Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup

• 1/2 cup raw or roasted cashews*
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 celery stalks
• 4 medium carrots
• 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup wild rice (not a wild rice blend)
• 1 cup dried great northern white beans (not canned! The Instant Pot will cook the dry beans)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, tamari, or liquid aminos

1. Place the cashews in a bowl and cover them with water. Leave them to soak while you make the recipe.
2. Dice the onion. Thinly slice the celery. Cut the carrot into rounds. Slice the mushrooms. Mince the garlic.
3. Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot and turn on Saute mode. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and oregano and stir for 2 minutes.
4. Add the broth, wild rice, dried white beans, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and black pepper. Lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Place the pressure release handle (vent) in the “Sealing” position.
5. Cook on High Pressure for 45 minutes: Press the Pressure Cook button, making sure the “High Pressure” setting is selected, and set the time. Note that it takes about 5 to 10 minutes for the pot to “preheat” and come up to pressure before it starts cooking. (During cooking, avoid touching the metal part of the lid.)
6. Quick release: Vent the remaining steam from the Instant Pot by moving the pressure release handle to “Venting”, covering your hand with a towel or hot pad. Never put your hands or face near the vent when releasing steam. Open the pressure cooker lid. Taste a bean to see if it is tender (bean brands can vary). If not, cook on High Pressure for another 5 minutes and do a quick release.
7. Carefully remove 2 cups of the soup (broth, veggies and all) to a blender. Drain the cashews and add them to the blender with the dried sage. Blend on high for about 1 minute until creamy. Then pour back into the soup.
8. Add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt the soy sauce. Taste, and adjust seasonings as desired. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh ground pepper.

*If you use roasted salted cashews, omit the soy sauce at the end; then add it to taste. If you have a cashew allergy, try using the same amount of whole milk or cream to make a creamy base.

**Stovetop instructions: To make the same soup on the stovetop, do the following: Follow the same instructions in a large pot or Dutch oven, but use only 1 tablespoon of dried oregano. Instead of white beans, use a 1 15-ounce can white beans and do not add until the very end. Bring the entire soup to a boil (without white beans), then simmer for 50 minutes. Drain the beans, then stir them in. Follow the blending and stirring steps as listed.