Veggie Soup For Any Soul
No one likes being sick. And with the flu and all the nasty bugs going around this winter, I managed to keep healthy and avoided getting sick … until a few weeks ago. And even so, it was still just a very minor cold and thankfully NOT anything worse. But still … it was unpleasant and I desperately wanted a veggie soup to help me feel better.
Also, I got an Instant Pot a couple of months ago, and I’d only used it for a few very basic cooking tasks. I hadn’t tried making soup yet, so I wanted to take advantage of it’s purported quick pressure cooking features to make a soup.
I wanted a wide variety of vegetables for my soup. The more different types of vegetables you include, the more of the various phytonutrients you can get. Each vegetable has its own select profile of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. No one vegetable has them all, so it’s best to try to get them from a variety of sources. This is why you hear dietitians recommend to “eat the rainbow!”
Vegetables
Sweet Potato: rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Manganese, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin B6, Biotin, Potassium, Fiber, Vitamin E
Tomato: Vitamin C, Biotin, Vitamin K, Potassium, Folate, Lycopene, Beta-Carotene, Chlorogenic Acid
Corn: Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin B3, Fiber, Folate, antioxidants Ferulic Acid and Anthocyanins, and eye-protecting compounds Zeaxanthin and Lutein
Kale: Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Manganese, Copper, Vitamin B6, Fiber, Calcium, Iron, Vitamin E, Lutein, Zeaxanthin, and many anti-cancer compounds and antioxidants
Shiitake Mushrooms: Copper, Pantothenic Acid, Selenium, Vitamin B2, Zinc, Manganese, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B3, Choline, Fiber, Vitamin D, Folate, and many possible anti-cancer and immune-boosting compounds
Onion: rich in Vitamin C, Folate, Vitamin B6, Anthocyanins, Quercetin, anti-cancer sulfides and polysufides, and antimicrobial thiosulfinates
Garlic: rich in Manganese, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, and many compounds that fight colds & flu, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol
Herbs & Spices
Turmeric: contains curcumin, which is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound
Cumin: contains antioxidants, anti-cancer compounds, and antiseptic properties
No Instant Pot?
Don’t have an Instant Pot? Not to worry! Of course, you can still make this veggie soup in a traditional pot or even in a slow cooker if you like.
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 medium sweet potato, cubed
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1 cup kale, chopped
- 1/2 cup edamame, shelled
- 6 ounces Shiitake mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 5 leaves basil, fresh, chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon turmeric, ground
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin, ground
- 1/2 tablespoon oregano, dried
- water, enough to full inner pot to 2/3 PC fill line
- Turn Instant Pot on to Saute setting.
- When hot, saute onion for about 1 minute until starting to turn translucent.
- Add minced garlic and saute for another minute until garlic just starts to brown.
- Add remaining ingredients.
- Add enough water to fill the inner pot to the "2/3 PC Max" line.
- Close and lock the Instant Pot lid. Turn the steam vent to "sealing position."
- Press "Soup". Use default time for Normal setting, or adjust as needed.
- When done, allow to depressurize via Natural Release.