Steaming vegetables in the Instant Pot

Steaming vegetables in the instant pot is an easy way to have perfectly cooked veggies ready fast with minimal effort. This easy side dish makes getting healthy dinners on the table so much easier! 

I love being able to add a mix of everyones favorite veggies into the instant pot for the perfect healthy side dish. Prepping a batch of steamed vegetables is one of my favorite ways to get ahead for the week. Then I can add them to stir fry or serve with grilled chicken for quick healthy weeknight meals.

These instant pot vegetables are quick, delicious, and perfect for meal prep. They also are great for baby food if you are in that phase of life!

Some recipes recommend using low pressure but I like to do them quickly on high pressure. The vegetables cook perfectly every time!

Ingredients for Steaming Vegetables in the Instant Pot:

Vegetables: Your favorite type of vegetables. Fresh zucchini, broccoli florets, bell pepper, snap peas, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, baby carrots, green beans, asparagus, and summer squash are our favorite veggies to steam in the instant pot.

Water: You want room temperature water. Adding hot water will make the veggies too quickly and result in overcooked vegetables. You need a cup of liquid for the pressure cooker to come to pressure. I mostly use water but vegetable stock is also a great option.

Butter: Completely optional but a little butter, olive oil, or coconut oil tossed with steamed vegetables after they are cooked makes them extra delicious and appealing to kids!

Seasoning: simple salt and pepper or lemon pepper, cajun seasoning, ranch seasoning…the possibilities are endless.

Supplies for Instant pot Steamed Vegetables:

Pressure cooker: Any electric pressure cooker that can accommodate a steamer basket. We have the 6quart instant pot duo. As always cooking times will vary slightly base on the size of your pressure cooker.

Steam basket: a steam basket for your pressure cooker. Preferably one with feet.

Cutting board: for prepping the veggies on.

Knife: a good knife makes prepping the veggies a lot easier.

Tongs: I like to use tongs to remove the steam basket from the pressure cooker.

How to prep different types of vegetables for steaming:

• Asparagus: Cut off the tough white ends and cut into smaller pieces if desired.
• Bell peppers: Remove the stem and seeds and into roughly 1- inch chunks.
• Brussel sprouts: Trim the ends and remove any dry or browning outer leaves from each Brussels sprout. Slice the sprouts in half lengthwise.
• Broccoli: Cut the broccoli into small florets.
• Carrots: Peel and cut each carrot in 1/2 inch rounds.
• Cauliflower: Cut the cauliflower into bite size florets.
• Fresh corn on the cob: Slice the cob into 4 large chunks.
• Green beans: Trim the ends of the green beans and break in half if desired.
• Potatoes: Peel and dice into 1-inch pieces.
• Sweet potatoes: Peel and slice into 1/2-inch cubes.
• Zucchini: Slice in half lengthwise and cut into large 1-2 inch chunks.

How to Steam Vegetables in the Instant pot

1. Prepare your vegetables of choice. Place the prepared vegetables into the steamer basket. Depending on your steamer basket you can do up to five cups of vegetables at once.
2. Add 1 cup of water to the inner pot of a 6-quart Instant Pot.
3. Place your steamer basket full of vegetables in the inner pot of your pressure cooker. All of the feet on the steamer basket should be touching the bottom of the instant pot.
4. Close and lock the lid of your instant pot pressure cooker making sure the steam release handle is in the sealed position.
5. Make sure the keep warm function is turned off and set the pressure level to high pressure. Set the cooking time to zero. The veggies steam perfectly while the pot is coming to pressure.
6. When the time is up do a quick pressure release. Once the steam button is lowered remove the lid. Watch out for that blast of steam! Using tongs or an oven mitt carefully remove the steamer basket from the instant pot.
7. Dump your steamed veggies into a serving vessel and top with a little butter and your favorite seasoning. Enjoy a batch of your favorite veggies!

How to Store Steamed vegetables:

You can make a large batch of these steamed vegetables ahead of time making them perfect for meal prep! Allow the veggies to cool and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Preparing vegetables ahead:

You can prepare your vegetables for steaming ahead of time. Simply store the vegetables in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Why steam vegetables?

Steaming is one of the healthiest methods for preparing vegetables. Cooking vegetables with steam leads to less nutrient loss than boiling without the added fat of frying or roasting. Steaming can also make some vegetables easier to digest.’