The Weekly Eatly

3 Recipes, 2 Cooking Tips and 1 Moment of Calm

Hi everyone 👋

Autumn/Fall leaves have well and truly arrived here in the North of England. It seems early but this is only our first year up here so it’s probably perfectly normal. When do those leaves start gathering for you?

Like me, many of you probably love this season for cooking comfort soups and warming stews and the Instant Pot is my best friend here. It saves so much time and is perfect for batching up extra to get in that freezer. And on those unpredictable days, setting your soup away and knowing that the ‘keep warm’ function will keep everything hot and ready to eat ‘til you’re ready, always brings a bit of calm here. Yes, I love Autumn.

3 Recipes on a soupy theme this week

1. One-Pot Red Lentil Tortilla Soup by VeganRicha.

This one can be cooked in the Instant Pot or on the stove top/hob. Instructions for the Instant Pot are in the small notes at the bottom of the recipe card.
https://www.veganricha.com/lentil-tortilla-soup

2. Instant Pot Leek and Potato Soup from me!

This is one of my favourite dairy free soups using cashew cream for that extra special touch
https://www.cookingandcalm.com/home/instantpot-leek-and-potato-soup-dairy-free

3. Corn Cob Stock from Riverford Farms.

This is a new one on me and I had no idea you could add corn cobs to stock, though it seems obvious now I think of it. If you want to try this in the Instant Pot I’d recommend trying the recipe with about a 1/3 less water and cook it for around 6 minutes High then Natural Pressure Release. And let me know how you get on 😊
https://www.riverford.co.uk/recipes/corn-cob-stock

2 Cooking Tips

🍞Quick croutons with a little extra - having an air fryer means you no longer need be so organised about your croutons. I’d never put a full oven for them, but the air fryer does a grand job at the drop of a hat. I like to dab a cut clove of garlic on the bread before I cut the croutons, then toss them in some olive oil. In my airfryer 160C is plenty hot enough and they’re ready to add some crunch to those soups in about 10 minutes. Remember to give them a shake now and again and check frequently the first time - air fryers really vary in cooking temps.

🥙For an even easier bit of crunch with your soup, try heating up a shop bought pitta bread in the air fryer. If they are a bit stale or not great quality, I find splashing on a bit of water before popping them in the air fryer can really help. Once hot, brush them with some olive oil or melted butter and scatter on a spice that goes with your soup. I love zatar for more spiced soups but experiment away!

1 Moment of Calm

Eating soup is unlike consuming other kinds of food. It's not just nourishing; it's also soothing. Soup calls our better, more peaceful selves to the table.
~ Major Jackson, New York Times

And finally…if you are shopping for a new Instant Pot I’ve FINALLY managed to publish my 6 month review of the Instant Pot Duo plus Whisper Quiet on YouTube. If you don’t know it, it’s a mid range model in the Duo range and has that wonderful adjustable sauté. I’ve had some really good results with this one so it’s worth checking out if you’re looking at an upgrade but not ready to ‘go pro’. Instant Pot tend to have some good bargains as we get towards the holidays and Black Friday so keep your eyes peeled for bargains, whichever model you’re interested in. My video on the Whisper Quiet is here: