Instant Pot Tomato Soup w/ Basil & Parmesan

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup finely diced celery
• 1/2  cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 of medium white onion, diced
• 2 cups of water with chicken bouillon or chicken stock
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tbsp dried basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cups warmed half & half but you can use milk as well
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Turn your Instant Pot to sauté and let it warm up for a few minutes.
2. Chop your onions, carrots and celery.
3. Add a tablespoon of oil – I used olive oil – and the onions to the pot and saute for about 2-3 minutes. Then add the carrots and celery and continue to saute for another minute. Just until all of the veggies are nice and soft.
4. Now add your oregano, basil and bay leaf to the the veggies and saute for another 30 seconds. I do this so the dried herbs get a chance to release all of their flavors.
5. Add the water with chicken bouillon or stock into the pot as well as the crushed tomatoes.
6. Cover the pot, turn off your sauté function and turn the valve to the “sealing” setting.
7. Select the Pressure Cook setting and with the + feature, set the timer to 5 minutes. I have a 3 QT Instant Pot and mine has the Pressure Cook setting, some Instant Pots may show MANUAL.
8. Now – even though you selected 5 minutes, it will take the Instant Pot about 10 minutes to set up and come to pressure and then it will start counting down from 5. Don’t panic.
9. When the Instant Pot starts counting down from 5 minutes, prep your butter and melt it in the microwave. To the melted butter, whisk in the flour until well combined. It will be thick.
10. The 5 minutes should be up by now but at this time let the pot sit for about 5-8 minutes. Now move the valve to “venting” setting but do it with your left hand or with a kitchen towel. This way you don’t get the steam all over your hand. Once the pressure is fully released, you can slowly open the pot.
11. Turn your Instant Pot to the saute function again. Ladle a cup of the hot soup into your flour & butter mixture. Mix it well and then add it back into the Instant Pot and whisk until combined. Let it cook for another few minutes on the saute setting but keep mixing so it does not stick to the bottom.
12. Turn off your pot.
13. Add the half & half or milk and the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Now try it before you add salt and pepper. The Parmesan cheese is pretty salty and so is the chicken bouillon and the saltiness level will vary depending on what you used. Water or stock.
14. I let it sit for another few min to cool down and pureed it with a handheld mixer for a smooth finish.
15. Serve and enjoy.

We ate ours with grilled cheese sandwiches but you can also serve it with croutons or a side salad.