Mushrooms are totally delectable and I love them prepared almost any way you can imagine.  Sautéed with LOTS of garlic, baked, stuffed and of course inside a big bowl of comforting mushroom soup!

Did you know that mushrooms are often considered medicinal? They are known to absorb and safely eliminate toxins in our bodies.  A natural blessing in today’s toxin-laden world. Some mushrooms, like relishi, are even believed to increasing longevity.  Just more reasons to chow down on some mushrooms today.

Health benefits aside, mushrooms can also naturally enhance the flavour of your dish!  They boost the savoury element of foods they are cooked with due to the natural presence of glutamic acid.  Mushrooms are a great way to add some umami to your dish! (Umami is Japanese word that is translated as “pleasant savoury taste“).

If you’re not sure how to get more mushrooms into your diet then consider a delicious bowl of healing soup.  I like a hot bowl teaming with mushrooms and bone broth for the base.

Try not to be tempted by those ready-to-eat cans of mushroom soup.  They almost always contain unhealthy ingredients that should be avoided.  Ingredients like modified food starch, flavourings, soy protein concentrate, MSG and vegetable oils are anything but friendly to our bodies.  Instead, they can bog down our intricate bodies and cause negative effects.

Homemade soup on the other hand, made with real, fresh ingredients like the ones you see below nourish our bodies and provide them with the tools to heal from the inside out.

Recently I’ve started to use homemade bone broth as the base of my soups because it contains so many extra vitamins, minerals and proteins.  If you don’t have access to bone broth, don’t worry, you can use chicken or veggie stock and your soup will still be full of nourishing goodness.

I use a mix of King Oyster, Cremini and Button mushrooms for a more complex taste but you could totally substitute your favourite.

Instant Pot Mushroom Soup Recipe

Ingredients 

• 220 grams King Oyster mushrooms, chopped
• 227 grams Cremini sliced mushrooms
• 227 grams whole Button mushrooms, pulsed in food processor to look like the consistency in the above picture (or finely chopped/minced)
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves + stems, chopped
• 3-5 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups bone broth or stock of choice
• 3 springs fresh thyme
• 1/2 tbsp dried dill
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• 1/8 tsp dried nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Bunch of spring onions, white + beginning of greens only, stems removed (I used 5 white parts)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• Pinch of white + black pepper
• Fresh lemon to serve
• Fresh minced chives to serve
• Coconut milk (from the can), 1 tbsp per bowl, stirred in just prior to serving

Method

1. Plug in the Instant Pot and press the “Sauté” function.  Add olive oil to the stainless steel cooking insert and sauté the onions until they begin to soften and turn translucent.  Add a pinch of salt to bring out flavours and release juices.
2. Add the pulsed button mushrooms and continue sautéing until the mushrooms start to soften and some liquid is released.
3. Add the Oyster and Cremini mushrooms to the pot and stir well.  Sauté, staring often, until liquid has released and the mushrooms and soft and fragrant.
4.  Add the garlic and parsley and cook for one minute until the garlic becomes fragrant.
5. Add the spices and cook for one minute followed by the vinegar.  Allow the vinegar to cook off for one minute more, continuing to stir.
6. Add the bone broth to the pot and stir the soup to combine well.
7. Press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button to stop the sauté mode
8. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and lock the lid.  Twist the steam release handle on the lid to “Sealing”. 
9. Press the “Soup” button to switch the cooking mode.  Use the “+/-” buttons to set the cooking time to 20 minutes.  Note that the soup will be cooking for longer than 20 minutes as it takes time for the pressure cooker to reach desired pressure.  The 20 minute timer will start once proper pressure is achieved.
10. Once the soup is done cooking the Instant Pot will automatically switch to the “Keep Warm” mode and will signal done with beeps.  Once you hear the beeps, the soup has cooked for the full 20 minutes at full pressure. Let the soup remain in the “Keep Warm” mode for 10 minutes and then press “Cancel.”
11. Twist the steam release handle on the lid to “Venting”.  I always put on my oven mitt as a precaution as a small amount of steam will escape from the venting hole.
12. Once the pressure has released, carefully open the Instant Pot.
13. Test for seasoning.  Add more salt, fresh cracked pepper and fresh squeezed lemon juice to taste.
14. Ladle soup into serving bowls making sure to include a good amount of mushrooms in each bowl! Stir in one tbsp of coconut milk and sprinkle with fresh chives then enjoy!