The question cookbook authors hear over and over again is, “What’s your favorite recipe in the book?” For Livermore’s Michelle Smith, food blogger at The Whole Smiths, and author of “The Whole Smiths Real Food Every Day” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $30), this is it.
According to Smith, this easy Instant Pot recipe “epitomizes what eating well means: whole foods, convenience and absolute freaking deliciousness.” It’s paleo, gluten-free and makes great leftovers, too.
Chicken Tikka Masala Soup
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 teaspoons salt, divided use
2 teaspoons avocado oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken broth
5 whole black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
2 teaspoons coconut sugar
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (grated on a Microplane)
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
13.5- to 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Unsweetened shredded coconut, for garnish
Directions
Season the chicken thighs with 2 teaspoons salt and set aside.
Set the Instant Pot to the sauté function and pour in the avocado oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until it is soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring so that the garlic doesn’t burn, for 1 minute.
Add the chicken thighs, broth, peppercorns, cloves, coconut sugar, ginger, coriander, cardamom, cayenne, nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, tomatoes and remaining 2 teaspoons salt to the Instant Pot. Set the Instant Pot to the poultry setting, lock the lid into place and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and set aside to cool until you can touch it.
Use an immersion blender to blend the soup directly in the Instant Pot until it is smooth. Set the Instant Pot to the sauté function and cook the soup for 10 minutes to thicken it. Using your hands, tear the chicken into small pieces and return it to the Instant Pot. Stir in the coconut milk.
To serve, pour the soup into bowls and top with cilantro and shredded coconut. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
— From Michelle Smith’s “The Whole Smiths Real Food Every Day” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; $30)
