This post is sponsored by The Little Potato Company.
Happy September! Today’s recipe is exactly what we’ll be craving as we approach chilly evenings and busier weeknights. A quick, simple, hearty and satisfying stew. This Instant Pot Tofu & Potato Stew is ready in 1 hour or less and made with simple ingredients. This is my first Instant Pot recipe (and my first time using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker at all) and I’m hooked!
In this recipe we’re using Fingerlings from The Little Potato Company, who exclusively grow Creamer potatoes.. Have you ever pressure cooked Little Potatoes? I already love Creamer potatoes' naturally creamy texture and pressure cooking them makes 'em downright velvety. The convenience of the Instant Pot is taken to another level with Little Potatoes. Thanks to their thin skin, there’s no peeling or washing required (they come pre-washed!) I’m going to be trying a lot of recipes with Creamer potatoes in my Instant Pot this autumn!
Big chunks of Creamer potatoes, extra-firm tofu, carrots, peas, celery, onion, and a rich, thick broth makes up this Instant Pot Tofu & Potato Stew. It’s perfect with a big chunk of crusty bread and a smear of vegan butter.
The steps for making this Instant Pot Tofu & Little Potato Stew are simple. Set your Instant Pot to “Saute” and cook cubed tofu in olive oil until crispy on all sides. Stir in some soy sauce to flavour the tofu. Add the vegetables, minus the potatoes, and cook for 5 minutes. Add some flour to thicken the broth, mix and cook for about 1 minute. Add the Fingerling potatoes, broth, water, tomato paste, dried thyme, and black pepper. Set your Instant Pot to “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” and set the time for 15 minutes.
After the Instant Pot depressurizes, change the setting to “Saute”. Add the peas, and cook the stew until it reaches your desired thickness. Taste and adjust the seasoning and you’re done! Serve the Instant Pot Tofu & Potato Stew with some crusty bread or homemade biscuits and enjoy.
Using an Instant Pot, the Little Potatoes cook in 15 minutes and the resulting texture is divine. I noticed a big difference in the texture of the tofu too. It had a meatier, almost chewy texture that made this stew even more satisfying.
Don't have an Instant Pot? You’ll need to simmer the stew for about 30 minutes, or until the Fingerlings are tender before adding the peas.
This recipe would be great for bringing leftovers to work or school. It would also make for a delicious base for a biscuit topped pot pie like our Tofu & Potato Pot Pie recipe.
You can change up the recipe depending on what ingredients you have on hand. Parsnips and mushrooms would be a delicious addition. Chickpeas or lentils would be great as a substitution for the tofu.
This Instant Pot Tofu & Little Potato Stew is freezer-friendly, so it would be a great meal to heat up for busy nights.
This post is sponsored by The Little Potato Company.
We love them for their commitment to simple, healthy whole foods like their delicious Creamer potatoes. Thanks for supporting the brands that support I Love Vegan!
Learn more about why we love Little Potatoes at www.littlepotatoes.com
Instant Pot Vegan Tofu & Little Potato Stew
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Lunch and Dinner
- Cuisine: Vegan
Description
This hearty vegan stew is full of protein-rich tofu, Fingerling potatoes, vegetables and savoury broth. Use the pressure cooking function on your Instant Pot for a complete one-pot meal that’s ready in 1 hour or less. This hearty vegan stew is perfect for chilly autumn nights. Serve with crusty bread slathered with vegan butter or homemade vegan biscuits.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp/45ml olive oil
- 1 block (350g) extra-firm tofu, cubed
- 2 tbsp (30ml) soy sauce
- ½ cup/125ml (100g) chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
- 1 ½ cups/375ml (200g) chopped carrots (4 carrots)
- 1 ½ cups (185g) chopped celery (3 ribs celery)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 - 1.5lb bag (680g) of The Little Potato Company’s Fingerling potatoes
- ½ cup/125ml (75g) unbleached flour
- 6 cups/1500ml vegetable broth
- 1 cup/250ml water
- 3 tbsp/45ml tomato paste
- 1 pinch dried thyme
- 1 cup/250ml (140g) frozen peas
Instructions
- With the lid off, turn Instant Pot on to “Sauté” and choose the “Normal” heat level. Add the olive oil. Once the Instant Pot is preheated, add the cubed tofu. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tofu is crisp and golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
- Add the soy sauce and stir, cooking until the liquid is absorbed.
- Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the flour and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the Fingerling potatoes, vegetable broth, water, tomato paste, and thyme. Stir well.
- Securely close the lid on your Instant Pot and turn it on to “Manual” or “Pressure Cook”. Set timer for 15 minutes.
- Once finished, release the pressure (following Instant Pot instructions) and open the lid when safe to do so.
- Add the frozen peas and stir. With the lid off, use the “Sauté” functions set to a heat level of “More” or “High” and reduce the stew to your preferred thickness, about 5 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
Notes
To lower the sodium content, choose an unsalted vegetable broth and season to taste with salt. You can also choose a low-sodium soy sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 152
- Sugar: 2.7 g
- Sodium: 880.2 mg
- Fat: 7.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.5 g
- Fiber: 2.9 g
- Protein: 5.9 g
- Cholesterol: 2.7 mg
Cat
I have to add the flour once everything is cooked, or else I get the "food burn" message.
Katie
Do I cut the potatoes?
Christina
Tofu stuck to the pot and I had to stop the instant pot because it said "FOOD BURN". It was my first time using it, so maybe not the best recipe to try first. I ended up just putting it all in the slowcooker. It was good though! I added paprika and garlic salt for more flavour.
★★★★
AR808
I really liked the combination of veggies in this recipe and I cooked my tofu separate but it tasted bland. I don’t know what to add to taste it.
★★★
Melinda
This was absolutely delicious and so easy to make. I have yet to successfully make crispy tofu squares in the instant pot without them crumbling, but this was so good even with crumbled up tofu. I'm definitely going to be making this again. It really hit the spot during the rainy weather this week. Thank you!
★★★★★
Sydni
It was initially a but bland for me but added onion powder, chinese five spice and cumin, and it was excellent. Also, I had the same issue with the tofu sticking in the instant pot so next time will do that on the stove before putting it in the instant pot.
★★★★★
Brittany
Thanks for your comment Sydni! I'm glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Emily Sanders
So, should I drain and press the tofu first?
Heather
Absolutely delicious! A keeper recipe!
★★★★★
Signe
I made this tonight and followed the recipe exactly... I love how easy it is, but it was missing a little “something” to my palate, so I added smoked paprika and vinegar at the end. I also threw in a couple of handfuls of chopped dark leafy greens (with the hard spines/stems removed) while I was reducing it. I like the idea of a bay leaf, too! I’ll try that next time. Thanks for the recipe!
PS my tofu stuck, too, but I just went with it 😉
★★★★
Dave Hart
Came out good. The one thing I will do different is cook the tofu in a stick-free skillet w/ olive oil, the cubes stay together. Instapot is not "non-stick" so it got a bit messy on the bottom of pot (stuck tofu).
★★★★
Martin
Looks great but the only thing I don't get is the biscuit thing.
I normally have mine with a cup of tea. I would never think of adding a bourbon cream or jammy dodger to this.
MrsJ
I believe she means an “American biscuit,” which is a plain, savory scone.
Shannon
Hey, I know this is an IP recipe and I loooove it so much, unfortunately I don't have an IP but still would like to make it. Any chance you'd know how to make this on a stovetop or a slowcooker (crockpot) thank you!
Brittany
Hi Shannon! You can totally make this recipe without and Instant Pot! Just follow the recipe as stated in a large, thick-bottomed pot. At the pressure cooking stage, just simmer the stew until the potatoes are tender (which will take longer). The only major difference is that you might need to add some water during the sautéing. When you're cooking in a pressure cooker you retain most of the liquid, but on your stove top you'll have evaporation during the simmering stage to deal with. But you might not need to add any water at all since the original recipe calls for simmering at the end anyways!
Shabnon
Oh My gosh thank you so mych! <3 I can't wait to make it, keep up the great work!
L
What size instant pot? 8qt? & would double recipe fit in 8qt. Instant pot?
Thanks making this for sure! Looks yummy
Robin
My tofu stuck to the pot while sautéing and never really browned, so I am not sure what I did wrong. I had to clean the pot before pressure cooking everything. I used the amount of olive oil called for in the recipe (I have a 6 qt pot) and had set the saute function to normal heat. Circumstances seemed to be against me while cooking this including my power going out before it was done. However, it still turned out delicious! My husband and I enjoyed it by candlelight. Thank you!
★★★★★
Aubrey
I had the same problem!
Brittany
I'm sorry you ran into that issue! I should have been clearer in the recipe, instead of saying to stir occasionally, it's more like flipping/stirring when the tofu is golden brown. Tofu tends to stick until it's properly browned and then it lifts off easily. If the tofu is stuck, just leave it be until it lets go on it's own or with a gentle prod.
Tao
You and OhSheGlows are my favourite food blogs to follow, and I was so ecstatic that both of you released an instant pot recipe within a week of each other! I understand why you recommend the little potato company because the texture of those potatoes were DIVINE in this recipe and you're totally right about the tofu too. I ended up using medium firm tofu and even that turned out nice and meaty, which was a wonderful surprise! I personally added a bay leaf, a bit more thyme, and one teaspoon of dry basil, and it turned out splendid. I would definitely make this again. Thank you for the fantastic recipe and I'm so excited that you are posting instant pot recipes!
★★★★★
Brittany
Oh wow! I'm honoured to be your favourite along with such an awesome blog. I love Oh She Glows! I'm planning on doing more Instant Pot recipes in the future too, I've been loving it ever since I finally ordered it. Your alterations to the recipe sound delicious! Thanks for commenting, I always appreciate your comments. ♥
Mermaid Angela
Just wondering if this would be suitable to freeze? It looks amazing 😀😀
★★★★★
Brittany
I haven't tried freezing it but I would definitely give it a go! I think it would be just fine for freezing 🙂
Cheryl
Oh my, this looks so... delicious ---perfect for our cooler weather too.
★★★★★
Brittany
Thank you so much Cheryl!
Alex Ramos
Exactly what I was looking for with this weather changing here in Southern, CA. I really appreciate the macros. I don't see many blogs taking the time to display them. Thank you for the recipe and the time.
★★★★★
Brittany
Thanks so much Alex! I hope you enjoy it! 😀