instant pot quinoa salad

Instant pot quinoa salad has been a game-changer for me. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, I have been very late in getting myself an INSTANT POT. And, secondly – I once tried quinoa and we did not enjoy it. But this has changed. We now love quinoa and use it every week in our meals, especially for lunch salads.

This second try with the instant pot has changed lunches for us.

the ingredients for my instant pot quinoa salad recipe

Be prepared to live on the wild side and be adaptable.

I use what I can find, but this is the frame to work in.

• 2 cups quinoa in its dry form
• 2 cups broth, homemade is best
• 1 (15 – ounce) can of chickpeas or beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, but feel free to use cilantro too
• 1 cup cubed beetroot
• 1 cup peas
• 1 red onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, be brave
• 1 t salt
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup olive oil, the best you can find
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• 1 to 2 cups crumbled Feta cheese

instant pot quinoa salad recipe ACCEPTABLE SUBSTITUTION

Feel absolutely free to substitute the vegetable for what you like and what you have at home.

I often used cucumber instead of the beetroot. Peppers, especially red peppers are great instead of peas. Be flexible with the recipe and enjoy the flavors.

Using tinned chickpeas interchangeably with any other tinned bean makes this instant pot quinoa salad recipe so versatile and easy to make.

We also use whatever type of onion or vinegar we have on hand. So, as you can see, there is a lot of wriggle room in making this salad.

how to make instant pot quinoa salad recipe

1. Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer under running cold water. Do this for about 1 to 2 minutes. Do not skip this step. There is a bitter layer that needs to be washed off. This is essential to do.
2. Place the rinsed quinoa and the broth into the pot in the INSTANT POT and give it a good stir.
3. Secure the lid. Move the valve to the sealing position and then pressure cook for 1 minute.
4. When done, allow a 10-minute natural release, followed by a quick release.
5. Open up the lid and remove the inner pot.
6. Fluff up the cooked quinoa with a fork.
7. Let it cool for about 10 minutes.
8. Transfer it to another bowl and mix in all the vegetables, parsley, and beans/chickpeas.
9. Pour over the salad dressing that has been mixed together in another smaller bowl.
10. Toss it all together.
11. Add in the crumbled Feta cheese.
12. Divide up and enjoy.

salad on the go

I do a lot of sports and so I am always trying to plan my meals ahead. I do not like to get hungry. My energy levels can drop if I do not eat well.

What we like to do with this instant pot quinoa salad recipe is to make it and then portion it out. It will either sit in the fridge or it will travel with me. It does not need to be warmed up and it doesn’t have any lettuce that will wilt.

ease and speed to make

This instant pot quinoa salad recipe is very quick to make.

The instant pot pressure cooks it for all of 1 MINUTE!

There is, of course, time for pressure release – 10 minutes. I use those 10 minutes to gather, chop and prepare all the other ingredients. So, friends give this a try.

the INSTANT POT

I bought the INSTANT POT after visiting with 2 friends, one lives in Kyrgystan and the other in Poland and they both had an INSTANT POT.

They enjoyed it for making porridge and curries but I am enjoying mine for making yogurt, pasta dishes, and quinoa.

What do you like to cook in your INSTANT POT?

Making yogurt has been something I have always done and this way is by far the easiest way that I have discovered.

We always have spaghetti bolognese on a Monday evening at home. It is our family tradition. What I love about doing it in the INSTANT POT is that I no longer have to have a separate pot of water for the pasta.

Once I have sauteed the vegetables and meat and added the sauce then I simply lay the pasta on top. I then close the lid and pressure cook it for 6 minutes. After some pressure release time, about ten minutes – then it is ready. I usually use these 10 minutes to grate the parmesan cheese.

another instant pot quinoa salad recipe

Mexican

• use chicken broth
• frozen corn
• lime juice
• cilantro
• cumin
• avocado oil
• black beans
• red pepper

Mix up the chicken stock into the dried quinoa before pressure cooking it.

Use the lime juice to replace the lemon juice. Add some ground cumin into the salad dressing too. Make use of avocado oil instead of olive oil in the dressing.

Use all the other ingredients as in the basic recipe.

It is delicious.

use your imagination

By making changes to the dressing, the vegetables, the stock, and the beans you can enjoy new flavors.

Experiment, it is fun.

It is so super quick in an INSTANT POT.

I have always felt completely out of my depth with a pressure cooker but this INSTANT POT has changed that. I am learning how to adapt many of my recipes. Most times it saves me quite a bit of time and other times, it simplifies the process.

some information from Wikipedia on Quinoa

Quinoa is a flowering plant in the amaranth family. It is a herbaceous annual plant grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds. The seeds are rich in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, and dietary minerals in amounts greater than in many grains.

Quinoa’s nutritional evaluations indicate that a serving of raw quinoa seeds is a rich source of protein, dietary fiber, several B vitamins, including folate, and the dietary minerals magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese (table).

So, it is good for you!

Quinoa is also gluten-free for those who struggle with gluten.