Instant Pot Butternut Squash SoupOnly 117 Calories Per Serving

This simple butternut squash soup is a
great first course for your holiday dinner.

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For healthy, vegan holiday recipes, check out
my ebook, Health Begins in the Kitchen.

Quick and Easy Soup in the Instant Pot
With several dozen butternut squash from my harvest, I've been trying to create a really simple, delicious, and healthy recipe so that I can enjoy them over the next few months. This recipe, using my Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, makes a steamy, brothy soup that makes a wonderful beginning to any meal. I will be hauling a few of my squash to my daughter's house next week so that we can serve this soup on Thanksgiving day.

Butternut squash can sometimes be tough to cut and a bit intimidating, so check out my post, An Easy Way to Cut a Butternut Squash Without a Machete.

If you don't have an Instant Pot, follow the Stove Top recipe below.


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Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
Vegan, Dairy and Gluten Free
[makes 6 servings]

Requirements
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Immersion Blender

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 (2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, cleaned and diced
4 cups vegetable broth*
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
Pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped, divided
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste

* broth can be replaced by 4 cups water and a large Rapunzel vegan bouillon cube

Directions (Using an Instant Pot)
Heat the oil in the Instant Pot on the SAUTE function. Add the onions and celery and cook for three minutes, stirring frequently. Turn off the Instant Pot.

Add the diced butternut squash, broth, and salt and hit the MANUAL button on the Instant Pot and set for 6 minutes under high pressure. Make sure the quick release switch in the closed position. When done, hit the OFF button and let the pressure release naturally.

When complete, open the cover and tilt so that the steam comes out the back and away from your face. 

Add the applesauce, cayenne pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon of thyme and, using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. 

Stir in the lemon juice and adjust salt and cayenne to taste. It should still be warm enough but if not, use the SAUTE function and heat for several minutes. 

Pour into large cups or small soup bowls, top with the remaining fresh thyme and serve. 

Directions (On the Stove Top)
Heat the oil in a soup pot on medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook for several minutes, stirring frequently. 

Add the diced butternut squash, broth, and salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the squash is soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat. Add the applesauce, cayenne pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon of thyme and, using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. 

Stir in the lemon juice and adjust salt and cayenne to taste.

Pour into large cups or small soup bowls, top with the remaining fresh thyme and serve.  

Nutrition
Per serving: 117 calories, 3 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 58 mg omega-3 and 263 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 2 g protein, 23 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, and 551 mg sodium.

Holiday Recipes Deserve Homemade BrothInstant Pot And Stove Top Vegetable Broth

Homemade broth is far superior to store bought.

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Homemade Broth is Far Superior

When I'm in a hurry, I often just use a Rapunzel bouillon cube for broth. I find most boxed broths taste like dishwater or they can be over salted and just unusable. But for my holiday recipes, I like to make my own broth. Especially on Thanksgiving when I need broth for soup, stuffing, and cooking potatoes or side veggies. 

You can either use fresh vegetables for your broth or veggie scraps that you have been saving in the freezer. But since it's a holiday, let's go all out and use fresh vegetables and herbs. 

Use your Instant Pot for a quick and easy broth or cook or simmer on the stovetop which is just as easy but takes a bit longer. You can double the recipe if needed.

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Instant Pot or Stovetop Vegetable Broth

Vegan, Dairy and Gluten Free

[makes 4 cups]

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 cups coarsely chopped onions

1 cup coarsely chopped leeks

1 1/2 cups thickly sliced celery

1 1/2 cups thickly sliced carrots

1 cup mushrooms

3 cloves garlic, cut in half

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs parsley

1 or 2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 teaspoon peppercorns

Salt to taste

Directions

For the Instant Pot:

Heat the oil in the Instant Pot by pressing the SAUTE button. Add the veggies and garlic and cook until they just begin to soften, stirring frequently, about 4 to 5 minutes. Press the OFF button.

Add the remaining ingredients. Cover with water and stir. Secure the lid and press the MANUAL button and set for 10 minutes at high pressure. When done, press OFF and let the pressure come down naturally. Remove the lid carefully with the steam pointed towards the back. 

Strain out the vegetables and herbs. Use immediately or refrigerate or freeze for later use.

For the Stove Top:

Heat the oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven and saute the vegetables and garlic, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Cover with water, stir, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for at least an hour. Strain out the vegetables and herbs. Use immediately or refrigerate or freeze for later use.

Healthy Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes

No Instant Pot? Download my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen, for vegan Thanksgiving Recipe ideas and Menus you can make without an Instant Pot.
Available on Amazon and iTunes.

Instant Pot - a Needed Helper for Holiday Cooking

If you're like most families, your oven and all the burners are busy when cooking for the holidays, especially on Thanksgiving. What better time to have an Instant Pot to lend a helping hand. I've got two!

Here are a few healthy, low-calorie Instant Pot recipes you might want to consider for your holiday meals. Except for the Farro recipe, they are also gluten free.

Start with Soup
I have two takes on soup. The first is one that's casual, served in a mug and handed to your guests in the kitchen while everyone is cooking. To do this, you need a brothy soup, like this Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup that I blogged earlier this week.

At only 117 calories, this won't many calories to your meal.

Of course, the other take on soup is to serve it as a first course at the dinner table. One of my absolute favorite soups that I make in the Instant Pot is Vegan Split Pea Soup with Shredded Carrots. 

Popular Thanksgiving Side Dishes

For a healthier mashed potato recipe, try Mashed Vegan Yukon Gold Potatoes and Cauliflower. This dairy-free, Instant Pot version of mashed potatoes will be welcomed by your dairy sensitive guests and the cauliflower lightens up the calories. 

Only 135 calories and a whopping 5 grams of dietary fiber!

If you prefer sweet potatoes, make these Instant Pot Maple Whipped Sweet Potatoes.

150 calories and only 1 gram of fat
and a whopping 4 g of dietary fiber!

Brussels sprouts are a must at our Thanksgiving table. Clean them ahead of time and make Sweet and Orangey Brussels Sprouts in your Instant Pot in just a few minutes time.

Only 65 calories per serving

Another side dish that you can easily make in your Instant Pot is Farro with Peas. 

Greens always dress up a table. If you aren't making mashed potatoes, you can make this Instant Pot Kale and New Potato dish. Of course you can omit the potatoes and double the kale in the recipe if you already have potatoes on the menu.

Only 54 calories and 1 gram of fat

Well, that should give you a few ideas on how to use your Instant Pot for your holiday cooking. I haven't figured out how to make a pumpkin pie in there yet, but you should have plenty of room left to do that in your oven.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Farro Stuffing For Your Thanksgiving Menu

Farro is an ancient grain with a lower gluten content.

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Farro, an Ancient Grain
I like grains that are a bit chewy, like barley, spelt, wheat berries, and farro. Farro is emmer wheat, an ancient strain of hard wheat. And like other ancient grains, like Einkorn, it's got a lower gluten content than modern wheat although it is still not suitable for those of you who have Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. But for people like my husband who has a slight sensitivity to wheat, this fills the bill. It's also great for those of you who would rather eat a whole grain stuffing rather than one made from heavily processed bread.

Farro comes in pearled, semi-pearled, and whole. The semi-pearled and whole has more fiber and bran but it takes longer to cook. 

If you are cooking and serving this in a casserole dish, you do not need any binders but if you are using this as a stuffing, you might need to use a beaten egg or flax egg to make it a bit firmer and hold it together.

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Farro Stuffing
Vegan, Dairy Free
[makes 6 servings]

Requires an 8"x8" casserole dish
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker for making farro (optional)

Ingredients
1 cup dry farro
1/2 to 1 whole Rapunzel vegetable bouillon cube*
Boiling water
1 1/2 tablespoons Earth Balance buttery spread plus some for baking dish
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 to 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, or to taste
1/4 black pepper
1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cups grated butternut squash
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

* depending on if you are using the Instant pot to make the farro.

Directions
Prepare the farro. 
Using the Instant Pot pressure cooker, dissolve the whole Rapunzel bouillon cube in 2 1/2 cups of boiling water. Set aside.
Using the "saute" function, toast the farro in the Instant Pot, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off. Add the water with the dissolved bouillon cube to the farro. Set for 7 minutes. When done, let the pressure come down naturally. Test for doneness. If necessary, cook longer. 

If you don't have a pressure cooker, cook the farro according to directions in salted water.  Set aside.
Dissolve 1/2 of the bouillon cube in 1/2 cup of boiling water. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8"x8" casserole dish with Earth Balance.

Melt 1/2 tablespoon of Earth Balance, on medium-low heat, in a large pan or 5-quart Dutch oven. Add the onion, celery, poultry seasoning, and black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their liquids, about 5 minutes. Add the butternut squash and cook until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. 

Stir in a tablespoon of Earth Balance. After it melts, add the cooked farro and fresh parsley and enough of the 1/2 cup of water with the dissolved bouillon cube to get the desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. There should be enough salt from the bouillon cube.

Place the farro mixture in a prepared casserole dish, cover, and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve.

Per serving: 187 calories, 4 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 6 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 5 g dietary fiber, and 395 mg sodium (using the entire bouillon cube).

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For more Thanksgiving recipes and menu ideas, download my ebook, Health Begins in the Kitchen: Delicious and Easy Vegan Recipes and Seasonal Food Plan.

Buy it now on iTunes

Buy it now on Amazon

Fuju Persimmon And Pomegranate Relish Perfect For Thanksgiving!

This simple and colorful side dish is vegan and gluten free.

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Getting the Menu Together
Thanksgiving is only 2 weeks away so I'm finalizing my menu. I've got a full house this year so I'm trying to pick recipes that are delicious, simple, and that can either be prepped or made ahead. 

Since my persimmon tree finally blessed me with over 4 dozen fuyu persimmons, I will definitely serve them in at least one dish. They pair beautifully with pomegranates, so I'm thinking of making this simple raw vegan relish. 

Persimmons and pomegranates pair
beautifully and reflect the colors of fall.

A lot of people avoid pomegranates because they think they are difficult to clean. I know I avoided them for years until I figured out how to clean them. It's really pretty simple with the trick being that you have to do it with the fruit submerged in a bowl of water. Check out my post on How To Clean a Pomegranate. 

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Fuju Persimmon and Pomegranate Relish
Raw Vegan, Gluten and Dairy Fee
[makes 8 (1/4-cup) servings

Ingredients
2 cups pomegranate arils
2 persimmons, finely diced (2 cups)
1 jalalpeno, finely diced (optional)
1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds*
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

* make sure you ask ahead if any of your guests have a nut allergy.

Directions
Toss all ingredients together and serve. It can also be stirred into freshly made cranberry sauce.

Nutrition
Per serving (with pecans): 114 calories, 5.5 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 69 mg omega-3 and 1,456 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 2 g protein, 17 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, and 2 mg sodium.

Per serving (without nuts): 67 calories, 1 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 mg omega-3 and 51 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 1 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, and 2 mg sodium.


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For more Thanksgiving recipes and menu ideas, download my ebook, Health Begins in the Kitchen: Delicious and Easy Vegan Recipes and Seasonal Food Plan.

Buy it now on iTunes

Buy it now on Amazon