Instant Vegetable Medley
By :The Fresh and Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook by Megan Gilmore
Steamed vegetables are one of the easiest and healthiest things you can make in the Instant Pot, and I like to boost their flavor by sautéing them in garlic and olive oil just before serving. Adding a touch of healthy fat to this side dish helps the body absorb their important fat-soluble vitamins, like vitamins A, D, E, and K. Vegetables can overcook if you don’t quickly release the pressure, so stay close to your Instant Pot or you may wind up with mushy vegetables.
Votes: 12
Rating: 4.08
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Course Main Course
Cuisine Modern
Difficulty Easy
Duration less than 15 min
Cooking Technique Pressure Cook, Sauté
Main Ingredient Vegetables
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Servings
4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb assorted non-starchy vegetables such as cauliflower, carrots, and green beans
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Course Main Course
Cuisine Modern
Difficulty Easy
Duration less than 15 min
Cooking Technique Pressure Cook, Sauté
Main Ingredient Vegetables
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Servings
4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb assorted non-starchy vegetables such as cauliflower, carrots, and green beans
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Votes: 12
Rating: 4.08
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Instructions
  1. Pour 1 cup water into the Instant Pot and arrange a steamer basket on the bottom. Place the vegetables in the steamer basket, making sure the vegetables aren’t touching the water. Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing. Select Manual/Pressure Cook to cook on high pressure for 0 minutes.
  2. When the pot beeps and the screen reads L0:00, immediately move the steam release valve to Venting to quickly release the steam pressure. When the floating valve drops, remove the lid and press Cancel to stop the cooking cycle. The vegetables should be tender, but with some tooth to them. Use oven mitts to remove the steamer basket full of vegetables, drain the water from the pot, then dry the pot and return it to the Instant Pot housing.
  3. Press Sauté and add the olive oil to the Instant Pot. Once the oil is hot but not smoking, add in the garlic and stir briefly, just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the steamed vegetables to the pot and stir well to coat them in the garlic-infused olive oil, about 30 seconds more.
  4. Season generously with salt and pepper, then serve warm with parsley on top. Store leftover vegetables in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week. They make for great toppings in a salad or grain bowl.
Recipe Notes

VARIATIONS

To use frozen vegetables, follow the instructions as given. The vegetables will defrost and heat while the pot is coming to pressure, though they will be slightly softer than using fresh. For cooking starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, parsnips, or winter squash, cut them into 1-inch pieces and steam for 4 minutes to become tender.

21 replies
  1. hadit
    hadit says:

    haven’t tried yet, but 0 min means just bring up to pressure – that is enough time to steam the veggies.

  2. dcadeau
    dcadeau says:

    i would think 0 min is perfect because they are actually steaming for about 10-12 as pressure is increasing – nice cooked veg but not mushy

  3. letsgomets
    letsgomets says:

    0 minutes is explained in Ms Gilmores book. “This simply brings the IP to pressure”. Great book, no affiliation.

    Be interested in other how other veggies turn out.

  4. Coleman
    Coleman says:

    I have the lux Instapot and I don’t have a steamer basket,being a single man,can someone help me out,I have a steamer coil but not a basket?

  5. Instant Pot
    Instant Pot says:

    As long as the item is oven safe, fits inside without going over Max 2/3 level and allows space for steam to move freely around it, it will work in the Instant Pot Multi-Use Pressure Cooker.

  6. Dr DR
    Dr DR says:

    I just bought to the instant pot Max and see that I can’t program the cooker to 0 minutes. I just tried steaming broccoli for one minute on low pressure because one minute is the minimum amount of time that you can set. The broccoli came out super mushy. any ideas about how to use the instant pot Max to make good steamed vegetables?

  7. Dr. DR
    Dr. DR says:

    I bought the instant pot Max recently. You can’t program it for 0 minutes. So I just cooked some broccoli on low pressure for 1 minute, since one minute is the lowest time you can set it for. and it came out super mushy. Any ideas about how to make good steamed vegetables in the instant pot Max, given that you can’t program it for 0 minutes?

  8. Arlene
    Arlene says:

    I made this recipe today as a last minute side dish to bring to a family Christmas dinner. As usual, my IP didn’t fail me & neither did this vegetable medley recipe.
    I combined a large bag of frozen Tuscan Style Vegetables, frozen, sliced green, red & yellow peppers with fresh mushrooms. Because the mixture was too large for my steaming basket, I cooked the mixture in 2 batches which was no big deal.
    For additional flavor, I added a few drops of hot sauce & Mrs. Dash’s Garlic & Herb mixture to the last step where the vegetables are combined with olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper.
    Because the veggies are supposed to still have a bite to them, I didn’t wait for the IP to reach 0 time because I didn’t want the frozen vegetables to be overcooked.
    I can imagine many uses for the veggie mixture like bruschetta but that will be for another time!
    For those who don’t have a zero time setting on their IP, just release the pressure as soon as the IP reaches pressure.

  9. Peryngve
    Peryngve says:

    I like this recipe, made several times, thought that 0 minutes steam was not enough, made it 2 minute steam- veggies came out mushy, so I set on 1 minutes of steamer, i sauteed both oven top and in the pot, i followed the advice and added plenty enough salt and black pepper, came out very good!

  10. amrit938
    amrit938 says:

    In your variations, you say to steam starchy things like potatoes for 4 minutes, is this including all the other veggies, or would you do this before you do the other veggies?

  11. amrit938
    amrit938 says:

    In the instructions it says to steam starchy things like potatoes for 4 minutes, is this along with all the other veggies? Or before?

  12. Instant Pot
    Instant Pot says:

    You could cook them together but I would cook the starchy vegetables first; the other veggies will be cooked longer than needed. If you are cooking a mix of starchy and not starchy, cook the starch as suggested but for 3 minutes; then cook them again with the other veggies for 0 minutes.

  13. TeresaG123
    TeresaG123 says:

    First time steaming veggies in this and i was blown away on how easy and delicious cauliflower turned out.

  14. Thekristendavis
    Thekristendavis says:

    I thought this recipe exactly with broccoli crowns and asparagus. It came out as a mush.

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