Instant Pot Carrot Curry Soup

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Instant Pot Carrot Curry Soup is a flavorful and delicious soup. Top with chopped peanuts, toasted coconut, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime for the perfect bite. 

One of the times when the language barrier is very apparent is when I am ordering from a menu. I know quite a few German food words, but sometimes when the server puts a plate in front of me, I am surprised by what it is. I usually just laugh and try something new.

A few weeks ago, Wes and I were out to lunch and I ordered carrot ginger soup. The soup looked smooth and tasted great, but as I used my spoon to pull from the bottom of the soup crock, I noticed something hard sitting on the bottom. I couldn’t immediately tell what it was, and after some investigation, I realized it was a shrimp.

One very large shrimp.

I thought that it might be an accident. It’s a weird thing to put in carrot soup, and even weirder for it to be one really big shrimp. I asked the server if I could see the menu again and sure enough, I completely missed the word shrimp. Thank goodness I don’t have a shellfish allergy. It’s little things like this that keep life interesting here in Germany.

I love carrot soup and always have way too many in my veggie drawer. I saw this recipe from Joy the Baker and knew that I needed to make it. Curry is one of my favorite things and this soup is delicious. Don’t skip the toppings. I think that is what makes this all come together and I like it to have a little crunch and texture. Joy made hers on the stove, but I threw it in the Instant Pot. You can make it either way and it will be delicious. I used one of my Top 5 favorite kitchen tools – my immersion blender so it was really one pot with very little cleanup.

Instant Pot Carrot Curry Soup

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 Tablespoons red curry paste
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 5 cups peeled and chopped carrot
• 3 1/2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
• 1 can coconut milk

To serve:

• Toasted coconut
• Chopped peanuts
• Lime wedges
• Chopped cilantro

Heat Instant Pot to sauté. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and cook until they begin to soften about 3 minutes. Make sure to stir frequently to not burn the garlic.

Add the curry paste, curry powder, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper.

Continue to cook for another minute.

Add the carrots and stir to combine.

Pour in stock.

Cook using SOUP setting for 20 minutes.

Let pressure release naturally. (I was in a hurry, so I let it out myself.)

Add coconut milk.

Use a stick blender to puree until smooth. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with toasted coconut, chopped peanuts, a squeeze of lime, and chopped cilantro.

Helpful Tips on Instant Pot Carrot Curry Soup:

• Adapted from Joy the Baker.
• This can be made on the stove without an Instant Pot. Put in a pot and simmer until the carrots are soft enough to blend. Everything else is the same.
• If you do not have an immersion or stick blender, transfer to a blender and puree in batches.
• Red curry paste can be found in the international aisle of the grocery store.

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