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Instant Pot Lemon Quinoa with Yogurt Dill Sauce

white bowl with quinoa, lemon, and herbs with a spoon

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Easy, satisfying Instant Pot Lemon Quinoa is the perfect side dish for any dinner.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 cup raw quinoa, rinsed and drained if it’s not pre-rinsed
  • 1 ½ cup water or chicken broth
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Juice of 1 lemon (3-4 tablespoons)
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped (I prefer Italian parsley)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted

 

For the Yogurt Dill Sauce

  • ¼ cup plain yogurt
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Instructions

  1. Preheat the pressure cooker by selecting sauté.  Add the olive oil.  When hot, add onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cumin and sauté for 30 seconds.  
  2. Add quinoa.  Constantly stir to toast the quinoa, about 1 minute. 
  3. Add water or chicken broth, salt, and pepper; stir.
  4. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position.  Cook at high pressure for 1 minute.
  5. While the quinoa cooks, make the Yogurt Dill Sauce by whisking all of the ingredients together in a bowl.  Set aside.
  6. When cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
  7. Fluff the quinoa with a fork.
  8. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, and thyme. Stir gently with the fork.
  9. Serve quinoa hot with a drizzle of the Yogurt Dill Sauce and a sprinkle of toasted almonds on top.  Garnish with extra chopped parsley if desired.

Notes

  • To toast the almonds, put them in a dry sauté pan over medium heat.  Stir and toss the almonds while they toast so they don’t burn.  As soon as they start browning, remove them from the heat and dump them onto a plate to cool.
  • I like to buy pre-rinsed quinoa to save myself a step.  If your quinoa is not pre-rinsed, place it in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cool water for a minute or two.  This is worth the extra step, the flavor is MUCH better.
  • Make sure quinoa is completely submerged in the water in the pot before cooking so you don’t have crunchy pieces left on the side of the pot.
  • I suggest using fresh lemon juice vs bottled for this recipe.  The flavor really makes this quinoa shine.