice of pasta, tomato sauce and spices. Kids will love it!

You can also use your crockpot to cook this slow cooker whole chicken and pasta, slow cooker chicken thighs and slow cooked chicken breast!

Onions, garlic, celery, and carrots with a can of tomato sauce, a few chicken pieces and good old spaghetti. This crockpot chicken spaghetti was mind-blowingly easy and delicious!

It combines my love of pasta with the convenience of slow cooker recipes, nothing beats coming home to the aroma of classic comfort food!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Healthy: A much lighter version of many crockpot chicken spaghetti recipes on the web. We don’t use cream cheese or Velveeta cheese.
• Delicious: Still flavorful with simple spices, veggies, fresh herbs, and a small amount of sharp cheese.
• One pot meal: No searing, sautéing, or boiling necessary, the slow cooker does all the work for you and cuts down on clean up.
• Easy: With just 15 minutes of prep time, this crock pot recipe will make your most busy days a breeze!
• Perfect for busy weeknights: It is one of my favorite pasta recipes for busy weeknights or lazy weekends. It’s a whole meal in one, the kids love it, and it’s great for meal prep.

Ingredients for Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti

Fresh ingredients and pantry staples help create the best crockpot chicken spaghetti recipe.

• Chicken thighs: You’ll need 3 pounds of skinless chicken thighs. We’ll shred the chicken before serving so feel free to use bone-in chicken thighs or boneless chicken thighs.
• Vegetables: Diced carrots, celery, and onion add a perfect medley of flavor and texture.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic enhances the flavor of the sauce.
• Tomato sauce: Plain canned tomato sauce with the addition of simple spices makes the tastiest homemade spaghetti sauce.
• Chicken broth: A liquid is needed to make the sauce more “saucy” and cook the pasta. Use low sodium chicken broth or homemade chicken stock if you have it.
• Spices: Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
• Spaghetti: You can use regular, whole wheat, or gluten-free spaghetti.
• Fresh herbs: Sprinkling freshly chopped herbs like parsley, dill, or basil at the end really complements the pasta.

How to Make Chicken Spaghetti in Crockpot

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide of how to make chicken spaghetti in slow cooker. I use my 7 quart crock pot and enjoy leftovers throughout the week.

There is a full recipe card below.

• Combine veggies and wet ingredients: Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to your slow cooker and stir.
• Add chicken: Next, place chicken thighs inside spreading them out so they are covered.
• Cook: Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.
• Shred chicken: Remove chicken and shred, discarding any bones if necessary. Make sure the slow cooker is set to high heat and add the shredded chicken back in.

• Cook the noodles: Break spaghetti noodles in half and stir them in. Place lid on top and cook for 30 minutes (less for gluten-free spaghetti). Stir again so top noodles are covered with sauce, cover, and cook for 10 minutes until spaghetti is al dente.
• Garnish and serve: Sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese and parsley, stir and enjoy!

Tips for Best Results

Here are 4 simple tips for making the best chicken spaghetti in crock pot.

• If you find spaghetti too starchy: Reduce broth by 2 cups when cooking chicken in crockpot, then cook spaghetti separately and add to the crockpot with chicken. Pasta cooked in sauce can make this dish a bit starchy but we don’t mind, I like one pot convenience.
• Don’t overcook: Spaghetti, especially gluten free spaghetti, will become mushy if overcooked. And if chicken is cooked for too long it will be dry and tough.
• Liquid at the end is fine: If your noodles and chicken are done and there’s still some liquid, that’s OK. The spaghetti will absorb it as it sits.
• Use chicken thighs: Bone-in or boneless chicken thighs are more flavorful. Be sure to remove the skin, otherwise it will be fatty.

Variations

• Add cheese: For an extra cheesy sauce, add 1-2 cups of shredded cheese at the end. I personally like cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese.
• Add cream cheese: If you like a creamier sauce then adding 4 ounces of cubed cream cheese at the end will do the trick.
• Pasta: Use what you have in your pantry whether it be linguine or a short pasta like penne or elbow macaroni.
• Chicken: Again, use what you have! Boneless skinless chicken breasts work well, or save time and add shredded leftover rotisserie chicken (cook for 2 hours).
• Add bell peppers: Dice up a red, orange, or yellow bell pepper and toss it in with the other vegetables for more color and flavor.
• Use Rotel: If you’re a fan of spice, add a can of Rotel with green chilies instead of tomato sauce.
• Marinara sauce: Tomato sauce and marinara sauce can be used mutually. Marinara sauce is thinner, and great for pasta.

What to Serve Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti with?

Healthy pasta recipes are great on their own, and for our busiest days we just dish up and enjoy.

Sometimes it’s nice to have something a little extra, so I whip up a side dish while the noodles cook.

• Simple salad: Easy to make and pairs perfectly with spaghetti. Healthy Caesar salad is a classic choice, our other favorites right now are wilted spinach salad, and simple butter lettuce salad.
• Roasted vegetables: I start roasting vegetables as soon as Fall hits, I love the improved flavor of roasted butternut squash, oven roasted asparagus, or parmesan roasted brussels sprouts.
• Bread: I’ll use any excuse to serve my grandma’s garlic bread. Or to keep it simple, pick up some fresh dinner rolls on your way home.
• Potatoes: Make this a cozier meal with healthy mashed sweet potatoes, or cauliflower mashed potatoes.

Can I Make It Ahead of Time?

Yes. If you are starting crockpot chicken spaghetti in the morning, before work, cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. In the evening all you have to do is shred chicken, add spaghetti, parmesan, and herbs, then serve.

To make a few days in advance, chop veggies and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.

How to Store

Store: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freeze: I don’t like freezing spaghetti because pasta doesn’t thaw well. If you want to avoid leftovers, I recommend cutting the recipe in half.

FAQs

More Pasta Recipes to Try

• Easy spaghetti recipe
• One pot spaghetti recipe
• Whole wheat chicken spaghetti
• Tuscan chicken pasta
• Instant Pot chicken pasta
• Instant Pot spaghetti

More Slow Cooker Recipes

• Crockpot chicken and rice
• Slow cooker chicken stew
• Crockpot chicken noodle soup recipe

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Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti

Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti is a true 8-hour healthy slow cooker dinner with your choice of pasta, tomato sauce and spices. Kids will love it!

Course Dinner

Cuisine North American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 55 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 558kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Slow cooker

Ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken thighs skinless (bone in or boneless)
• 1 large carrot diced
• 2 large celery stalks diced
• 1 small onion diced
• 2 large garlic cloves minced
• 15 ounces can tomato sauce
• 3 cups chicken broth low sodium
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 10 ounces spaghetti regular, whole wheat or gluten-free
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese grated
• 1/3 cup parsley, dill or basil finely chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In large crockpot, add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir.
• Add chicken and make sure it's covered with the sauce.
• Cover and cook on High heat for 3-4 hours or on Low heat for 6-8 hours.
• Remove chicken from the crockpot and shred, using 2 forks and discarding the bones, if necessary. Switch slow cooker to High (if it was on Low heat) and add shredded chicken back.
• Break spaghetti noodles in half and give a few stirs to separate the noodles and mix with the sauce and chicken. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes (less amount for gluten free spaghetti, especially brown rice). Then stir to make sure top noodles are covered with liquid, cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until spaghetti is cooked.
• Sprinkle chicken spaghetti with Parmesan cheese and parsley, stir and serve hot.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freeze: I don’t recommend to freeze this dish as pasta doesn’t freeze and thaw well. You can always cut recipe in half to avoid leftovers.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.33cups | Calories: 558kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 531mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g

The post Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Instant Pot Jambalaya is a delicious one-pot meal with veggies sauteed in sausage drippings, tender chicken, rice, succulent shrimp, and lots of Cajun spice, seasonings, and flavor.

This is wonderful in rotation with other Instant Pot meals like Instant Pot chicken and rice, Instant Pot rice and beans and Instant Pot chicken fried rice!

Instant Pot Jambalaya is one of my favorite Instant Pot recipes to make. It is similar to paella but instead of expensive saffron, it contains affordable cajun seasoning.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One pot meal: We saute vegetables, chicken and sausage in same pressure cooker we cook rice in. Only one pot to wash, perfect for busy weeknights!
• Versatile: Make jambalaya in Instant Pot with any sausage you have on hand, white rice or brown rice, and veggies are simple as well.
• Delicious: There are many original versions of this Louisiana dish and I am in no way saying it’s authentic. It’s just simply good!
• Weeknight dinner or celebratory meal: We had jambalaya for a Sunday dinner with friends and everyone raved about it for days. But it is also mid-week healthy dinner friendly.

What Is Jambalaya?

Jambalaya is a Southern dish that has originated from Louisiana. It is made with rice, meat and vegetables seasoned with Creole and Cajun spices.

Common choices of meat are smoked sausage like andouille or chorizo and an addition of pork or chicken. Less common seafood like shrimp or crawfish is sometimes added as well.

Vegetables are sofrito like mixture of onion, celery and green bell pepper known as “holy trinity”. Other vegetables are often used.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Jambalaya

The list of ingredients for this Instant Pot jambalaya recipe might seem long but they are all simple ingredients you can find in any grocery store.

• Sausage: Traditional jambalaya calls for andouille sausage. I used chorizo sausage. You can also use kielbasa or Polish sausage.
• Vegetables: Onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic.
• Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs work. You can also use leftover shredded Cajun chicken.
• Seafood: Use any shrimp or prawns. Make sure they are deveined and peeled, tails can be on or off.
• Rice: You can use either white rice or brown rice. The only difference is pressure cooking time which I indicate in the recipe card. Feel free to buy short grain rice or long grain rice.
• Seasonings: Chicken broth, tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, cajun seasoning, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt and pepper.

How to Make Instant Pot Jambalaya

Here is a quick overview how to make jambalaya in Instant Pot. Full recipe card is located below.

• Saute the sausage: Preheat Instant Pot on Saute until display says Hot. Cook sliced sausage rounds on both sides until golden brown. Remove onto the plate to prevent it from getting rubbery.
• Saute the veggies: To the Instant Pot, add onion, celery and bell pepper, saute for a few minutes. Stir in chicken, seasonings and broth. Cook for 2 more minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze it. Then press Cancel.
• Cook: Add rice and diced tomatoes, and do not stir. Pressure cook jambalaya on High Pressure with white rice for 8 minutes, or with brown rice for 22 minutes. Release pressure 5 minutes after cooking is done by turning pressure release valve to Venting.
• Add shrimp: Open the lid, add shrimp and stir jambalaya. Close the lid and let it sit for 10 minutes. Residual heat will cook the shrimps without overcooking.

Tips for Best Results

• Instant Pot size: I made this Instant Pot jambalaya in 8 quart Instant Pot and it will also fit 6 quart Instant Pot. For 3 quart Instant Pot, cut recipe ingredients in half but keep same cook time.
• Use frozen chicken if you want: You can use frozen chicken breasts or thighs without changes to the original recipe. Just make sure frozen chicken pieces are separated and not in one blob. Shred or dice them after cooking. You can also cut frozen chicken into cubes, if it is slightly thawed.
• Don’t discard sausage drippings: Don’t transfer sauteed sausage onto paper towel to soak up the fat. Sausage drippings add a lot of flavor to pressure cooker jambalaya.
• Rinse the rice: Don’t skip rinsing the rice. If you don’t rinse off the starch coating rice grains, your jambalaya will come out mushy.
• If your rice comes out undercooked: It shouldn’t happen but if it did, close the lid and let jambalaya sit in Instant Pot for another 10 minutes. Rice will finish cooking with residual heat.
• If you got the dreaded Burn: I have updated this recipe in 2023 with instructions to deglaze the pot after sauteing, so you shouldn’t get the Burn notice. Some Instant Pot models are a bit sensitive. It doesn’t mean your food is actually burning though.

What to Serve Instant Pot Jambalaya with?

Jambalaya is truly a one pot meal full of protein and complex carbs. Maybe a simple salad like lettuce salad or cucumber bell pepper salad, so it doesn’t overpower the flavors of the dish.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Freeze: You can also freeze completely cooled jambalaya for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Reheat: Add desired amount of food to a small pot, add a splash of water or broth and simmer on low heat while covered for 5-10 minutes. You will have to stir it a few times to avoid burning.

FAQs

More Instant Pot Rice Recipes

• Instant Pot long grain white rice
• Instant Pot jasmine rice
• Instant Pot basmati rice
• Instant Pot brown rice

More Instant Pot Recipes to Try

• Instant Pot stuffed peppers
• Instant Pot stir fry
• Instant Pot cabbage rolls
• Instant Pot lasagna
• Instant Pot shrimp boil

Be sure to browse more of my healthy Instant Pot recipes!

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Instant Pot Jambalaya

Instant Pot Jambalaya is delicious one pot meal with veggies sauteed in sausage drippings, tender chicken, rice, succulent shrimp and lots of Cajun spice, seasonings and flavor.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Southern

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Pressure Up & Down Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 402kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

• 10 oz andouille or chorizo sausage sliced
• 1 lb boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs cubed (fresh or frozen)
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 3 celery stalks finely chopped
• 2 large bell peppers finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp cajun seasoning low sodium
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or veggie broth low sodium
• 2 cups brown rice or white rice
• 14 oz can tomato sauce or diced tomatoes low sodium
• 1 lb raw or cooked shrimp peeled & deveined
• 3 green onion sprigs finely chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• On 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot, press Saute and wait until display says Hot.
• Add sausage and cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Remove onto a plate and set aside.
• Swirl oil to coat and add onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken, oregano, thyme, cajun seasoning, salt, pepper and broth. Cook for 2 more minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze it, then press Cancel.
• Add rice and tomato sauce, do not stir.
• Close the lid and set valve to Sealing. Press Pressure Cook on High or Manual button for brown rice – 22 minutes, white rice – 8 minutes.
• After cooking has finished, allow pressure to come down on its own for 5 minutes and then turn valve to Venting to release remaining pressure.
• Add previously cooked sausage and shrimp. Stir, close the lid and let residual heat cook shrimp for 10 minutes.
• Open the lid, sprinkle with green onion, give a few gentle stirs and serve hot.

Video

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freeze: Up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
• Reheat: Add desired amount to a small pot, a splash of water or broth and simmer on low covered for 5-10 mins. You will have to stir a few times.
• Fresh or frozen chicken: Boneless and skinless chicken breast or thighs. Frozen – Same cook time, just make sure frozen chicken pieces are not one blob. You can cut frozen chicken into cubes if it is slightly thawed. But best is to add frozen chicken breasts (make sure they are separated) and shred or dice them after cooking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 204mg | Sodium: 710mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g

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