Instant Pot Cooking Tips
1.It’s perfectly fine to steam different veggies together. Just make sure they all have similar cooking times.
2.Test the vegetables as soon as the cooking process is over. If a fork easily pierces a vegetable, it’s done. If not, quickly put the lid back on the pot and let it sit for a minute or two. Don’t turn the pot back on: That will overcook the vegetables. Use the remaining heat inside the sealed pot to make the veggies tender.
3.The remaining liquid in the pot can be put into a jar and frozen to be used as vegetable stock later. Just add the cooking liquid from each batch of steamed veggies to the jar until there is enough to cook with.
For people who feel that they are too busy to cook, learning to steam vegetables in Instant Pot is a great way of saving time and eating healthier meals.
From Steaming Veggies To Instant Pot Super User
So many people leave their Instant Pot in the box for a month or six months or even a year before they get it out. Its just one of those appliances that intimidate people. Really, setting up an Instant Pot isnt that hard, and my kids even show you how to do it.
My funny story is that I got an Instant Pot as a free product review sample. I should have been so excited to dig into it, because it was really new, getting some good buzz, but definitely nowhere near as big as it is now. Many people hadnt even heard of it.
I was busy.
Im easily overwhelmed by new appliances.
I dont like reading directions.
And I didnt want to mess it up. I knew that with pressure cooking, there were some safety issues, so I was nervous.
Then along came summer and a huge birthday party for all four of my kids and 30 or 40 family members. The night before the party, I was trying to plan how I would keep everything warm and have everything cooked for this cool baked potato bar we were serving.
I was running out of burners, slow cookers, and options.
I remembered that I had that Instant Pot in the basement. I ran down and grabbed it, quickly skimmed the directions for how to steam broccoli, and packed it up to take to my in-laws house the next day.
Im sure I did not set up the Instant Pot right and definitely didnt run a cycle without food in it. Im so embarrassed to admit this. I completely overcooked the broccoli because I didnt read the instructions well at all. But nothing exploded.
How To Steam Instant Pot Vegetables
We used a metal steam basket but you can also use an ovenproof dish that fits inside the Instant Pot. Separating the vegetables from the water prevents the nutrients from escaping into the liquid. This is not a problem if youre making soups or braising vegetables, because you end up consuming the liquid. But when you boil vegetables, you discard the cooking liquid.
The main rule for steaming any kind of vegetable is TO NOT OVERCOOK it. Soggy, over-soft Brussels sprouts and mashy carrots are not how nature intended these vegetables to be eaten. Cooking them just enough will retain some crunch for texture and their vibrant colour.
When pressure cooking, you have to experiment with the timings for how long you need for different vegetables and quantities. Using the STEAM button will set your Instant Pot to 10 minutes at HIGH Pressure, which is WAY too long for steaming say Brussel sprouts or carrots.
There is a handy chart for cooking vegetables on the official Instant Pot website, but we think some of those times could be even lower. The point is, you have to experiment with the times to see what readiness works for you. We prefer veggies on the crunchier side, and thats how you would have them served to you in a good restaurant.
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How To Prep The Vegetables
Cooking vegetables in an Instant Pot is very easy. But you do have to prep the vegetables first.
Before you start, make sure to wash and clean the veggies. Remove leaves and any spoiled and/or dry bits.
Here is how to prep the veggies for steaming in an Instant Pot:
- Broccoli: Cut the broccoli into florets. You can also peel the stem and slice it into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Cauliflower: Cut the cauliflower into florets.
- Green beans: Trim the ends. If your green beans are very long, slice them in half.
- Zucchini: Slice in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 3-4 large chunks.
- Bell peppers: Remove the stem and seeds. Cut the bell pepper into large chunks.
- Brussel sprouts: Trim the ends and remove the outer leaves from each Brussels sprout. If the sprouts are large, slice them in half. If they are small, you can leave them as is.
- Asparagus: Break off the tough ends. If your asparagus spears are long, cut them in half.
- Fresh peas: Not much to prep other than rinsing the peas if needed.
- Carrots: Peel and cut each carrot in half crosswise. Slice the thin part into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Then slice the thick part in half lengthwise and cut each half into 1/2-inch thick half-moons.
- Turnips: Peel and cut into large chunks.
- Sweet potatoes: Peel and slice into 1/2-inch cubes.
- Fresh corn on the cob: Slice crosswise into 3 to 4 pieces.
Why Steamed Vegetables Can Be A Viable Option
It is not for the sake of the trend-setting norms that steamed vegetables have gained so much uproar in recent years. Vegetables cooked this way are said to be one of the healthiest as well as a very easy meal to prepare, especially in the modern minimalistic and busy daily schedules.
There is a misconception regarding the fact that vegetables are tasteless and not fun to eat. That is absolutely not true. It is necessary to know how to season right and prepare the meals correctly. Once thats done, you can easily enjoy a delicious meal made entirely of vegetables and love to have it!
Also check: A Complete Guide To Cheese Press
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My Top Ten Instant Pot Vegetables
Flavouring my vegetables always adds to the taste and makes them much better for the family, especially my daughter!
Here are my favourite ten vegetables to cook in the Instant pot and the cooking times it takes when cooked from fresh.
- Broccoli Fresh 1-2 minutes
- Corn On The Cob Fresh 3-5 minutes
- Sliced Carrots Fresh 2-3 minutes
- Asparagus Fresh 1-2 minutes
- Baby Potatoes Fresh 8-10 minutes
- Green Beans Fresh 1-2 minutes
- Spinach Fresh 1-2 minutes
- Butternut Squash Fresh 4-6 minutes
- Sweet Potato Fresh 2-4 minutes
- Cabbage Fresh 2-3 minutes
I recently made an Instant Pot vegetables cheat sheet which has a more detailed list of fresh and frozen vegetables and the ideal times for steaming. Its a free download which is really quite handy!
How To Cook Steamed Broccoli In Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker
The best way to steam broccoli in the Pressure Cooker is by using a Steamer Basket. I just found a steamer basket in my kitchen which fit perfectly in the instant pot, so I did not purchase one. However if you are looking to purchase a steamer rack, here is a recommended one on .
Start with cutting the broccoli head into medium size florets. Add a cup of water to the instant pot insert and place the steamer basket in the insert.
Spread the broccoli florets on the basket and pressure cook for 0 minutes. Yes, 0 minutes is a thing with the instant pot The broccoli is cooking in the time the pressure cooker takes to come to pressure and then we will release the pressure manually , so it does not get overcooked. Basically the time to cook broccoli is the time it takes to come to pressure, which is less than 10 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, and serve as a side with rice or protein. I send this as a side in my daughter’s lunch box and she loves it.
I would love to hear how you like this steamed broccoli. And if you love broccoli, don’t forget to try this Cream of Broccoli Soup made in the Instant Pot.
You can find the recipe for the brown rice shown in the above picture here.
If you are looking for other steamed vegetables recipes, check out this Guide to Instant Pot Steamed Vegetables.
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How To Season Green Beans
- Salt & pepper go especially well with just-picked green beans, to bring out the fresh flavors
- See the recipe card below to learn how to saute green beans in garlic and butter. You can use olive oil instead to make them vegan
- Grate some parmesan cheese on top. This works especially well if you are serving the green beans as a side to pasta or lasagna
- Drizzle some lemon juice on top for tangy, summer flavors.
For Sliced Or Cubed Acorn Squash:
- Peel the acorn squash if desired. You can eat the skin or wait until you cook it to peel it because it will come off effortlessly. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds.
- Cut the acorn squash into uniform slices or cubes.
- Cook on high pressure for 6-7 minutes and follow up with a quick release. For cubes, lean towards a 6-minute cooking time. For slices, lean towards a 7-minute cooking time.
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For Mashed Sweet Potatoes:
- Begin with the recipe above and fully cook the desired amount of sweet potatoes.
- When the NPR is finished and you release pressure from the pot, unseal the lid. Reserve 1/2-1 cup of the cooking liquid and mash with the desired add-ins. Follow the same instructions for regular mashed potatoes.
- Add-in ideas: coconut oil, butter, olive oil, coconut milk, buttermilk, heavy cream, milk, salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, chives, nut butter, pecans, sugar/coconut sugar.
Can I Cook Instant Pot Frozen Vegetables Without A Basket
Yes you can. You can you the trivet to stack your vegetables on or use any pot in pot that has holes in it. That is because the holes are how your food steams properly in the instant pot.
When we first got the instant pot, we didnt have a steamer basket and used a very old one from an old soup machine. But any will do.
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How To Make Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli
If you have an Instant Pot, odds are you have a steamer basket for your Instant Pot. If you dont, I highly recommend one. I use my steamer basket weekly and I love this small trivet too. It can be used in place of a basket if you dont have one.
To make perfectly steamed broccoli in your Instant Pot, heres what you do:
Using 0 or even 1 on Manual pressuring setting simply bring that pressure and temperature high enough to steam the broccoli quickly. Again, I like my steamed broccoli to retain some crispness so I find the 0 minute setting is best.
If you like your broccoli to be a bit softer, try using the 1 minute setting on Manual pressure. As with any appliance, trial and error is the best way to learn how to use your Instant Pot for steaming broccoli and other vegetables.
Note: While the actual cook time will be between 0-1 minute, it will take a few minutes for your Instant Pot to come to pressure. So, please allow about 5 minutes of cooking time for this side dish.
Ingredients For Steamed Veggies In Instant Pot
This Instant Pot steamed vegetables recipe is as flexible as you need it to be! Use any veggies you like and only 3 other ingredients! As easy to make as Instant Pot eggs and Instant Pot yogurt recipe.
- Vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, baby carrots, green beans, asparagus, zucchini coarsely chopped.
- Water: You want the water cold, to heat up along with the veggies. Adding hot water will steam the veggies too quickly. See my Instant Pot guide for other 15 tips.
- Butter: Adding melted butter to steamed veggies is drool-worthy. Its the only way to eat them!
- Everything bagel seasoning: To taste. Add as much or as little as youd like. You can use store-bought or whip up this homemade Everything Bagel Seasoning.
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Instant Pot Frozen Cauliflower
Instant Pot Frozen Caulifloweris fantastic for cooking from frozen under pressure. It saves looking for freshcauliflower and chopping it up and is perfect for using in a lot of differentdishes.
If you follow Paleo, or similar diets then it is perfect foryou, as how often do you see a recipe that uses cauliflower to make somethingunusual.
Think of all those times you see a recipe for cauliflower rice, cauliflower pizza or even cauliflower mash.
One evening I was making Pressure Cooker Corn Chowder, was out of potatoes and subbed the potatoes for frozen cauliflower.
It was delicious and made me realise what a good backup frozen cauliflower is.
How To Cook Frozen Cauliflower In The Instant Pot? We cooked half a bag of frozen cauliflower in the Instant Pot.
The cooking time and method is the same for doing frozen cauliflower as it is frozen broccoli.
You simply, place a cup of water into the bottom of the Instant Pot, add your trivet and add your steamer basket that is loaded up with frozen cauliflower.
Set the Instant Pot to 0 minutes on the steam setting and let the Instant Pot do its magic.RecipeThis.com Opinion: Cauliflower is the BEST for last minute cooking plans.
It can be used in so many dishes and it allows you to be a lazy cook. I love how flavoursome it is for a frozen vegetable.
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Helpful tip: If you dont want to remove your steamed veggies to yet another dish because you dont have a dishes fairy at your house, you can carefully take the steamer basket out, hold the vegetables to the side and use oven mitts to pour out the steaming water.
Give your Instant Pot insert a quick rinse with cold water to cool it down, and then your vegetables can go back into the pot. Give it a few minutes before putting the lid back on, though, or they will continue to cook and might get too mushy for your liking.
Also, check out this post on homemade cauliflower rice in the Instant Pot for another time-saving hack when steaming cauliflower.
Youre Just *7 Days* Away From Easier Meals with Your Instant Pot
Whether you have a few fav meals in your Instant Pot or still arent using it regularly yet, I can show you the secrets to SAVE time with my favorite appliance!
May I send you my best hacks to maximize my fav appliance so you can spend more time with your family AND nourish them well?
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How To Cook Cauliflower In Instant Pot
Now on to how to steam cauliflower in the instant pot. Just like broccoli in the Instant Pot, cauliflower cooks perfectly in zero minutes.
If you are new to the instant pot, check out this quick setup guide.
The best way to steam cauliflower in the Pressure Cooker is by using a Steamer Basket. I just found a steamer basket in my kitchen which fit perfectly in the instant pot, so I did not purchase one. However if you are looking to purchase a steamer rack, here is a recommended one on .
Add a cup of water to the instant pot insert and place the steamer basket with the cauliflower florets in the insert.
Pressure cook for 0 minutes at high pressure. Yes, zero minutes is a thing with the instant pot ? The cauliflower is cooking in the time the pressure cooker takes to come to pressure and then we will release the pressure manually , so it does not get overcooked. Basically the time to cook cauliflower is the time it takes to come to pressure, which is less than 10 minutes.
Remove the steamer basket carefully as it is hot. You can place this basket under cold water for 2-3 minute to stop the cooking , give a ice bath or just eat the cauliflower right away.
Season with salt, pepper and enjoy.
How Long To Steam Vegetables In The Instant Pot
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Trying to figure out how long to steam vegetable sin the Instant Pot can be frustrating. Here is a cheat sheet and a guide on how to cook Instant Pot vegetables. Youll be cooking up the best veggies ever with these tips and tricks!
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