12 of the best vegan instant pot recipe ideas for easy dinners

What are Instant Pots?

Instant Pots are fantastic kitchen gadgets that can be used to make a huge variety of dishes from stews and soups to desserts and yoghurts.

They are essentially pressure cookers that cook food by creating a high temperature under a tight seal so that steam can’t escape. As the food is steam-cooked, it cooks much more quickly than it would if you were to cook the same meal on the hob.

This means Instant Pots are great for those days when you’re in a hurry but don’t want to compromise on having a nutritious plant-based dinner.

They even have a slow cooker function so you can make your dinner in the morning ready for your evening meal.

If you find yourself cooking a lot of vegan storecupboard staples like lentils and beans then an Instant Pot might just be your new best friend!

There’s no pre-soaking of pulses and legumes required, and the pulses pressure-cook in just 30 minutes. You can even use your instant pot as a rice cooker to make mountains of perfectly fluffy rice.

1. Instant Pot Vegan Chili Mac And Cheese

Vegan Instant Pot chili mac and cheese is perfect when you want something easy and comforting at the same time.

This flavourful dish is filled with kidney beans, onion, garlic, bell pepper and spices for a hearty and satisfying meal.

2. Freezer Meal Spicy Sweet Potato Peanut Stew

This soup is packed with spicy-sweet flavors and is a great nutritional meal thanks to the kale and sweet potato.

Simply prep the soup and freeze and when you’re feeling hungry you can pop it in your Instant Pot and leave it to do the rest.

3. Instant Pot Vegan Burrito Bowls

Hate washing up? This tasty burrito bowl recipe requires minimal washing up as you can saute and cook at the same time!

These vegan burrito bowls are perfect for busy weeknights and the leftovers are delicious served in wraps for lunch the next day.

4. Instant Pot Vegan Drunken Noodles

Easy, quick, and ready in just 20 minutes! These vegan drunken noodles are a perfect one-pot weeknight meal.

5. Instant Pot Indian Butter Tofu

This creamy butter tofu recipe is one for those nights when you’re really craving some Indian food for dinner! The leftovers are delicious the next day too meaning you get two meals in one go.

6. Vegan Instant Pot White Bean Stew

We love recipes where you can throw all the ingredients in the pot and leave it to do its magic. This dump-and-go vegan Instant Pot recipe couldn’t be simpler and comes together with zero hands-on cooking!

7. Chickpea Tikka Masala

This amazingly tasty and satisfying chickpea tikka masala is made with just 5 ingredients and is naturally gluten-free so it is great for the whole family.

8. Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta

Instant Pots aren’t just for pulses and soups, you can also make tasty pasta dishes in them too. This creamy restaurant-style pasta is a one-pot meal that takes just 20 minutes to cook!

9. Instant Pot Red Lentil & Potato Curry

This easy and healthy dish is gluten-free, vegan, and packed with delicious warming spices ready to complement your favourite grain and/or bread!

10. Instant Pot Jackfruit Curry

This vegan Instant Pot recipe is made with warm and aromatic Indian spices, jackfruit, sweet potatoes, and coconut milk. Plus it’s quick and easy to make so it is ideal for busy weeknights.

11. Moroccan Instant Pot Lentils

These Moroccan Instant Pot lentils are a tasty and simple option for meal prep for busy folks who like to plan ahead. No sautéing, minimal chopping, and they make a big batch and you can even freeze them for later.

12. Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili

This Instant Pot vegan chili with quinoa, sweet potatoes and black beans is quick, easy, healthy, and filling with the perfect blend of spices.

Discover more delicious vegan dinner recipes here.