My kids really enjoy my Instant Pot carrot soup, so I thought I’d give it a different spin, and somehow, Indian cuisine came to mind.

I had a can of coconut milk and a jar of clarified butter, also known as “Ghee”, in the pantry so it worked out perfectly. We love trying different ethnic food recipes so I always keep a few items handy. Ghee is typically used in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine. I like using it to replace plain butter sometimes, since I am slightly sensitive to dairy products. In Ghee, the milk solids are removed during the making process. I’ve been using it more and more lately, but trust me, it doesn’t stop me from using real butter in most of my baking recipes or other dishes.

So what’s better than a warm carrot soup on a cold winter day? A warm, spicy carrot soup. 🙂

However, you can make this anytime of the year and in any weather. As for the spicy, well, it’s not an uncomfortable level of spiciness by any means. The turmeric, ginger, and coriander give the soup just a bit of heat that you can sense in the back of your throat. Indian food has many variations and with all the different spices it is creative and adventurous. This variation of my usual carrot soup is rich and creamy, and the subtle coconut milk flavor gives it a slight sweetness. Quite cozy. You can substitute the coconut milk, for regular milk but it won’t be as creamy.

I can’t stress enough how amazing my Instant Pot is. It is a life saver for me in the kitchen. Just a few simple ingredients and spices and in 25-30 minutes you can cuddle on the couch enjoying a yummy soup, watching your favorite movie. Sounds good to me. Let’s eat!

Here is the recipe:

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25-30 minutes

Servings vary.

Ingredients

• 1 Lb of carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 Tbsp clarified butter or “Ghee”
• 1  medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 tsp of salt
• ½ tsp of black ground pepper
• 1 tsp ground coriander seed
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2 ½ cups of vegetable stock
• ½ cup of coconut milk
• Crushed pistachios for garnish

Directions

Note: Ghee heats up very quickly, so make sure you have all your ingredients measured and ready to go.

1. Turn on your Instant Pot and set to sauté mode.
2. Add the clarified butter, onions, garlic, celery, and carrots. Stir to combine.
3. Add the salt, pepper, coriander, paprika, turmeric, and ginger. Stir to combine.
4. Add the vegetable stock and sprig of thyme.
5. Turn the sauté setting off. Place the lid on and turn the pressure valve to sealing mode.
6. Set to Soup/Stew mode and cook for 25 minutes.
7. 5-10 minutes after the completed cooking time, quick release the pressure valve, and wait until it has fully decompressed.
8. Open the lid and carefully add the coconut milk. Set to sauté mode and cook for 5 minutes. Then, turn the Instant Pot off.
9. With an immersion blender on low setting, carefully blend everything together until smooth.
10. Plate and garnish with some crushed pistachios. Enjoy!