Back to School season is upon us and as a mom, I naturally start thinking about preventing seasonal flus and colds. I always strive to provide my family with the most nutritious meals, but I put a little extra effort into it at this time of year. After all, we want our kids to be as healthy as possible right?!
Along with immunity, eye health is a big focus for us, especially in September. I understand the importance of good vision and I want to give my kids the tools they need to succeed with their education. Because so much of our learning is visual, 80% up to age 12, children should have their eyes examined by an optometrist once a year starting at 6 months of age. A child who is unable to see properly can become easily frustrated and vision problems can be mistaken for learning disabilities. This is why regular eye exams and the right nutrients are so important!
Today I'm going to share with you a hearty, immunity building one pot recipe that is perfect for the season. It's also very kid friendly, easy to make and so delicious! This soup is nutrient dense with veggies that are packed with beta-carotene, potassium, antioxidants, vitamin C and vitamin A. That means vision support and good eye health, reduced risk for heart disease and protection against certain types of cancers. My family loves this recipe for a warm lunch or a quick to make dinner!
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 a diced onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 cups of potato chopped (I use baby potatoes and cut in quarters)
4 stalks of celery chopped
3 carrots chopped
1 zucchini chopped
1 cup of broccoli
1 carton of vegetable broth
1 can 19oz of beans (I like bean medley)
1 can 156ml tomato paste
1 can 28oz diced tomatoes
1 TBSP Better Than Bouillon - Veggie
The first step is fairly important because it pulls a lot of flavor from the onion. You will want to saute onion and garlic in your Instant Pot with some olive oil. Make sure to heat the oil up a touch and then toss in the onion and garlic.
Next, you are going to chop up your vegetables into bite sizes pieces and set them aside. Once the onions and garlic are done sautéing you can add the vegetables to the pot. If you have other veggies in your fridge you need to use up, toss them in too! I often add purple cabbage if I have it laying around.
Pour one carton of vegetable broth into the instant pot and I always top up with water to the max line. Add the tomato paste, can of diced tomatoes, beans, and the veggie bouillon. The bouillon adds so much flavor and I never find I need to add any additional salt.
Put on your lid and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. The pot will take about 20 minutes to come up to pressure before the cooking begins.
When the cooking ends, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then move the pressure release to vent to release any remaining steam.
Open the pot and serve in bowls! Enjoy!
This post was sponsored by IRIS.
