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!

What are your pressure cooker tips and tricks?

Post them in the comments form!