Monday, January 16, 2023

Carrot Tahini Soup In The Instant Pot



carrot soup with parsley, vegan, Instant Pot

Carrot soup is easy to make, nutrient-rich, and delicious. Adding tahini to carrot soup turns it into something unusual and amazing!! 

It's a perfect recipe to eat at on a week night for a family dinner or to serve as an interesting soup for special company. Cooking for one or two? Cut the recipe in half. 

carrots on pretty plate

Fresh carrots are a staple that I always stock in my refrigerator just in case I want to make soup. Sometimes to add a few carrots to a hearty lentil soup recipe (link to recipe) or sometimes to use in a simple carrot soup, such as this wonderful carrot tahini soup.


tahini paste
I use this organic tahini paste in a glass jar from Trader Joe's 

Are you familiar with tahini paste?
It is a paste made from sesame seeds and very popular in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries. It is frequently added to chickpeas to make hummus or baba ganooj spread (link to recipe). It provides calcium, iron, copper as well as other valuable minerals and vitamins. Tahini has a unique pleasing flavor and helps make this carrot recipe slightly exotic. 

Onion, Slice, Knife, Food, Ingredient

This vegan gluten-free soup calls for just a few basic ingredients plus some flavorful spices.

Are you aware that spices are an excellent source of valuable antioxidants. We need antioxidants to help protect our cells from cell damage that may lead to disease. 

Keeps in refrigerator 2-3 days or Freezes well
This soup can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. It can be frozen for 2 months, but I would freeze before adding the tahini paste and then add the tahini paste prior to serving. 

bowl of carrot soup with seeds for garnish

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, or pumpkin seeds which all add some extra protein to this pretty vegetable soup. 

I do love carrots and have made other carrot recipes in the past which you may also like such as Roasted Tomato Carrot Soup (link to recipe) or Carrot Ginger Soup With Lime (link to recipe).

cup of vegan carrot ginger soup, Instant Pot

I initially saw the idea for this soup recipe on a blog called Havoc In The Kitchen (link to Ben's recipe and blog) and then discovered other similar recipes on a variety of other blogs. Ben's photography and presentation are exquisite - you gotta go take a look -

After looking at a number of recipes, I decided to use one of my own basic Instant Pot carrot soup recipes and just added tahini and some za'atar. It came out great! Thanks Ben for the idea!!

Personally, I like to make all my soups in the Instant Pot, but of course this easy recipe could just as easily be made on the stove top if you prefer.

Ingredients: 
1 onion, chopped 
8-10 large organic carrots, cleaned and sliced
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder or 4 cloves of fresh garlic, crushed
3 cups of vegetable broth 
4 cups of water
1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric 
4 teaspoons of tahini (or more to taste) 
1/2 tsp of cumin, coriander, or za'atar (pick one not all)
Cracked black pepper to taste 
Garnish: seeds of choice (sesame, pumpkin, almonds) or fresh greens

Directions:
Add the onion, carrots, garlic powder or garlic, broth and water to the insert liner of the Instant Pot. Set to pressure cook for 4 minutes. When done manually release steam according to the manufacturers directions.  Add remainder of ingredients except garnish. Using an immersion blender blend until smooth and creamy. Serve and garnish. * before serving adjust seasoning- add more salt, pepper, and garlic powder if needed. 

My Notes: 
1. Za'atar is a natural spice to go with this soup 
2.This soup pairs well with avocado toast (GF of course) for a light lunch. If you feel you want more protein top the avocado toast with mashed chickpeas. 
3. This soup is kosher parve and may be suitable to use for a Sephardic Passover recipe.
4. This soup is vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free
5. Tahini separates in the jar. You will need to mix the paste and the oil together before using. I usually like to pour off and discard some of the oil from the jar before mixing to somewhat reduce the high oil content of tahini paste. 
6. Organic carrots are readily available in most markets. I think they taste better and are better for you!
7. Tahini paste does not need refrigeration unless indicated on jar.








14 comments:

  1. I love tahini so I'm sure I would enjoy this soup. It is a gorgeous dish!! I also can usually taste when a veg isn't organic or home grown. It's especially noticeable in carrots, celery and peppers for me. I hope you have a wonderful week!!

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  2. The soup sounds really wonderful. I like the add of tahini.

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  3. Yum, yum. Love organic carrots, tahini, and flavorful spices including turmeric. Will try the recipe real soon.

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  4. This sounds wonderful -- and what beautiful presentation.

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  5. It looks delicious!...I love it with zaatar....Abrazotes, Marcela

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  6. I use the tahini from Trader Joe's to make hummus, but I love your idea to infuse tahini into your homemade carrot soup. This is such a fabulous way to add a fun flavor twist to the soup.

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  7. Looks hearty and delish.
    Love the beautiful presentation.

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  8. I'm loving all this beautiful orange! And I've always been a fan of carrots. When I was a kid, my mom would peel and wash them for me for snacks. They were always still a little wet, so I got in the habit of asking for "water carrots." 🥕🥕🥕😁

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  9. This looks so good. We are soup people this winter too!

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  10. I love how healthy this delicious soup is - a great new comfort food.

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  11. What a great idea to add tahini, this soup sounds delicious!
    Jenna

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  12. I'm not always a fan of carrot soup, but with tahini in it, I think I'd be a lot more interested!

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  13. Hey Judee! I used to buy Tahini until I got a Vitamix and now it's quick to whip up. Though really, with hummus, the blender can just mix the seeds in with the beans. Though Tim doesn't fancy the sesame with the beans so for him I use cashew. LOVED your carrot soup photo. STUNNING!!!!!!! Happy Cooking & Eating!

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  14. Oh, how did I miss this post?! Thank you for mentioning my blog. The soup looks wonderful - terrific colour! And I love the addition of spices; they must make the flavour profile more complex and the soup itself more warming and cozy!

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Your comments are appreciated. I love knowing who is stopping by to read my posts! Have a great day.

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