AIP Instant Pot rhubarb and strawberry compote with mint

A strict protocol still has room for something sweet at the end of a hard day, and this compote is that room. Rhubarb and strawberries, only lightly sweetened, cook down soft in the Instant Pot in about 10 minutes. Warm it over coconut yogurt, or just eat a spoonful standing at the counter. Some evenings that is exactly the right amount of dessert.

Most of the vitamin C and the polyphenols in this dessert are riding in on the strawberries, plant compounds linked to a gut and immune system both working to calm down, and the rhubarb's job is different: the fiber and the sharp, tart edge come from there, keeping the whole pot from tasting like candy.

Make it while rhubarb is still young and tender in early spring, and let a few torn mint leaves be the small flourish at the end. Worth keeping in mind: rhubarb runs high in oxalates, so if you are watching those, keep the portion modest or check with your practitioner. Serve it in a bowl you actually like looking at, and slow down for it a moment before the first bite.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds rhubarb (about 8 stalks)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 pound strawberries, kept at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons honey or another sweetener (optional; without it the compote is markedly sour)
• Fresh mint, to garnish

Method

Chop the rhubarb into half-inch pieces. You can peel the stalks celery-style if you like, though many cooks skip it with no real change in texture and keep the brighter color.

Put the rhubarb and water in the Instant Pot and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally. The timer counts from when full pressure is reached.

Quarter the room-temperature strawberries. Stir them in along with the honey, close the lid, and let the residual heat soften the berries for about 20 minutes.

Serve warm or cold with minced fresh mint over the top. It keeps in the fridge up to 7 days and freezes well; you can stir the mint in before freezing single portions.

A lower-sugar swap: ripe pears blended in can stand in for the honey. Frozen fruit works too, thawed first.

Stovetop variation

Simmer the chopped rhubarb with the water in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring now and then, until the rhubarb breaks down, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the quartered strawberries and honey off the heat and let them soften for a few minutes. The simmer time is an ARM estimate, so cook until the rhubarb collapses rather than watching the clock.

*Adapted from asquirrelinthekitchen.com*