This vegan quinoa salad is packed with flavor and cooks in a flash! A delicious make-ahead quinoa side dish that is full of crunchy veggies and a homemade zesty sauce.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time1 minutemin
Pressurizing/Depressurizing10 minutesmins
Total Time26 minutesmins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: how to cook quinoa in an instant pot, Instant pot quinoa, vegan quinoa recipes
In a fine-mesh sieve, rinse the quinoa under cool running water.
2 cups quinoa
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.
2 tbsp olive oil
Add the broth. Stir.
2 cups vegetable broth
Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>1 minute.
While the quinoa is cooking, mix the sauce in a bowl. Set aside.
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce, 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 3 cloves garlic, 1 inch piece of ginger, Juice of 1 lime, 1 tbsp olive oil
When the cooking time is up, do a natural release for 10 minutes, and then flip the vent to "venting" and perform a quick release.
Add the veggies and cilantro to the instant pot. Pour in the sauce and stir to combine. Store in the fridge.
2 carrots, 1 stalk celery, 1/2 cup frozen edamame, 3 green onions, 1 small cucumber, chopped, Few sprigs of cilantro
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.
Reduce or omit green onions and/or cilantro if you're not a fan.
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.