Tired of having your recipes fight for oven space and juggling multiple cooking times? This year, we’re taking the stress out of the holiday. These Stress-Free Vegan & Vegetarian Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes will take the pressure off your oven and guarantee a delicious, memorable meal for everyone.
Over the last three years, I have come to realize that I am not as stressed during the holiday season as I used to be.
Could it be all my excellent planning that was making my life easier during the holiday season? NOPE, that’s not it!
Could it be that my guests have become less demanding and don’t want a custom recipe? DEFINITELY not it!
Could it be that my Instant Pot took on some of the tasks that my oven was having to make? YES, that’s it!!!!!!
My Instant Pot makes my life easy all year round, but it’s especially a lifesaver during the holiday season. Here are some amazing Instant Pot recipes from me and my fellow food blogger friends.
Instant Pot Vegan / Vegetarian Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Some side dishes complement the main dish, while others steal the show! You will find both of those recipes here.
For a Vegan and Vegetarian Thanksgiving, both are very important. These Instant Pot side dishes are easy, quick, and delicious. This list has both types of recipes that will shine on your holiday table.
Green Beans
How can you have a Thanksgiving dinner without having green beans? These garlic green beans are ready in just 30 minutes. I used just 5 ingredients to make them. The best part is that they can be made year-round as a side to any meal.
Other green bean recipes to try: Sauteed green beans and roasted green beans.
Instant Pot Carrots
This is a very hands-free way of making carrots. The Instant Pot does most of the heavy lifting. The carrots turn out sweet and tender, which is exactly how I like them.
Brussels Sprouts
You won’t believe this! Brussels sprouts can be ready in just 22 minutes in the Instant Pot. This time includes from the moment the lid is closed to when the valve drops. Doesn’t that sound so easy?!
I also have a complete guide to everything Brussels sprouts.
Other Brussels sprouts recipes to try: Za’atar spice Brussels sprouts and Brussels sprouts pilaf.
Cranberry Sauce
The fastest way to get fresh cranberry sauce on the table is right here. The Short Order Cook combines fresh cranberries and apples for a dazzling Thanksgiving staple that takes less time than running to the store!
The best part is that she uses fresh cranberries (not dried cranberries) and fresh apples. No canned anything is in this recipe.
More fresh cranberry recipes to try: Cranberry Loaf Cake and Cranberry Pie Filling.
Cashew Carrot Ginger Soup
This thick, creamy, and inviting bowl of soup is the perfect warm welcome to your holiday table. The Littlest Crumb’s 5-star-rated cashew soup is guaranteed to impress your guests with its rich flavor and easy Instant Pot prep! Just one spoonful of this soup, and you will be transported to taste heaven.
Other soup recipes to try: Instant Pot Quinoa Soup and Acorn Squash Soup.
Creamy Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto
Love to easily add a touch of unexpected elegance to your Thanksgiving table? Make this rich pumpkin risotto. Ooh La La’s stylish recipe lets the Instant Pot do the hard work, producing a creamy, delicious plant-based side that truly shines!
I always appreciate seeing a risotto recipe at a holiday table. It adds a touch of elegance to the Thanksgiving table. Ooh La La knows how to make a stylish risotto to go with the main course. It definitely shines at your dinner table.
Other Risotto recipe to try: Dutch Oven Butternut Squash Risotto.
Instant Pot Frozen Green Peas
Have you been to a Thanksgiving table that didn’t have a green pea recipe? Yes, I haven’t either!
I take frozen green peas and make the quickest Thanksgiving side dish! The peas are plump and burst with flavor when cooked this way. Everyone will love their taste, even the picky eaters.
The best part is that all you need is salt, butter, and pepper. Add oregano if you like it.
Other peas recipes to try: Coconut rice and peas & mushrooms.
Copycat Rice-a-Roni
Why serve Rice-A-Roni from a box where you can’t pronounce the ingredients and the box is full of salt?! Life Currents is a master at creating hearty recipes from fresh ingredients. All you need is 22 minutes and pantry ingredients like cheese and vegetable broth.
This pressure cooker rice is such an enjoyable side dish that you will be making it all year round.
Other rice recipes to try: Basmati Rice and Broccoli Rice Casserole.
Seitan
If you haven’t gotten on the seitan train yet, now is the time! Seitans are packed with 30 grams of protein (incomplete protein: missing lysine). How cool is that!
Made for vegans everywhere, Zardy Plants shows everyone that it’s not hard to get your protein on a vegan diet.
The best part is that it is made with pantry ingredients, and it has no artificial ingredients.
🧐 Seitan as a side dish?
If you know all about Seitan, you might be confused as to why I put seitan in the side dish section instead of labeling it as a main dish.
The good news is that it works as a main and also as a side dish. During the holiday season, seitan can be an ingredient in salads, meatballs, stews, appetizers, and more.
Learn more about Complete proteins and 8 vegan protein sources.
Instant Pot Potato Recipes
You didn’t think I was going to have a roundup without potato recipes, did you? It’s not Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes, sweet potato dishes, side dishes.
Get your starch fix in with these luscious recipes.
Mediterranean Mashed Potatoes
If you are like me, you like to have a little texture to your mashed potatoes. In this recipe, I added basil, olives, red bell peppers, and garlic. Whenever I make these potatoes, everyone goes for seconds and thirds!
More Mediterranean recipes to try: Mediterranean Brussels sprouts and whipped feta.
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Why spend hours boiling potatoes or oven-baking potatoes? Just put them in the Instant Pot and, in 30 minutes, they will be ready to be mashed. The Forked Spoon has streamlined the whole process, so you will get the smoothest mashed potatoes with minimal effort.
More potato recipes to try: Kale & Potatoes and Breakfast Potatoes.
Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Do you know how long it takes to bake a sweet potato in the oven? 45 minutes! Instead, Well Fed Baker gets it done in under 30 minutes! That extra 15 minutes makes all the difference around the holidays.
The best part is that you only need seven ingredients, which will be in your pantry. There are no complicated steps in this recipe, so even a novice can easily make it.
Some sweet potato recipes to try: Hasselback Sweet Potatoes and Candied Sweet Potatoes.
Sweet Potato Casserole
This sweet potato casserole is the perfect marriage of spice and sweetness! Topped with crunchy pecans, this casserole is a party for your taste buds. Eating In An Instant figured out how to make this casserole in the Instant Pot, so that your holiday cooking is stress-free.
After 10 minutes of pressure cooking, the sweet potatoes will be the right amount of mush. Then, all you have to do is blend it with the other ingredients, and it’s ready to be devoured.
Other potato recipes to try: Purple sweet potatoes and sweet potato drop biscuits.
Instant Pot Tips
- ⬇️ Always wait for the valve on the lid to drop. That’s because the food is still cooking on the inside. Avoid using the natural release or quick release unless necessary.
- 🔌 Preferably, connect the Instant Pot’s plug directly into a wall socket, not a power strip.
- 🔇 You can turn off the sound or beeps in most Instant Pots by pressing the minus button until you see the “S Off” display message.
- 💨 Use (Amazon Affiliate Link) pressure cooker safe containers to steam or pressure cook vegetables because they will cook more evenly.
Instant Pot Desserts
The Instant Pot is adept at making some interesting desserts using simple ingredients. If you have been afraid to try baking in your IP, these bloggers will show you that there is nothing to fear.
White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake
The Fresh Cooky shows us how to make this festive cheesecake both in the oven and the Instant Pot, too. I have tried her IP method, and it was so easy to make. The cheesecake tasted like I had ordered it from a 5-star bakery!
It’s now become my go-to Thanksgiving dessert recipe.
Brown Rice Pudding
Rice pudding has been a childhood favorite of mine, but I didn’t like the time it took to make it. But I love to make it in my Instant Pot now, and it’s so simple.
Apple Butter
Every recipe I used to see for apple butter spent hours cooking apples in the slow cooker. I don’t have the patience for a slow cooker, so I decided to make it in my Instant Pot. I have never looked back!
This Apple butter took me just 20 minutes to make, and I used only 6 ingredients!
DIY Thanksgiving Staples & Prep Tips
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Many Thanksgiving recipes call for pumpkin pie spice. So, I recommend making the spice at home in advance. It’s easy to make and tastes so much better than store-bought recipes.
Pie Crust
Baking Thanksgiving pies is fun, but I don’t like the store-bought pie crusts. I realized that it’s easy to make my own at home using simple ingredients.
Honey Butter
This butter comes in handy during the holiday season. I always use it in recipes that call for butter because it adds a nice sweetness. It’s great to use in frostings, pies, muffins, and for flavoring roasted vegetables, too.
Side Note: You can easily make your own breadcrumbs and croutons to put in your Thanksgiving recipes.
Sharing is caring
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