I love using my Instant Pot to make elegant soups in minutes that taste like they've been simmering for hours. I know of no other way to get those complex flavors in under a half hour and, when I don't have the time to spend hours making soup (and sometimes even when I do), I turn to my Instant Pot again and again to get company-ready meals on my table in less time than it takes to have a pizza delivered!
The combination of earthy fall vegetables, spicy Thai seasonings, creamy coconut milk, and fresh lime juice makes a perfect bisque that serves as the foundation for a generous helping of spicy, tender shrimp. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup in batches in the jar of your traditional blender. I like using the immersion blender since you can process the soup all at once in the Instant Pot, which is safer, faster, and easier.
This soup can easily stand on its own, though a simple side salad can certainly be added to round out the meal. Choose something with a citrusy dressing to tie in with the splash of fresh lime juice that finishes the bisque. Dinner's served!
Thai Shrimp & Carrot Bisque
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cups diced carrots
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 8 oz. medium shrimp, peeled & deveined
- 1 tablespoon cooking fat of your choice - I used bacon fat
- 1 teaspoon Bangkok blend or other Thai-inspired seasoning
- 1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Heat the olive oil in your Instant Pot set on the sauté setting. Add the onion and carrots, and cook for 5 minutes until onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic cloves, curry paste, coriander, and cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
Add in the chicken broth and put the lid on the Instant Pot. Cancel the sauté setting and set the pot to cook at high pressure for 4 minutes.
While the bisque is cooking in the pot, prepare the shrimp by heating the cooking fat of your choice over medium-high heat in a medium nonstick skillet. Add the peeled shrimp and sprinkle liberally with the Thai seasoning of your choice. Continue cooking and stirring the shrimp until fully cooked and pink. Set aside.
After the 4 minutes of cooking time has elapsed, allow the Instant Pot to release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes before manually releasing any remaining pressure. Add the coconut milk, maple syrup, and lime juice and, using an immersion blender, puree until creamy and smooth. Adjust the seasonings as desired and serve the bisque in bowls with a generous helping of shrimp added to the bowls at the table.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 20 minutes