And so I’m finally home and back to my IP…2 weeks away from my baby – how did I bear it??? Greece was great, but there was only that much souvlaki and tzaziki that I could manage. The weather was cold, ranging from 0-10 deg C, and with a sharp wind that cut through us as we tromped through the Acropolis, Delphi and Meteora. There were many moments I wanted to spin out a quick hearty soup…and the most hilarious moment was when the kids found me an Instant Pot lookalike in the Royal Tombs at Verginia.
Looks like an Ancient Greek Instant Pot, no?
But it’s great to be back in the New Year of 2017. The side of my IP says it all – a vinyl sticker of Calvin and Hobbes on one of their magical imaginary adventures. It was a happy find during one of my online shopping forays in the pre-Christmas period. It speaks of the many adventures that I have been having with my IP…and many more to come!
So a lot of my IP friends have been anticipating what I would make in my Pot the moment I got home…the answer is simple – soup of course! I think I went through a prolonged thaw since coming back the day before and caught a bit of a cold as well – the guy sitting next to me from the Doha to Singapore leg had a continuous hacking cough. So there’s nothing that beats a quick hearty beef soup for comfort. This recipe mimics something we had on Christmas Day in Kalabaka – the owners of our boutique hotel also ran a super popular taverna in town and the beef soup was amazing. It really hit the spot for a cold wintry Christmas Day and helped a tummy that was still a little queasy from motion sickness and windy roads.
So here’s my hearty beef soup recipe for you; I substituted parsnips for potatoes to make it lower carb in content. I don’t think it completely replicates that awesome beef soup we had but perhaps that tasted so good because we were so cold…it’s hard to replicate the same conditions in warm and sunny Singapore!
Instant Pot Beef Soup
Ingredients
- 1 kg beef cubes
- 5 cloves of garlic, sliced into chunks
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 cup of chicken, beef or vegetable stock
- 50g of dried mushrooms (any variety)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 4 cups water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Soak the dried mushrooms in a cup of hot water.
- Turn the pot onto sauté mode and heat up the olive oil. Sear the beef cubes then set aside.
- Sauté the garlic, onions and celery for about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the beef back into the pot, along with the carrots and parsnips. Add the stock and water, as well as the bay leaves and dried thyme. Add the soaked mushrooms and the soaking liquid. Stir through and make sure the meat and vegetables are immersed in liquid.
- Turn off the sauté mode and seal the pot. Put on soup mode.
- When done, allow NPR. Adjust seasonings to taste for the soup and serve piping hot.
Still Feeling Peckish 