Curried Sweet Potato Soup in the Instant Pot

Smooth and creamy with warming Thai spices, this vegan sweet potato soup cooks up quickly in the Instant Pot for an easy first course or light meal.

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I like to use my Instant Pot to prepare meal components--not just meals. In the summertime that means cooking--and freezing--endless ears of freshly shucked corn, or steaming potatoes for potato salad or my Grilled Garlic Scape Pesto Smashed Potatoes recipe. In the fall and winter that means preparing winter squash and root vegetables.

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If you find yourself with an abundance of oddly-shaped sweet potatoes from your Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share, the farmer's market, an ugly produce subscription service or your own garden--try this recipe! It's a terrific way to use cooked sweet potatoes in a simple and satisfying soup.

Lemony Beet and Lentil Salad

A hearty salad of red lentils and beets in a lemon thyme vinaigrette. This vegan recipe is a healthy addition to a summer pot luck because it keeps well at room temperature.

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Salads are staples in our fridge in the summer. It doesn't seem to matter the base of the salad--lettuce, kale, potatoes, or grains--having a salad is a go to alongside grilled vegetables and proteins. Something that can be prepared ahead of time is a great way to round out a meal when you're busy working at the grill on the entree.

This blush colored salad is a colorful cool addition to a picnic. Since the dressing is made of lemon juice and olive oil, it can sit out at room temperature for quite a while safely. For leftovers, I like to mix in a bit of hummus for a quick version of my Layered Summer Appetizer. If you need to bring a salad to a pot luck, something that can hold at room temperature is a great idea for summertime. It provides a change of pace from mayonnaise-based potato salads, a gluten free option from macaroni salads, and a vegan option to bacon-topped tossed salads.