I got an electronic pressure cooker for Christmas last year, and it has become something I use at least once a day. (FYI – I have the Instant Pot 6 quart pressure cooker with a stainless steel pot.) It quickly cooks staples of mine such as rice and quinoa, beans, soups and stews. It can also be used to steam cook potatoes and sweet potatoes. I love it because it cooks quickly and I can set a timer for it to cook and walk away – meaning I can be cooking and doing other stuff at the same time which is a huge time saver.

There are also some health benefits to using a pressure cooker. Studies have shown that that the shorter cooking times involved in pressure cooking preserves more of the food’s nutrients. Also, less water is used with pressure cooking, which is also thought to help food retain more nutrients. Finally, pressure cooking may make protein more digestible, as shown in a study comparing cooking methods of legumes.

If you have a pressure cooker, try the easy recipe below for Corn Chowder (vegan, gluten-free). It’s a big hit in my house!

Pressure Cooker Corn Chowder

Makes 6-8 servings
Vegan, Gluten-free, Oil-free

Gather:
1/2 onion, diced
1 potato, chopped
1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 1lb bag of frozen corn (or use fresh if in season)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Put all of the ingredients into the instant pot and cover with filtered water or vegetable broth by 1 inch.

Cook in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes, then use quick release method to cool.

Very carefully, blend about half of the soup to make it creamy. This is easier if you have an immersion blender – I don’t half one so I just scoop out half of the soup and blend it with my high speed blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!