35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (2024)

See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.

You’ll love these Healthy Instant Pot Recipes! With these easy pressure cooker recipes, you’ll get delicious weeknight dinners on your table faster than ever. Plus, ideas for breakfast, side dishes and meal prep!

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (1) Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

The more I use my Instant Pot, the more I realize what an amazing appliance it is. I couldn’t live without my Instant Pot at this point – it saves me so much effort with preparing quick, healthy meals!

You can use your Instant Pot as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer or rice cooker. You can also sauté veggies, brown meat and make yogurt in an Instant Pot. I use the Instant Pot sauté and pressure cook functions most often.

If you are new to Instant Pot cooking, read my guide on How to Use an Instant Pot.

I own multiple Instant Pots. I’ll often have two Instant Pots cooking at the same time if I’m doing food prep for the week or making a main and side dish for dinner. You might think I’m crazy, but it is so convenient!

I regularly use both the 6 quart Instant Pot and the 8 quart Instant Pot DUO. I love and highly recommend both, depending on your needs. The 8 quart is great for when you are feeding a crowd or meal prepping large batches of dried beans, etc. The 6 quart is perfect for feeding a family on a daily basis.

Why you need an Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker)

  • You can make true one pot meals in your Instant Pot.
  • If you forget to start your slow cooker, you can make dinner fast in your Instant Pot.
  • You can safely and effortlessly cook meat from frozen.
  • It’s a hands-off way to cook. You don’t need to watch a pot on the stove or a pan in the oven.
  • You can make many meal prep staples quickly and easily, including shredded chicken, hard-boiled eggs, steel cut oats and cooked beans (from dry).
  • The pressure cooking process develops delicious flavors quickly. I’ve never had a better chili than my Instant Pot Turkey Chili!

Healthy Instant Pot Recipes

ThisInstant Pot Spaghetti is one of the best Instant Pot recipes for a fast family dinner. Everything cooks together in one pot: meat, pasta and sauce!

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ThisInstant Pot Butternut Squash Soup has the best flavors of fall wrapped up in a deliciously easy soup!

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Honey Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Breasts are always moist, tender and flavorful! These pressure cooker chicken breasts cook perfectly in minutes from fresh or frozen for a quick dinner.

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Instant Pot Minestrone Soup is the perfect hearty meal to warm you up. This homemade recipe tastes just like the restaurant version and is loaded with healthy vegetables and hearty beans.

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Enjoy an easy savory meal with this Instant Pot Chicken Thighs recipe. Perfectly juicy and seasoned with a homemade spice rub, make these chicken thighs in your Instant Pot in just 30 minutes, start to finish.

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TheseEasy Peel Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs are so simple to make and easy to peel! They are a great healthy meal prep option for breakfasts, snacks and lunches.

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This vegetarian Instant Pot Lentil Soup is a warmly spiced soup that’s filled with tender lentils, vegetables and tomatoes.

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This Instant Pot Potato Soup is the perfect thick and creamy soup for a chilly winter evening meal.

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We can’t get enough of thisInstant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup! This healthy one pot dinner can also be made in the slow cooker.

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Instant Pot Pinto Beans are a versatile recipe that you can use to make many delicious meals.

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ThisInstant Pot Greek Chicken has only 5g net carbs. This delicious and healthy meal will have you coming back for more!

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These Instant Pot Baked Potatoes are an easy meal, perfect for a weeknight. Load them up with your favorite toppings and enjoy.

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Everyone who tries thisHealthy Turkey Chili Recipe says it is the best turkey chili they’ve had! I bet your family will love it too.

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Instant Pot Chicken and Mushrooms has loads of flavor from onion, garlic and mushrooms plus an herb and seasoning blend.

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Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash is an easy, hands-off way to cook this versatile ingredient. It turns out tender and perfectly cooked, ready to enjoy with marinara sauce or use in your favorite recipes.

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This vegetarian Instant Pot Lentil Chili with black beans, quinoa, lentils and veggies is a healthy and hearty chili recipe.

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Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice is always a family dinner favorite! Made with brown rice and packed with veggies, this healthy dinner cooks in under 30 minutes.

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Enjoy this delicious Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup made easy and fast in your pressure cooker.

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ThisInstant Pot Brown Ricerecipe is a hands-off way to cook fluffy brown rice! This easy pressure cooker rice recipe helps to simplify dinner prep.

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Instant Pot Corn on the Cob is a foolproof recipe that turns out perfect every time. The easiest way to cook corn on the cob!

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Make your favorite takeout food at home with thisPressure Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken & Noodles recipe.

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Cook your ownBlack Beans in your Instant Pot!These Mexican-flavored black beans are easy to make, with no soaking required! Use them in burritos, tacos, salads, enchiladas or as a side dish.

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Weeknight meals just got easier with this deliciousInstant Pot Whole Chicken. The leftovers are perfect for sandwiches!

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You can never have too many chili recipes and thisInstant Pot Chili is flavorful and easy to make.

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ThisInstant Pot Chicken Noodle Soupis perfect for cold winter days!

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Breakfast just got easier with these foolproof Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats. They come out perfect every time!

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Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes are an easy side dish, or add your favorite toppings and make them a meal.

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ThisInstant Pot Lemon Chicken with Garlic is an easy low carb and low effort meal for any day.

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A sweet and savory honey garlic sauce makes this easy Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin Recipe something special.

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Perfectly fluffy Instant Pot Quinoa cooks quickly in the pressure cooker. Enjoy it as a side dish or use it in your favorite quinoa recipes.

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When you need a cozy, healthy dinner that cooks in one pot, this Instant Pot White Chicken Chili is just the recipe. You can make it with fresh or frozen chicken.

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Breakfast for dinner? ThisInstant Pot Frittata Breakfast Casseroleis crazy delicious and loaded with healthy veggies. This tasty pressure cooker breakfast is easy to make and an excellent make-ahead meal!

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This Instant Pot Applesauce is an easy and delicious homemade apple sauce recipe that pressure cooks in just 6 minutes.

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See how to cook moist, tender and juicy chicken breasts in your Instant Pot for shredding. This Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is quick and easy to make and it turns out perfect every time!

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5 from 11 ratings

Healthy Instant Pot Recipes: Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

Servings: 7 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 4 minutes mins

Pressurize Time: 26 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

This Instant Pot Vegetable Soup is one of our favorite healthy Instant Pot recipes!

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Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 ribs celery, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 3 medium carrots, sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds or half rounds if large
  • 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, about 4 medium, cut into ¾-inch pieces
  • 1 cup chopped green beans, 1 inch pieces, fresh or frozen
  • ¾ cup frozen corn
  • ¾ cup frozen peas
  • 14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves

Instructions

  • Turn on the Instant Pot's saute function and add the olive oil. When hot, add the chopped onion and celery. Saute, stirring often, until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, turn off the Instant Pot, and stir for 30 seconds.

  • Pour the vegetable broth into the pot and stir, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add all of the remaining ingredients: carrots, potatoes, green beans, corn, peas, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Stir.

  • Close the Instant Pot lid and move the steam release valve to the sealing position. Set the cook time to 4 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will take about 20 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will start counting down.

  • When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes by just leaving the Instant Pot alone. Then, quick release the remaining pressure by carefully moving the steam release valve to the venting position. Once all of the steam has escaped and the pin drops down, carefully open the Instant Pot lid.

  • Remove the bay leaves. Stir the soup, serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • This soup is delicious served with chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese. Try adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the soup for a bright, fresh flavor or a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat.
  • Try using other vegetables in this vegetable soup recipe, such as zucchini, cubed butternut squash or sweet potatoes. Note that zucchini will become very soft after pressure cooking.
  • To make this soup even more of a hearty meal, you can add canned beans or pasta. Canned beans can be added before pressure cooking. It is best to cook pasta separately and add it to the soup after pressure cooking.

Serving: 1.5cups, Calories: 188kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 917mg, Potassium: 606mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 5468IU, Vitamin C: 29mg, Calcium: 73mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is an estimate.

Cuisine: American

Course: Main Course, Soup

Tried this recipe?Mention @kristines_kitchen on Instagram or tag #kristineskitchenblog.

This site contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Kristine's Kitchen!

35 Healthy Instant Pot Recipes (Quick & Easy) - Kristine's Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

Are Instant Pot meals healthy? ›

Instant pot recipes are absolutely healthy as long as what you put in the recipe is healthy,” she says.

What cooks good in an Instant Pot? ›

71 Of Our Best Instant Pot Recipes That Are Total Game Changers
  • Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup. ...
  • Tangy Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs. ...
  • Instant Pot Pasta Primavera. ...
  • Instant Pot Baby Potatoes. ...
  • Veggie-Packed Mac 'n' Cheese. ...
  • Instant Pot Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls. ...
  • Instant Pot White Bean Chicken Chili. ...
  • Instant Pot Crème Brûlée.
Dec 13, 2023

Is pressure cooking healthy? ›

Cooking methods vary in their ability to retain nutrients, and pressure cooking stands out. Research, including a study from the 1990s, suggests that pressure cooking retains about 90 to 95 percent of food nutrients, outperforming other methods like steaming, roasting, and especially boiling.

What is the meat stew setting on Instant Pot? ›

What about the meat/stew button? The meat stew setting is a one-click approach to cooking larger pieces of meat (like those in this recipe) in the Instant Pot. The meat stew setting on the Instant Pot is 35 minutes long, so it should work, but I haven't experimented with the setting myself.

What are the disadvantages of a pressure cooker? ›

Because pressure cooking is an enclosed form of cooking, there is no contact with air. Therefore, some nutritionists argue that the ingredients may remain uncooked from within which can hamper your digestion on being consumed. Almost all cooking methods, including pressure cooking, have their own pros and cons.

Does pressure cooking bone broth destroy nutrients? ›

Since pressure cooking doesn't require a much higher temperature and shortens the cooking time, there is less time for nutrient loss. For this reason, pressure cooking may actually preserve nutrients better than other methods of cooking.

Are instant pots worth it? ›

Is it worth buying an Instant Pot? Yes, we do think an Instant Pot is worth it, particularly for pressure cooking. There's a reason it's one of the most popular kitchen appliances out there.

Do all instant pots slow cook? ›

And yes, almost all work like a separate slow cooker does. As you study up on how to use an Instant Potas a slow cooker, however, one of the most common mistakes is thinking that the temperatures on both appliances allow for a direct conversion. That's incorrect: Low on one is not equivalent to Low on the other.

What cooks food faster in a pressure cooker? ›

In fact, it's water that helps generate the high-pressure environment that makes your food cook faster. Most pressure cooker instructions state a minimum amount of water required for pressure cooking even a tiny amount of food.

What foods should not be cooked in a pressure cooker? ›

Here are six things you should always avoid cooking in a pressure cooker.
  1. Dairy products. Foods containing dairy, like milk, cream, or yogurt, should not be pressure-cooked. ...
  2. Fried foods. Cooking fried foods is a strict no no, when it comes to pressure cookers. ...
  3. Quick cooking vegetables. ...
  4. Cakes and bakes. ...
  5. Eggs in the shell.
Jul 23, 2023

Does pressure cooking destroy vitamins? ›

Researchers found that sautéing spinach or amaranth leaves in a pan for 30 minutes destroyed about 95 percent of the vitamin C, whereas ten minutes in a pressure cooker wiped out only about 90 percent.

Does pressure cooking destroy lectins in tomatoes? ›

The high heat and pressure can effectively neutralize most of the lectins. So, when you're preparing a dish that calls for tomatoes, consider using a pressure cooker. This method is particularly useful when making soups, sauces, or stews with tomatoes.

What is the difference between meat stew and Pressure Cook? ›

The Less mode is suitable for softer texture meat, while the Normal mode is for very tender meat, and the More mode is for fall-off-the-bone texture [2]. The Meat/Stew setting is specifically tailored to achieve optimal results when cooking meat and stews [2].

Does meat get more tender the longer you cook it in a stew? ›

The most important key to making stew meat tender is being sure to cook it for a long time. If you want super tender beef, you'll need to cook it on a low heat in a Dutch oven on the stove or a slow cooker for at least a few hours.

Should Instapot be on sealing or venting? ›

When starting your cook, you want this lever pointing toward "sealing" and not "venting." Sealing means the Instant Pot is going to hold all the pressure created inside the pot, while venting is what you'll likely do to release the pressure when the food is finished cooking.

How healthy are cook ready meals? ›

Maybe you don't know how to cook or just don't enjoy it. Whatever your reasons, ready meals aren't always as nutritious as cooking a meal from scratch. This is because they don't always provide your body with the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. Ready meals can be high in salt and fat and low in other nutrients.

Is rice cooked in a pressure cooker healthy? ›

Often people cook rice in a pressure cooker due to paucity of time. If you are also one of those people who use cooker to cook rice, then do not make this mistake again. This causes the starch present in rice to release a chemical called acrylamide, which is harmful for health.

Is eating home cook meals healthy? ›

Whether you're a veteran chef or a kitchen newbie, cooking at home is likely to be healthier than eating at restaurants—and there are plenty of ways to make your meals even more wholesome and nutritious.

Are instant pots good for meal prep? ›

Instant Pot and other electric multi-cookers can make meal prepping and batch cooking faster and easier. If you're motivated to cook healthy whole foods for yourself and your family, this tool can really help support your efforts. Reason #1: Pressure cookers cook faster!

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