Pressure Cooker Meals: Delicious Vegetarian Stews
Pressure cookers are great for making stews, and vegetarian stews come out especially well. Here are some quick, easy, and delicious recipes that are perfect for your cooker.
Cooking Vegetables
The most important thing to remember when making vegetable stew in your pressure cooker is that vegetables don’t all cook at the same rate. Harder vegetables, such as green beans, potatoes, turnips, and onions, take 10 minutes or less to cook, while softer vegetables, such as mushrooms, tomatoes, and squash, cook in 60 seconds or less.
There are two ways to ensure all the vegetables in your stew cook to perfection. You can use the interrupted cooking method and cook the vegetables in two or more stages, putting the hardest veggies in the pot first and the softest vegetables in the pot last. When using this method, cut the vegetables in pieces that are roughly the same size to ensure uniform cooking.
If you don’t want to use the interrupted cooking method but instead cook all the vegetables together for the same length of time, you can cheat by cutting the hard vegetables into small pieces so they cook faster and cutting the softer vegetables into large pieces so they cook more slowly.
Spicy Vegetable Stew
This four-alarm stew gets its fire from coriander, cumin, cayenne, and jalapeño. The coconut milk adds rich, mellow undertones and cools the heat, while the golden raisins add a sweet surprise.
- Yield: 6 cups; Prep time: 15 minutes; Cook time: 15 minutes; Serving size: 1 cup
- 2 TB. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. cayenne
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1 (15-oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk
- 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-in. rounds
- 1 large eggplant, peeled and diced small
- 2 large zucchini, diced small
- 1 large white or yellow onion, diced small
- 1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juice
- 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup golden raisins
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large jalapeños, ribs and seeds removed, and diced fine
- In a pressure cooker over medium heat, heat extra-virgin olive oil. When hot, stir in coriander, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, and garlic, and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add vegetable stock, coconut milk, carrots, eggplant, zucchini, onion, tomatoes with juice, chickpeas, raisins, and kosher salt.
- Lock the lid in place. Bring to high pressure, and maintain for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and reduce pressure using the quick release method.
- Add pepper. Ladle stew into bowls, garnish with jalapeños, and serve immediately.
Eggplant Ratatouille Stew
This hearty and flavorful stew blends the mellow flavors of eggplant, zucchini, and bell pepper with hints of garlic and parsley.
- Yield: 4 cups; Prep time: 15 minutes; Cook time: 3 minutes; Serving size: 1 cup
- 4 TB. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-in. cubes
- 1 large zucchini, skin on and sliced into ½-in. slices
- 1 large green bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, and cut into strips
- 1 medium white or russet potato, peeled and diced small
- 1 large white or yellow onion, diced small
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium tomatoes, seeds removed and diced small
- 2 TB. minced fresh parsley
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- In a pressure cooker over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. When hot, add eggplant, zucchini, green bell pepper, and potato in small batches, and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl, and set aside.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to the pressure cooker. When hot, add onion and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes or until onion is soft. Do not brown.
- Return cooked eggplant-zucchini mixture to the pressure cooker. Add tomatoes, parsley, and vegetable stock.
- Lock the lid in place. Bring to high pressure, and maintain for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and reduce pressure using the quick release method.
- Add kosher salt and pepper, ladle stew into soup bowls, and serve immediately.
Spicy Cauliflower, Potato, and Carrot Stew
The cauliflower, carrots, and potatoes soak up the flavors of ginger, green chile, garlic, and numerous spices in this hearty and belly-warming vegetarian curry.
- Yield: 4 cups; Prep time: 15 minutes; Cook time: 5 minutes; Serving size: 1 cup
- 4 TB. extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, diced small
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large white potatoes, peeled and diced small
- 1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1-in. rounds
- 1 (1-in.) piece fresh gingerroot, peeled and minced
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground turmeric
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup tomato or vegetable juice
- 1 (8-oz.) can mild green chiles, drained and diced
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- In a pressure cooker over medium heat, heat extra-virgin olive oil. When hot, add onion, garlic, potatoes, cauliflower, and carrots, and cook for about 5 minutes or until well coated with oil and slightly browned.
- Stir in gingerroot, coriander, cumin, turmeric, vegetable stock, tomato juice, and green chiles.
- Lock the lid in place. Bring to high pressure, and maintain for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and reduce pressure using the cold water release method.
- Add kosher salt and pepper, ladle stew into soup bowls, and serve immediately.
For more delicious pressure cooker recipes, check out our Quick Guide Pressure Cooker Meals: Fantastic Fruity Desserts. Enjoy!
From The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Pressure Cooking by Carole Jacobs and Chef Patrice Johnson
