Zesty Instant Pot Quinoa {Vegan Quinoa Recipe}

This Instant Pot Quinoa is so flavorful and cooks in only one minute! A delicious quinoa side dish that is full of crunchy veggies and a zesty flavor. If you skip cooking quinoa because it takes too long, you’ll love how fast pressure cooker quinoa comes together.

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Want to hear a secret?  You know quinoa, the superfood that everyone tells us we need to be eating more of?

Not a fan. I think it tastes like gritty bland poop.

Now there is a visual for you!  Not exactly a culinary delight in my opinion.

I challenged myself to make a quinoa salad that even I would eat.  After a few tries, I felt like Doc Brown in Back to the Future realizing that the Delorean had to go 88 mph.  Not 87, not 89, but 88.

If you love fast grain recipes, check out my posts on Instant Pot Farro and Instant Pot Parmesan Garlic Rice.

If you are new to pressure cooking and the Instant Pot, check out this post on recipes for Instant Pot beginners.

How Long Does Quinoa Take in the Instant Pot?

This instant pot quinoa cooks in only 1 minute. ONE! 

Of course, the Instant Pot has to come up to pressure and depressurize which takes about 20(ish) minutes total depending on the size of your Instant Pot.

If you’re used to making quinoa on the stovetop, you’ll love the texture of it in a pressure cooker. It’s fluffier, lighter, and doesn’t take freaking forever!

Ingredients in this Vegan Quinoa Recipe

For the main salad we’re rocking:

• Quinoa (obvs)
• Broth – use your favorite
• Olive oil
• Veggies – carrots, celery, edamame, cucumber
• Other great stuff – green onion and cilantro (if you’re of the “it tastes like soap” crew, just skip it)

For the sauce:

• Sweet chili sauce & rice vinegar
• Garlic & ginger
• Lime juice

Tips for the Best Quinoa

• Rinse that ish! Rinsing the quinoa removes the natural saponins that coat quinoa. This leads to a super bitter taste in the cooked product. Most quinoa sold in stores today has been pre-rinsed, but it’s also great to give it a rinse in a wire mesh strainer.
• Keep a 1:1 quinoa to liquid ratio.
• Measure the quinoa before rinsing it. Once you rinse it, the quinoa will increase in volume and the liquid to seed ratio will seem off.
• Toast it first. Yep, toasted quinoa! It helps develop the flavor and adds another layer of awesome to this quinoa side dish. If you’re short on time, skip this step.

How to Cook Quinoa in the Instant Pot

*Detailed & printable recipe card along with stovetop instructions are at the bottom of the post.

More Side Dishes Like This Quinoa Side Dish

• Five Minute Sesame Snow Pea Recipe
• Blistered Shishito Peppers
• Air Fryer Asparagus
• Nana’s Cucumber and Onion Salad
• Spicy Green Beans
• Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
• It’s not just for savory uses – try a Chocolate Quinoa Breakfast Bowl!

Zesty Instant Pot Quinoa WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS

One serving of Zesty Instant Pot Quinoa has 4 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.

Print Recipe

5 from 19 votes

Zesty Instant Pot Quinoa {Vegan Quinoa Recipe}

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time30 mins

This Instant Pot Quinoa is so flavorful and cooks in only one minute! A delicious quinoa side dish that is full of crunchy veggies and a zesty flavor.

Servings: 15

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: how to cook quinoa in an instant pot, Instant pot quinoa, vegan quinoa recipes

Calories: 127kcal

Author: Sarah Cook - Sustainable Cooks

Ingredients

Salad Fixin's

• ▢ 2 cups quinoa
• ▢ 2 cups vegetable broth
• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 2 carrots diced
• ▢ 1 stalk celery diced
• ▢ 1/2 cup frozen edamame thawed
• ▢ 3 green onions sliced small (I love green onions.  If you don't, reduce to 1 or 2)
• ▢ 1 small cucumber, chopped
• ▢ Few sprigs of cilantro

Seasoning

• ▢ 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
• ▢ 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced or crushed
• ▢ 1 inch piece of ginger minced or crushed
• ▢ Juice of 1 lime
• ▢ 1 tbsp olive oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In a fine-mesh sieve, rinse the quinoa under cool running water.

Instant Pot Directions

• Turn your Instant Pot to saute.
• Add the olive oil and quinoa. Stir to toast for 5-8 minutes, or until you can smell the nutty undertones.
• Add the broth. Stir. 
• Secure the lid, and turn the lever to "sealing". Use the manual setting and press the pressure button until it is on "high". Set the timer for 1 minute.
• Once it has finished cooking, the Instant Pot will beep and start counting down. If it hasn't naturally depressurized within 15 minutes, carefully turn the lever to "venting" and allow it depressurize.
• Add the veggies and cilantro to the instant pot. Pour in the sauce and stir to combine. Store in the fridge.

Stove Top Directions

• In a heavy saucepan, like a dutch oven, add the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the quinoa and toast for 5-8 minutes, or until you can smell the nutty undertones from the pan.
• Add the broth and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil for 1 minute, and then reduce to a lower heat.  Put the lid on, and cook for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is completely absorbed.  Let cool.
• Meanwhile, dice your veg and mix up your sauce.  Once the quinoa has cooked, add the veggies and cilantro and stir to combine.  Store in the fridge.

Notes

Skip the toasting step if you're short on time. 

 

If you want to double or even triple the batch, the cooking time remains the same.

 

Canadian Golden Quinoa will not produce good results in the instant pot. It is much too mushy to use in a pressure cooker.

Nutrition Facts

Zesty Instant Pot Quinoa {Vegan Quinoa Recipe}

Amount Per Serving (0.25 cup)

Calories 127

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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