It’s not often that a friend from your high school choir days (in my case, recipe developer and food blogger Coco Morante) becomes a prolific cookbook writer, but when that happens it’s even better when their cookbooks are all about how to make cooking with the Instant Pot delicious, easy, and healthy!
If you have yet to experience the wonders of the Instant Pot for yourself, it’s a fabulous multi-tool that brings an electric pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, and yogurt maker into one single machine that has become a sensation due to it’s wide range of use and speed at which it can cook a variety of foods.
Over the past few years, I have loved cooking out of Coco’s previous Instant Pot cookbooks The Essential Instant Pot Cookbook and The Ultimate Instant Pot Cookbook and love pulling them out when looking for easy fuss-free meals to add to our weekly meal plan rotation.
Recently, I was so thrilled when I found out that Coco released a new HEALTHY compilation of Instant Pot recipes, The Ultimate Instant Pot Healthy Cookbook.
I am honored to have the opportunity to share one of my favorite recipes from that cookbook with you all today AND to give away a FREE cookbook to one lucky winner!
ENTER TO WIN
To enter to win a cookbook, head on over to my instagram @coachingbyjennifer and follow the instructions on the giveaway post. Contest ends on Monday, October 28th, 2019 at 11:59 PM PST and winner will be announced on Tuesday, October 29th, 2019 Giveaway eligible to North American residents only. Best of luck!
While you are waiting to win your cookbook, be sure to add this delicious Instant Pot recipe to your meal plan this week!
GREEK LENTIL SOUP
Reprinted with permission from The Ultimate Instant Pot Healthy Cookbook by Coco Morante, copyright © 2019. Photographs by Jennifer Davick. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc.
A favorite light lunch, this lentil soup, known as fakes in Greece, is seasoned with oregano and includes a dollop of tomato paste. The lentils and vegetables become meltingly soft, making every bowl pure comfort food.
PREP 6 MINUTES, COOK 45 MINUTES, PR 15 MINUTES NPR
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dried green or brown lentils
4 cups low-sodium chicken bone broth (page 260) or vegetable broth (page 261)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, for serving
2 tablespoons fresh chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving
PREPARATION
1. Select the Sauté setting on the Instant Pot and heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and the garlic for 2 minutes, until the garlic is bubbling but not browned. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and salt and sauté for about 3 minutes, until the onion has softened. Add the oregano and pepper and sauté for 1 more minute. Add the lentils and broth and stir to combine. Add the tomato paste in a dollop on top. Do not stir it in.
2. Secure the lid and set the pressure release to Sealing. Press the Cancel button to reset the cooking program, then select the Pressure Cook or Manual setting and set the cooking time for 25 minutes at high pressure. (The pot will take about 10 minutes to come up to pressure before the cooking program begins.)
3. When the cooking program ends, let the pressure release naturally for at least 15 minutes, then move the Pressure Release to Venting to release any remaining steam. Open the pot, then stir the soup to incorporate the tomato paste.
4. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the vinegar, and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve right away.
Notes: The more vegetables, the merrier. For example, add chopped bell pepper or parsnip.
If you’re using the last few stalks of celery (near the heart) from a head, chop the leaves and add them, too.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Per serving: 208 calories, 8 grams fat, 26 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams fiber, 9 grams protein
Purchase the Ultimate Instant Pot Healthy Cookbook on Amazon HERE.
Disclaimer: Please note that this post does contain affiliate links and I may receive a small commission if you choose to purchase from them.
