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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Side Dish Recipes

    Mediterranean Millet Recipe (Instant Pot Option)

    By: Amy Katz · Published: Feb 10, 2020 · Last modified: Feb 11, 2020 · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Special diet: gluten-free, soy-free, vegan

    You may have heard of this gluten-free grain, but do you know what to do with it? Studded with dried apricots and pistachios, this Mediterranean Millet Recipe is easy to make and loaded with flavor. Prepare it in your Instant Pot or on the stove in under 30 minutes!

    Overhead of plate with millet pilaf with fork and a mixed green salad next to a blue napkin
    Jump to:
    • What is millet?
    • What you need
    • How to make this recipe
    • Recipe tips
    • More gluten-free grain recipes
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    What is millet?

    Have you tried millet? It's delicious cold or hot in all sorts of Mediterranean-inspired dishes.

    For example, I love it in Greek Millet Salad or Grain Salad with oranges and carrots. And it's wonderful in pilafs and casseroles.

    Like quinoa, millet is an ancient grain. It's naturally gluten-free and easy to digest. Plus it's high in fiber, magnesium, iron, and other vitamins and minerals.

    Once you try it, I think you'll enjoy this versatile grain as much as I do!

    Ingredients needed to make this millet recipe on a wooden cutting board

    What you need

    You only need 6 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) to make this pilaf. The main ingredient, millet, can be found in packages or in the bulk bin section of most markets. Bob's Red Mill is a popular brand to look for.

    And a little goes a long way, making it very cost effective. For this recipe, you'll only need one cup of millet to serve 4 people. I like to keep some on hand to use not only in recipes, but also in place or rice or quinoa for a simple side.

    Storage Tip

    Store uncooked millet in an airtight container on a cool, dry pantry shelf for up to 6 months or in the refrigerator or freezer for up to a year!

    In addition, you'll need dried apricots, pistachios, a lemon, olive oil, and fresh parsley. You'll notice in the photos that the dried apricots I used are a little brown rather than bright orange. This is because they were packaged without the preservative sulfur dioxide, normally used to preserve the apricot's color when drying.

    And for the lemon, try to choose organic if you can since we'll be using both the zest and juice. However, lemons are not typically on the Dirty Dozen list.

    Process shots showing how to make the millet recipe in an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker

    How to make this recipe

    The only cooking involved in this recipe is preparing the millet. You can do this by using an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker or the stove top. Both methods take about the same time, but with the Instant Pot, you have the convenience of turning it on and walking away.

    Once the grain is cooked, simply add the chopped dried apricots, shelled pistachios, lemon juice and zest, a little olive oil, and some fresh chopped parsley.

    Fold everything in to combine the ingredients. Then give it a taste and add salt and pepper as needed. It doesn't get much easier!

    White plate with Mediterranean millet pilaf with a fork in it and a mixed green salad on the side

    Recipe tips

    Don't forget to zest the lemon before squeezing the juice. This is very important since it's quite difficult to do it in the reverse order. Trust me, I've tried.

    Any leftovers can be covered and refrigerated for up to a week. Enjoy reheated or at room temperature. 

    This pilaf is delicious served with a salad or vegetables. Try it with Oven Roasted Chickpeas, Roasted Vegetables, or Grilled Eggplant Salad.

    More gluten-free grain recipes

    If you enjoy this recipe, check out some of these other favorites:

    • Orange Scented Quinoa
    • Gluten-Free Tabbouleh
    • Wild Rice Salad
    • Cilantro Lime Quinoa

    And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for support, inspiration, and fun.

    If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! ★★★★★

    📋 Recipe

    Mediterranean Millet Recipe

    Studded with dried apricots and pistachios, this lemony Mediterranean Millet Pilaf is loaded with flavor and simple to make in under 30 minutes.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate Email recipe + ingredient list
    Special diet: gluten-free, soy-free, vegan
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Fusion, Mediterranean
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 308kcal
    Author: Amy Katz

    Equipment

    • Lemon Zester
    • Lemon Lime Squeezer
    • Instant Pot

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup millet
    • 1 ¾ cup water
    • ¼ cup dried apricots, (about 8) roughly chopped
    • ¼ cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
    • 1 lemon, zest and juice (See Notes)
    • 1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil
    • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
    • salt and pepper, to taste
    US Customary - Metric
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    Instructions

    Instant Pot method:

    • Place the millet and water in the Instant Pot and close the lid. Using the pressure cooker function on high, set the timer for 10 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally. Once the pressure has released, remove the lid.

    Stove top method:

    • Bring 2 cups water to boil in a small pot. Add the millet. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain off any remaining water.

    To make the pilaf:

    • Add the apricots, pistachios, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and parsley to the cooked millet. Gently fold the ingredients together to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.

    Notes

    Don't forget to zest the lemon before squeezing the juice.
    Leftovers can be covered and refrigerated for up to a week. Enjoy reheated or at room temperature. 
    This pilaf is delicious served with a salad or vegetables. Try it with Oven Roasted Chickpeas, Roasted Vegetables, or Grilled Eggplant Salad.
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 349mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 955IU | Vitamin C: 24.8mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2.6mg

    Nutritional information is an estimation only.

    This recipe was originally published 1/24/2019. It was updated to add stove top instructions and improve reader experience.

    More Vegan Side Dish Recipes

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    About Amy

    Amy Katz is a vegan recipe developer, photographer, and Certified Vegan Nutrition Health Coach. She loves sharing delicious plant-based Mediterranean diet recipes that home cooks of all levels can enjoy. Her easy vegan recipes have been featured on HuffPost, LIVESTRONG, Healthline, Parade, VegNews, BuzzFeed, MSN, Greatist, Country Living, Insider, Brit+Co, Well+Good, and more. She lives in Orange County, California with the love of her life, Brad, and their adorable black cat, Ozzy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    All commentsI made this
    1. Edye

      August 14, 2019 at 10:53 am

      I had never made millet before. Now it’s my favorite “new” grain.
      This recipe was easy, nutritious, and delicious!

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        August 14, 2019 at 10:56 am

        Thanks so much, Edye! Not a lot of people know about millet, but it's such a versatile grain!

        Reply
    2. Janet

      January 25, 2019 at 4:09 pm

      I've been wondering what to do with my bag of millet and this sounds GREAT!

      Reply

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