20 Vegetarian Instant Pot Recipes (2024)

20 Vegetarian Instant Pot Recipes to get you inspired to use your pressure cooker! Make healthy, easy, and approachable meals including soups, stews, pasta, rice, and curries. This is a great selection of Instant Pot Vegetarian Recipes to get you started, with many vegan recipes too!

When I got my Instant Pot, it quickly became one of the most used and most loved appliances in my kitchen.

I had hesitated with getting one for a while because it seemed that many of the recipes people were using it for were centered around meat, but once I cooked my first batch of beans in the Instant Pot there was no looking back.

As a nutritionist, I love how approachable the Instant Pot makes healthy cooking. From cooking dried beans in record time to soups and stews to risotto without any stirring, the Instant Pot is a dream come true in any kitchen - including a vegetarian one.

This is a collection of some of my favorite Vegetarian Instant Pot Recipes to get you inspired to use your Instant Pot more - or even for the very first time.

20 Vegetarian Instant Pot Recipes

1. Mung Bean and Coconut Curry

This Mung Bean and Coconut Curry is far and away the most popular recipe on Hey Nutrition Lady, and it was also the very first recipe I tested out in my Instant Pot. It turns out beautifully, with perfectly cooked mung beans every time.Made with mung beans (no soaking required!) lots of spices, garlic, ginger, crushed tomatoes, and coconut milk, this is a recipe you really need to try!

2. Instant Pot Pasta Sauce

This simple Instant Pot Pasta Sauce recipe is my go-to pasta sauce. Not only is it loaded with veggies like carrots, celery, and onion, it's got a deep, rich, all-day simmered flavor with just 30 minutes in the Instant Pot. Leave it chunky if you like, but I tend to purée for a smooth sauce since my kids are picky eaters.

3. Instant Pot Brown Rice Risotto

Delicious creamy risotto made from short grain brown rice, but without any stirring involved? Yes, please! This Instant Pot Risotto is done in just 24 minutes at high pressure, and the recipe is hands-off, so you can deal with other things. Flavored with white wine, a bit of strong cheese, and a handful of frozen peas stirred through at the end, this is risotto even for a weeknight!

4. Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers

There's something so cute about a meal that comes in its own edible package. These Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers are filled with cheesy brown rice and lentils, which makes them perfect for a healthy, vegetarian meal. Done in just 10 minutes on high pressure, this is hands down one of our favorite vegetarian Instant Pot recipes.

5. Instant Pot Refried Beans

It's no secret that we are huge fans of beans here on HNL, and the Instant Pot cooks them like a dream. These Instant Pot Refried Beans start with dried pinto beans that are pressure cooked in the Instant Pot, drained, then sautéd and mashed with flavorful ingredients like onion, garlic, jalapenos, and spices, using the sauté function. Truly a one-pot recipe, you'll never buy canned refried beans again.

6. Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas

Since we're on the topic of beans, you've got to give these Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas a try. Traditionally cooked on New Year's Day to bring luck and good fortune for the coming year, these black-eyed peas are cooked in a smoky broth that's completely vegetarian. Stir in greens if you like, and serve over rice for a delicious and nourishing meal.

7. Instant Pot Vegan Chili

This Instant Pot Vegan Chili is my favorite quick and easy chili recipe. It is positively LOADED with veggies, including carrots, celery, peppers, and butternut squash. There's a big boost of plant-based protein from a combination of beans (both kidney beans and black beans) and quinoa, which gives this nourishing bowl a lot of staying power. Just 8 minutes on high pressure is all that's standing between you and this delicious meal.

8. Spicy Instant Pot Red Lentil Soup

This Spicy Red Lentil Soup recipe was one of the oldest recipes on HNL, and I'm so glad I tested it in the Instant Pot. Perfectly cooked chewy brown rice, fluffy red lentils, and warming spices come together in the most perfect comforting soup. Make a big batch to keep in your freezer - you won't regret it!

9. Instant Pot Borscht

My husband's Ukrainian grandparents always served borscht at family gatherings. I love it the way my mother-in-law makes it, with a can of peas added at the end, brine and all. Loaded with beets, carrots, cabbage, and fresh dill, this Instant Pot Borscht is ready after just 8 minutes at high pressure.

10. Instant Pot Tortellini

I love me a one-pot pasta recipe, and I'm sure you are the same. The great thing about this easy Instant Pot Tortellini recipe is that it's even better the next day. Made with refrigerated tortellini, your favorite pasta sauce, and water, this simple Instant Pot recipe is done in just 2 minutes at high pressure.

11. Red Lentil Stew

This Red Lentil Stew is one of my favorite quick and easy weeknight dinners. It's a perfect Instant Pot Vegetarian Recipe, cooking the lentils like a dream and melting the veggies right in there.We're using grated vegetables that kind of disappear into the stew to make this into a high-protein kid-friendly meal, but you can certainly also keep the veggies chunky if you prefer.

12. Vegan Chickpea Noodle Soup

This cozy Vegan Chickpea Noodle Soup recipe is one of my favorites during the cooler months. Made with dried chickpeas that are pressure-cooked right into the soup - no soaking required - this soup has a beautiful vegan broth, lots of veggies, and, of course, some noodles to round things out.

13. Carrot Ginger Soup with Red Lentil

I love the way that lentils turn out in the Instant Pot. This Carrot Ginger Soup with Red Lentils is super simple to make and doesn't require any sautéing. Made with a whole pound of fresh carrots, lots of ginger, red lentils, and warming spices like turmeric and smoked paprika, this one is a keeper. Just dump, set, and go!

14. Red Lentil Dal

I first published this easy Red Lentil Dal recipe with slow cooker instructions (and they're still there!) but recently re-tested it in the Instant Pot, and it's a real winner. Deeply flavored and packed with plant-based protein, this one is one of my favorite vegetarian Instant Pot recipes.

15. Instant Pot Farro

If you're looking to add more healthy whole grains into your diet, give this Instant Pot Farro a try! It takes the guesswork out of cooking this ancient grain and is much faster than cooking farro on the stovetop.

16. Spicy Instant Pot Black Beans

If you've ever wondered how to replicate that puddle of black beans you get at a Mexican restaurant in your own home, wonder no more! These Spicy Instant Pot Black Beans are the real deal, made with un-soaked black beans and lots of spices and aromatics.

17. Easy Lentil Soup

I have a bunch of different lentil soups in my repertoire, but this Easy Lentil Soup is one I come back to again and again. Loaded with veggies, lots of lentils, and kale (or your favorite greens) stirred through at the end. Made in the pressure cooker, this is an Instant Pot Vegetarian Recipe you'll be sure to get on board with.

18. Lentil Shepherd's Pie

I make the filling for this Lentil Shepherd's Pie in my Instant Pot. It's so fast and so easy; when it's done, it's simply a matter of topping with mashed potatoes and baking in the oven.Made with lentils, lots of vegetables, and cozy, comforting spices, you don't want to miss this one.

19. Vegetarian Fajita Pasta

Loaded with veggies and lots of flavor, this Vegetarian Fajita Pastais a one-pot vegetarian pasta dish made in the Instant Pot. Fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, bell peppers, sour cream, and cheese make this delicious and easy pasta dish.

20. Instant Pot Carrot Soup

This velvety smooth Instant Pot Carrot Soup is super creamy and delicious thanks to the addition of tahini. The soup comes together lightning fast in the Instant Pot, and I, for one, consider it a complete meal when topped with garlicky greens. Give it a try!

This recipe collection was originally published January 11, 2019. It was last edited and updated most recently on January 11, 2024.