2 Comforting Plant-Based Instant Pot Recipes
2 Comforting Plant-Based Instant Pot Recipes
Multicookers—those countertop combination cookers that are said to do it all—don’t get enough plant-based action. There’s so much they can do beyond that holiday brisket recipe. Especially because they do wonders with staples like grains and beans—and according to some doctors, pressure-cooking beans might even make them better for you.
Our favorite is the Instant Pot Duo Nova with its seven cooking functions: It’s a rice cooker, a slow cooker, a pressure cooker, a yogurt maker, a food warmer, a steamer, and a sauté pan. You’d think there would be a weak link among those seven, but they all perform well across the board. We use the pressure-cooker, slow-cooker, and sauté functions most often in the test kitchen. And we frequently use those functions in tandem, which further simplifies one-pot cooking (for example, use the sauté function for your aromatic veggies, deglaze with broth, add grains, and then switch to pressure cooker to finish).
We used the Instant Pot Duo Nova to create two super cozy and satisfying plant-based recipes—hearty chickpeas in a tomatoey cacciatore-style sauce and a vegan mushroom barley stew with miso for added depth and umami. What’s more comforting than the food: the fact that it takes only one (really good) pot to make it.
Chickpea Cacciatore
We took all the savory goodness of traditional chicken cacciatore but used chickpeas instead. This one is great for a multicooker because it uses the pressure-cooking, sauté, and slow-cooking functions.
Mushroom Miso Barley Stew
Miso with mushrooms is great. Mushrooms with barley is great. So we combined them in this super warming dish. Topping the finished stew with crispy sautéed mushrooms is definitely extra credit, but we think you’ll enjoy the contrasting textures.
