2tsproasted garlic and chile pepper flavored olive oil
Instructions
Add 1 cup of the water to the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Then add the asparagus, followed by broccoli, sweet potatoes, green peas, and basil. Now add the remaining one cup of water, salt, and ground pepper.
Now close the Instant Pot. Make sure the sealing ring is in place and set the vent to the sealing position. Pressure cook for 6 minutes at high-pressure manual mode and release the pressure naturally. When the pressure is all released, carefully open the lid.
Let the veggies cool a bit.
And using a hand blender/immersion blender, puree the soup. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can puree it in a mixer jar. Do it in batches.
After pureeing, set the Instant Pot in saute mode. Check for the seasonings and if required, add salt. If using chili flakes, add it now and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. (The soup will splash. So be cautious and turn off right away) And that's it. The creamy asparagus soup is ready. Add the toppings/garnishes and serve warm.
Video
Notes
I did not use any cream, but you can use non-dairy cream or regular heavy cream for a rich version.
The chili oil is optional. Without that, this recipe is completely oil-free. You can add some roasted asparagus, croutons for the toppings instead of sesame seeds.
If you like chunky soup, blend it coarsely or reserve some asparagus chunks before pureeing the soup.
As always, adjust the salt and spices as per your preference.
Instead of fresh basil, you can use dried ones (1 to 1.5 tbsp would be good) or other herbs of your choice. But don't go overboard with herbs as it alters the flavor.
The soup is slightly on the thicker side, and you can thin it down as per your consistency preference.