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A chopped vegetable medley turns a pot of quinoa into a hearty Spanish-style pilaf. Cooking the recipe in the Instant Pot (or another programmable multi-cooker) guarantees the tiny grains come out tender and fluffy, not soft and soggy, thanks to the pressure-cooking function incorporated into the grain-cooking setting. Be sure to rinse and drain the quinoa well before cooking. Quinoa has a natural outer coating called saponin that can make the cooked grains taste bitter. Serve the quinoa as a side dish with Spanish and Mexican foods or use as a base for soups and stews.

Recipe from cleanfooddirtygirl.com.

By Molly Patrick,

Ingredients

  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
  • ½ cup chopped tomato
  • ⅓ cup chopped carrot
  • ¼ cup canned diced green chile peppers
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

Instructions

  • Set an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker on the sauté setting and allow to heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, tomato, carrot, chile peppers, garlic, chili powder, salt, oregano, and crushed red pepper, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Press “Cancel.” Stir in the quinoa and 1 cup water.
  • Lock the lid in place, adjust the setting to “Multigrain,” and cook for 10 minutes. Let it stand to release pressure naturally, at least 10 minutes. If necessary, carefully open the steam vent to release any remaining pressure. Open lid carefully.

Comments (9)

(5 from 2 votes)

Recipe Rating

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Lauren

Can you make this on the stovetop instead of an isnatpot?

Megan Edwards

Hi Lauren, Yes you can! You can sauté all the veggies and herbs from step 1 in a pan until they are cooked to your desired tenderness, using a few teaspoons of water as necessary to prevent burning. You can then either separately cook the quinoa in a pot according to package directions and combine it with the veggies once it's done, or you could add the veggie mixture into the quinoa pot for the last 3 minutes of cook time. The second option may infuse a little bit more flavor into the quinoa, but be sure to quickly transfer the veggies into the pot so you don't let out too much steam and prevent the quinoa from cooking properly. Let us know how it goes!

Eileen

I love this recipe!! It is very flavorful and easy!! I made it twice already and I doubled the recipe the 2nd time that I made it!!

Nancy

I don't have a multi-grain setting on my IP. Can I just set it for 10 minutes, manually?

Chevin

That’s what I do

Nancy

Chevin, yours turns out fine doing that, then?

NessieJayModel

How would I make this without a pressure cooker?

Cate

How much water does this require?

Liz Turner

1 cup of water is added during step 1 after the vegetables are sauteed.

About the Author

Headshot of Molly Patrick

About the Author

Molly Patrick

Molly Patrick is the founder of cleanfooddirtygirl.com, a website dedicated to helping people eat more whole plant food and less of everything else. Through her writing, recipes, programs, and coaching, she inspires, motivates, and educates people all over the globe to prevent illness and disease with the food they eat. Find her on Instagram and Facebook.
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