Grace Elkus was the Deputy Food Director at Kitchn, where she wrote a monthly vegetarian recipe column called Tonight We Veg. She received her culinary arts diploma from The Natural Gourmet Institute.
updated Oct 18, 2019
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The Instant Pot is beloved by home cooks everywhere (including us!) for making quick work of large cuts of meat, chili, dried beans, and other dishes that would otherwise take several hours to cook. But I bet you didn’t know just how fast the Instant Pot can work its magic.
Ingredients that have a fairly short cook time to begin with (think: vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, and green beans; proteins such as shrimp and small pieces of chicken; and quick-cooking grains such as quinoa or dried ramen noodles) can cook in as little as one minute in the Instant Pot. That’s because the Instant Pot also cooks your food as it comes to pressure and releases pressure, meaning the “cook time” is just a portion of the total time your food is being cooked.
Trust me — there are few things more satisfying than setting your Instant Pot’s cook time to “0.” Here are six of our favorite super-fast Instant Pot recipes.
1. Instant Pot Tomato Orzo Soup from Imagelicious
In this one-minute Instant Pot recipe, a box of stock, some canned tomatoes, a splash of milk, a bit of orzo, and a handful of spices are quickly transformed into a cozy tomato soup that’s perfect for chilly winter nights. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan and hunks of crusty bread.
2. Instant Pot Cashew Chicken and Noodles from Cooking with Karli
This easy noodle recipe comes together even faster than takeout. You’ll ditch the sodium-laden flavor packet that comes with ramen noodles and instead cook them in a simple mixture of chicken broth, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic. Starting with chicken and veggies from the freezer means there’s virtually no prep to be done. To top it all off, it cooks for zero minutes.
3. 1-Minute Shrimp Curry from My Heart Beets
After one minute at high pressure, this flavorful curry is ready to devour. Stirring in coconut milk or heavy cream at the end is optional, but highly recommended. A bit of chopped fresh cilantro adds a pop of color, too.
4. Instant Pot Ramen Stir-Fry from Cooking with Karli
Starting with a bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables (Trader Joe’s has a great one) makes this vegetarian dinner a no-brainer on a weeknight. As it cooks, toast some sesame seeds on the stovetop for a nutty finishing crunch.
5. Instant Pot One-Minute Quinoa and Veggies from Super Healthy Kids
There are a lot of great recipes for one-minute quinoa, but this one incorporates quick-cooking veggies for a complete meal that’s just as fast. When it’s finished, you’ll stir in pesto, chopped tomatoes, and sliced olives, then spoon into bowls and serve warm with crumbled feta. The best part? It’s just as good eaten cold for lunch the next day.
6. Instant Pot Steamed Asparagus from Cooking with Curls
Keep your stovetop free and steam your asparagus in the Instant Pot instead — it cooks in just one minute (two for thicker spears). Season with salt and pepper for the easiest side dish around — and on the weekends, top with hollandaise for brunch.
