Pressure cookers considerably shorten the cooking time of just about anything – including soups! Here are a few tricks, and coordinating recipes, to get you making soups like a pro – faster.
Thicken After, Not Before – Pressure in your cooker is achieved by the liquid boiling inside and creating vapor, which has nowhere to go while even more vapor is being made. Thick, creamy soups that often begin with a roux have very little liquid that can evaporate – resulting in a pressure cooker that does not reach pressure and scorched food! Thicken soups after the pressure cooking is finished . To save time, make the roux separately and add it as soon as the soup is finished! (see New England Clam Chowder recipe)
Delay the Dairy – Milk, cream and cheeses don’t do well in the super-heated environment that is inside your pressure cooker – they can scorch or curdle. Wait until after pressure cooking is finished to add them. A few extra minutes of simmering after you pop off the lid are enough to infuse their flavor and creaminess into the whole soup. (see New England Clam Chowder recipe)
Brown and Caramelize to Deepen Flavor – This is a step that you can’t skip even when pressure cooking. While some recipes will suggest that you dump everything in and go… take the time to brown to reach a depth of flavor that will be out of this world! You don’t need to brown everything. Just use enough of the main ingredient to cover the bottom of your pressure cooker, and then boil the rest. (see Butternut Squash Veloute’ recipe)
Make the Stock while you make the soup –Why not start making a soup by making your own vegetable stock? It is much less complicated than it sounds only adds 10 minutes to your soup cooking time. If you use quality vegetables (instead of scraps), you can strain them, and dress them in balsamic vinegar, and have an instant side dish! (see Mini Meatball Broth recipe)
Phase in, phase out – With the “phased cooking ” method, where you open the pressure cooker at different intervals to add or subtract ingredients, you can use ingredients with different cooking times… together! The phases of the Mini Meatball Broth, for example, are as follows: Make the Stock, open, remove veggies & add meatballs, open, add pastina, serve! (see Mini Meatball Broth recipe)
Now, you do it!
These amazing soups, only need 15 minutes or less to cook under pressure. The last one is doubly amazing since it is a one pot meal!
- 15-Minute New England Clam Chowder
- Butternut Squash and Ginger Veloute’
- Pressure Cooker Mini Meatball Broth – One Pot Meal
- or see all of the soup recipes on this website!
- All pressure cooker Tips & Tricks
What are your pressure cooker tips and tricks?
Post them in the comments form!
nice article, thank you
Love your tips! Good job. :) Thanks for hopping by!
These are GREAT tips for pressure cooking! I can’t wait to utilize them with my new cooker ~
I just bought an electric pc and I’m thrilled to find your site. I have made ribs, sauerkraut and potatoes that were great, just like Mom’s but only took 16 mins. to cook–yum. Now I want to try leek and potatoe soup and your tips are great since I don’t have a pc cookbook and I am trying to wing it. Thanks. 71&still learning
Welcome! It sounds like you’re doing just fine winging it. Glad to help and inspire!
Ciao,
L
About making stock:
Whenever I’m done with store roasted rotisserie chicken I brown an onion, a carrot and some celery, add some rosemary and/or garlic salt, put in the carcass with a cup of liquid and cook for 15 minutes. The result is a small jar of superior concentrated chicken stock at no cost.
Thank you for all of the pressure cooker tips. I didn’t know that pressure cookers could cook soups. That is good to know that if I want a thicker soup I should thicken it after the pressure cooking is finished. I wouldn’t want my soup to get scorched because I thickened it beforehand.
Thank you for posting this article. I’m new to the instant pot and these tips sound very useful for making soup in the instant pot : )