The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook: Wholesome, Indulgent Plant-Based Recipes

Just weeks before COVID shut everything down I bought my first house and started demolishing the kitchen for a remodel. I’d gotten myself an Instant Pot a couple months earlier but hadn’t ever really used it. Now, in June 2021 I still don’t have a range or oven in my kitchen, but I’ve become an Instant Pot pro thanks to Nisha Vora! Both my diet and my boyfriend’s are quite restricted due to several allergies that include avoiding dairy, gluten, soy, cane sugar, hemp, and sesame. However, I can eat almost all of Nisha Vora’s recipes with minimal substitutions. These recipes don’t skimp on taste but the ingredients to get there can cost a pretty penny. Also, one has to be very cautious when considering the salt recommended in the recipes – I love salt but was unable to eat one dish because the recipe called for too much salt and I unthinkingly added it all. With all that said, this is currently my favorite cookbook. I feel like my culinary horizons have expanded and I’ve come across many new pleasant flavor combinations. And I LOVE being able to just follow a recipe and eat the food without having to make so many substitutions because of my allergies. Finally, the instant pot cook time charts at the beginning are fantastic! Below are my individual reviews of dishes I’ve made so far: p.79 Savory Turmeric Breakfast Quinoa – Satisfying: would be better with either more vegetables or 1/2-1/3 less quinoa. Made without tamari, pepper, or sesame seeds. p.103 Coconut-Millet Porridge – Won’t make again. Extremely bland but has good texture. Either needs salt or something sweet. Was able to eat a serving by adding applesauce and maple syrup. Definitely better than oatmeal so oatmeal lovers may like this and know how to season to their tastes. To be fair, I didn’t eat it with the recommended toppings which could have made a difference (chocolate, pistachios, berry compote). p.123 Classic Creamy Polenta – Not worth making. Got burn notice. Should cook polenta enough that it just barely thickens before starting to cook it under pressure. Probably best to do pot-in-pot though. Stir quickly at beginning to avoid lumps. I’ll just have my boyfriend make his greasy oven-baked version in the future though. p.125 Rosemary and Garlic White Beans – Actually pretty good. I’m not a fan of oregano so didn’t think I’d like these but found them satisfying. Omitted salt and added to taste at serving. p.129 Frijoles (Mexican-Style Pinto Beans) – Great flavor! Liked them so much I’ve made them twice. But prepare to suffer if you don’t have Beano. Beans possibly needed more cook time since didn’t have intestinal trouble with sufficiently cooked/reheated leftovers. p.139 Wild Rice Salad with Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette – Life changing. This is the perfect blend of all my favorite things. It’s what I imagine pesto salad might taste like if it were a dessert. I love tons of dressing so the next time I make this I’ll double the vinaigrette but most people would probably like as is. I’d been planning to cook more recipes out of the book before writing my review, but this was so amazing I had to get the review written immediately after eating it. p.144 Spaghetti Squash Pasta Puttanesca – Worth making again even though I do’t really like oregano. This is better as leftovers because the flavors have a change to meld. DON’T add extra salt!!! p.149 Lemony Asparagus with Gremolata – Not bad and I’d eat again. Prefer my own dressing. Asparagus was way under cooked, had to saute it for another 3-5 minutes. Put the garlic and lemon zest in the dressing and used less parsley since I’m not a huge parsley fan. p.183 Miso Mushroom Risotto – Was tasty until I added the miso then became unbearably salty. I could feel my tongue burning from all the salt. Had to throw most of it away. p.195 Chickpea Vegetable Biryani – So many flavors happening I couldn’t really tell if I liked it. Probably won’t make again, but I loved the fried raisins! p.199 Tex-Mex Brown Rice and Lentils – Good! An excellent freezer meal. In anticipation of adding vegan cheese I omitted all the salt and ended up with a perfectly balanced dish. Increased cook time for rice. Also, tomatoes should be added last after everything else is stirred in. If they rest on top they won’t cause a burn notice. p.229 Creamy Dreamy Cauliflower Soup – Absolutely fantastic! The lemon, nutmeg, and caper combination really makes this. Seemed slightly watery, but I did use a small cauliflower. Not a super filling dish, but is so unique and delicious it’d be worth having as part of a meal with something else. p.231 Red Lentil Almond Curry – Got burn notice and slightly scorched this. Can’t tell if I didn’t like it because of the extra unintentional smoky flavor or what...probably won’t make again, but this recipe had rave reviews from other people. p.257 Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) – Fantastic and Flavorful broth! This is the best pho I’ve ever had. And while the shiitaki’s make it expensive I tried it with regular mushrooms and it didn’t have the same je ne sais quoi. Still yummy with regular crimini mushrooms, but I’ll be making it with shiitaki’s every time I make it in the future. One of my favorites. Instead of tofu I just added crimini mushrooms after the broth was done and strained. p.267 White Bean and Broccoli Soup – Will not make again; suitable for a different palate but the wine flavor doesn’t work for me. The “Love and Lemons” blog Vegan Broccoli Soup recipe is much better. However, I feel like this recipe has a lot of depth in both flavor and texture. The almond crumble was really yummy and a nice texture counterbalance to the blended soup. p.275 Easy Sweet Potato Dal – Delicious and filling! Would definitely make again. This was the first recipe I made from the book so I didn’t take a lot of notes, but the lemon juice really perks this dish up. It’s like eating warm spicy comforting sunshine. I may edit this review as I make more dishes. Even with the dishes I didn’t like this book has enough showstoppers that you should buy it. I’ve already given it a couple friends as a gift. Pictures are: Easy Sweet Potato Dal, Chickpea Vegetable Biryani with Raita, Creamy Dreamy Cauliflower Soup, and Miso Mushroom Risotto

I absolutely love love LOVE this cookbook! As soon as I opened my copy, I just had to flip through the WHOLE book while still standing in my apartment mail delivery room! The photos are absolutely beautiful with vibrant colors and artistic plating. The recipes are also creative and so easy to follow! Not to mention the author is so funny and such a good story teller. The author, Nisha Vora, does an amazing job at curating chapter after chapter of enticing vegan food. Oh and most importantly--every recipe I have made from this book has turned out amazing and so delicious!! Coming from someone who is not vegan and who also frequently cooks for a significant other who loves to eat meat, I couldn't recommend this book more. You don't have to be vegan to enjoy these amazing recipes-- they are delicious, flavorful and have added great variety to my meals. Additionally, the author did a great job of explaining how to use the Instant pot. She has great tips and tricks for a novice or expert Instant Pot/electric pressure cooker alike! Who knew you could make such delicious desserts in an IP?? I am so glad that I bought this cookbook, and can't wait to incorporate the dishes into my weekly meal prep.

This cookbook is very well written plus the photos are gorgeous. I don’t usually write reviews, but can’t help myself on this one! I love that the author does not assume readers know how to do everything; she takes you step by step through the recipe with thorough explanation plus tips. For example, when I made the Cookies ‘n Cream ‘Cheesecake’, she anticipated that some of us—like me—might forget to soak the cashews over night, so had a fix. By the way, the recipe turned out great. Her explanations for using the Instant Pot are also excellent. I love my Instant Pot and am glad to have these delicious vegan recipes. She has charts up front with times for nearly everything you would want to cook. Those are my go to time charts now. I have not had the book long so have not had a chance to try many but what I have prepared have come out very tasty. I have to say that the garlic mashed potatoes are super and the red cabbage salad as beautiful as her photo as well as delicious. I will caution that if you are off SOFAS, you will need to make adjustments and definitely the Cookies ‘n Cream ‘Cheesecake’ is both high in calories, sugar and oil—but I could not resist trying it. I have also made the simple Dal and the stuffed bell peppers. So far I have not run into any strange ingredients, but she always seems to have options.

This is a great quality book with clear and legible recipes plus lots of vivid photos of the food. Overall, I think this is a great cookbook recipe- and design-wise. However, most recipes are more involved than I was anticipating. I am pretty new to the Instant Pot, but the main reason I got it was for its simplicity: toss ingredients in, push the "Cook" button, have dinner in 20-30 minutes without having to stand there and monitor things. These recipes are more similar to non Instant Pot recipes, in my opinion. Lots of: "First add X, cook for 3 minutes, then add Y, cook for 5 minutes. Turn pot off. Add other ingredients, seal, and pressure cook for 10 minutes. Release pressure, then add MORE ingredients or transfer some to a food processor then re-mix." That said, it's still a good cookbook with some unique recipes. This is just my personal preference. I realize that everyone has their own reason for getting an Instant Pot. I got one so that I could "set it and forget it" with minimal cooking time. These recipes are not designed like that - they remind me much more of standard stovetop recipes.

I've made several things from this book, and they have been delicious. Be prepared for some longer ingredient lists and multi-step dishes. They're well worth it, IMO. I've frequently skipped using my Instant Pot for most of the recipes I've tried, which surprised me and would significantly lower my review if using my IP more often were a big deal to me. It frankly takes far longer for it to pressurize and then release (even when I start with already-boiling water) to justify -- again, IMO, and I'm cooking at high elevation -- some of the very brief cooking times. Using the IP for some of these recipes seems somewhat contrived and unnecessary to me, but if I were a diehard IP user who didn't, for example, find sauteeing in an IP to be ergonomically awkward over the ease of a small saute pan, maybe I would feel differently. Also, I much prefer the results from my rice cooker for grains over what I get from the IP, so for a recipe like her delicious Wild Rice Salad With Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette, I'm pulling out my trusty Zojirushi instead of the IP. The great value of this cookbook for me is not so much the use of the IP, but in the wonderful flavor combinations. I'm using it quite regularly.

I purchased this book a few months ago because I was looking for new and exciting ways to prepare vegan meals. I was looking for delicious dishes prepared in new ways. I decided to try "just a few recipes" and WOW I was surprised. The flavors were great. And they were easy. And they got me excited to try more of the recipes. I have now made roughly 60% of the recipes in the book, and I have not been disappointed. My favorite so far is the Vegan Queso. My goodness I love to put that on practically everything! Who knew butternut squash and yukon gold potatoes could blend into a silky, smooth queso with so much flavor? Tell you what: I'll never look back. Honestly, this recipe book is probably the best I've had when it comes to vegan food. Please treat yourself to one of these delicious meals.

I purchased this book because I am a vegan who is obsessed with my Instant Pot. I am all about homemade meals but I don't want to spend all day in the kitchen. I came across Nisha Vora on instagram and fell in love with her page and insight. I have been vegan for 3 years and enjoy experimenting in the kitchen since vegan cooking, especially baking, can be difficult if you were trained on a western diet. When this book came out I couldn't wait to try out the recipes because I am always looking for ways to cook more at home and avoid eating out. So far my favorite thing that I have just made is the Homemade Coconut Yogurt, COMPLETE GAME CHANGER! Vegan yogurt can be sooooo expensive and I won't buy it in the grocery stores anymore but I adore yogurt. I just made Nisha's yogurt and I am blown away, the technique is explained so well and the ingredients are cheap and easy to find. Though it takes a while to "cook" (mostly just sitting in the instant pot over night on the yogurt setting), it was so worth it when I came out and opened the lid to find perfect yogurt! After setting in the fridge and a few toppings I don't think i'll ever go back to store bought yogurt again. Nisha's book is wonderful for seasoned vegan cooks looking for new things to try and also for brand-new vegans or those interested in a more plant based lifestyle. She blows my mind with the recipes she has developed to cook in my favorite little kitchen item! Plus she is super friendly and responded to me personally with some more tips which I adore about her. LOVE LOVE LOVEEE and would recommend to anyone!

Vegan or not, you’re going to love Nisha Vora’s cookbook. I’ve been following Nisha on her blog Rainbow Plant Life for a while now and I’m already a huge fan of her delicious plant-based recipes and stunning food photography and styling. This book is absolutely gorgeous. The recipes are delicious, unique, globally inspired (Mediterranean! Vietnamese! Indian! Thai! Moroccan! ..and more) and beautifully nuanced in their flavors. I’ve tried 3 recipes from her book so far (See pics): 1. Maple Carrots with Ginger Almond Cream dressing: Oh. My. Gosh. THE MOST BOUJEE carrots you’ve ever met. Make this when you want to impress your mother in law. 2. Hearty Tempeh Chili: smash those rumors that vegans don’t get enough protein with this substantial, heart- and belly-warming, comforting chili. 3. Savory Breakfast Quinoa: so delicious and easy to make. An amazing flavor bomb from the turmeric, miso, tamari and black pepper. We couldn’t stop at one bowl! Long story short, GET THIS BOOK! PS: I don’t have an instant pot; I find that most of the recipes are adaptable easily to stovetop/ pressure cooker or the oven.