Hearty, spicy, and packed with flavor, this Ultimate Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili is quick to make and perfect served over rice. A healthy, satisfying meal the whole family will love.
Sometimes you just want something satisfying in your belly that is warm and comforting. One of my favourite choices to prepare as the weather really starts to cool down is my Instant Pot Texas-Style Chilli. I love a good Instant Pot recipe to take on the cooking once the preparation is done so I can go about my day and enjoy a satisfying and wholesome meal a couple of hours later! The chili I mentioned contains beans, bacon, tomatoes and ground chicken. However, today I’m going to share a recipe that has similar principles that’s perfect for vegetarian and vegan diets! We’ve got all of the core flavors from the original Texas chili from the authentic Mexican peppers and smokiness, but we’ll be bumping up the protein with pinto beans and black beans. We’ve also got lots of vegetable goodness from onions, peppers, jalapeños, and diced tomatoes.
Hungry now? I know I am! If you want to put your heart in a bowl for someone who needs to cozy up with a delicious bowl of tomato, bean, and vegetable goodness, then be sure to make the Ultimate Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili as part of your Live to Cookone-month challenge! Get the free guides by signing up to my newsletter and my new recipes will be delivered right to your inbox!
To follow along step by step on how the best vegetarian Instant Pot bean chili comes together, be sure to watch the video! If you’re not already, it would mean a lot to me if you could please subscribe to my YouTube channel, and be sure to hit the bell button so you receive the notifications when my video recipes go live! Let’s get cooking!
Is this Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili Healthy For you?▼
Yes, this Instant Pot Bean Chili recipe sure is healthy and nutritious! There are plenty of elements here that are packed with health benefits. Here’s how eating this Instant Pot Bean Chili can be part of a healthy diet:
High in fibre
High in protein
Low-calorie
Loaded with antioxidants
Anti-inflammatory
Can lower blood sugar
Rich in Vitamin C, potassium, and Vitamin A
Can this Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili Be Vegan?▼
Yes! Actually, the base of the chili is vegan. The only dairy we have here is the cheese and sour cream for topping. To keep the recipe vegan, simply use dairy-free cheese and a plant-based sour cream substitute, or omit these altogether for topping.
Is this Instant Pot Bean Chili Spicy?▼
This depends on your tolerance. There is definitely an element of spice because of the authentic Mexican dried chilli peppers and jalapeños we’re going to add in here. So yes, there is certainly a significant flavour that is in the realm of spice, but that does not define this chili since the coffee, broth, cocoa powder all work together and contrast the spice to really create an umami flavour that is just wonderful in this Ultimate Instant Pot Vegetarian Bean Chili recipe. Moreover, you can always offset the spice level and your overall experience with how you pair the chili. For instance, topping with sour cream will cool the chili down. Additionally, mixing the chili with rice will reduce the perceived spice level since the flavours will be blended with the rice.
Can I use Canned Beans Instead?▼
Sure thing! Using canned beans to make your Instant Pot Vegetarian Bean Chili will save lots of time from having to cook the beans. However, I generally prefer the flavour of freshly cooked beans, but that’s just me. To substitute the amount of dried beans here, you will want to use 1 can each of black beans and pinto beans.
Tools Needed to Make Instant Pot Vegetarian Bean Chili
Ingredients for the Ultimate Vegetarian Bean Chili Recipe
The FULL PRINTABLE recipe card can be found by scrolling to the bottom of this post or by pressing the “Jump to Recipe” button, which has all ingredients and their quantities! You can also use the recipe card to scale the recipe based on how many portions of chili you want to make and to save this recipe for later!
Olive oil: To sauté all of our vegetables and chilies.
Vegetables: Onions, pepper, and jalapeño.
Diced tomatoes: Look for regular Italian diced tomatoes. Ensure that there is no added flavor or seasoning!
Mushroom broth: I’m using mushroom broth to make this chili a little more special! If you can’t find it, regular vegetable broth will be fine, but the flavors may not be as strong.
Better than Bouillon vegetable base: This has become a new staple for me in my vegetarian dishes. A little bit packs in tons of flavor and adds more dimension to your vegetarian base.
Cocoa powder: I would recommend you use Mexican dark chocolate to create that richness to the chili, but if you can’t find it, cocoa powder will work just fine! As I describe in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!!, if there’s a niche ingredient you don’t have but you’ve got a suitable substitute, then there’s no need to go out of your way to make a one-off purchase! I’m sure Mexican chocolate is delicious, but it won’t make or break the chili at all!
Brewed coffee: Lots of Texas style chili recipe use beer. In my chicken version of the Texas chili, I also used coffee in place of beer. This will add umami flavor to the chili.
Garlic: Freshly minced garlic cloves for an extra aroma.
Salt: Mandatory seasoning that will bring everything together. Ensure to season to taste.
For serving: I’m pairing this Vegetarian Bean Chili with my Simple Basmati Rice. It’s an excellent bed to hold on that loaded chili!
For topping: A nice dollop of sour cream, grated cheese of choice, and freshly chopped cilantro are the toppings I chose here. .
How to Make the Ultimate Instant Pot Vegetarian Bean Chili Recipe
If using canned beans, drain your beans and rinse well. If using dried beans, then cook your beans in a pressure cooker or in an Instant Pot if you have one. Want to learn how to make the best beans in the Instant Pot? Check out my tutorial for theONLY Recipe You’ll Need for the Best Beans!
Break or slice the chilli peppers in half and remove all of the seeds and stems. Then set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode on the Normal setting and add all of the chillies to the Instant Pot. Sauté and dry roast for 5-8 minutes or until the chillies become fragrant and soften a bit.
Transfer the chillies to a large bowl and fill halfway with the vegetable or mushroom broth. Submerge the chillies and let them soak for 15-20 minutes.
In the meanwhile, set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode on the Normal setting and once hot, add olive oil. Add cinnamon stick, chopped onions, peppers, jalapeños and minced garlic to the pot along with a good pinch of salt to the Instant Pot. Continue to cook with the onions until the onions have softened, stir often.
In the meanwhile, add the soaked chillies to a food processor, along with the mushroom/vegetable broth and purée until smooth. Add extra broth if needed to purée.
Once the onions have softened, add the chilli paste to the Instant Pot and mix well. Sauté for 3-5 minutes.
Add 2-3 chipotle peppers from the adobo sauce, in addition to all of the spices: the bay leaf, paprika, cayenne pepper, ground cumin, ground coriander, oregano, allspice and salt. Mix well to lightly roast and cook out the spices, about 5-6 minutes.
Add the cocoa powder and the brewed coffee. Mix well and then add in the cooked beans from earlier, followed by the diced tomatoes and mushroom or vegetable broth and water.
Mix well. Then, set the Instant Pot to Slow Cook mode. You can slow cook the chilli on High for 2 hours or on Normal for 4 hours. Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to sealing mode during the cooking duration.
After the chili is done slow cooking, remove the lid and mix well. Taste and then adjust for any seasonings or spices to your preference. Check the consistency/thickness of the chili. If it needs to be thickened, add a heaping Tbsp of Masa Harina to a bowl/measuring cup with some water and whisk until smooth. Add this slurry to the chili and mix well and let the chili come up to a simmer.
What to Top The Chili With?▼
Serve the chilli over a warm bed of rice. Top the chili with grated cheddar cheese. Optionally, torch your cheese.
Finish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of cilantro.
Serve hot and enjoy!
I Don’t Have an Instant Pot! Can I Make this Chili Over the Stove?▼
I actually first made this Vegetarian Bean Chili over the stove! This recipe can be easily adapted to prepare over the stove top, the principles are still the same. Just adjust the heat level based on the instructions to Low, Medium-Low or Medium to coordinate with the Instant pot instructions.
How to store Instant Pot Bean Chili▼
Be sure to first allow the chili to completely cool down. I usually transfer the chili to a airtight containers and place it in the fridge without the lids. Once cooled down, I cover with a lid and refrigerate without any toppings. To enjoy your Instant Pot Bean Chili at its freshest, I would not keep it in the fridge for longer than 3 to 4 days.
Can You Freeze Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili?▼
This Vegetarian Bean Chili is most definitely freezer friendly! If you can’t finish the chili within 3 to 4 days, then it is indeed recommended that you freeze it. All you need to do is divide the chili into individual portions in freezer-safe airtight containers. This vegetarian chili can be frozen for up to four months.
When eating from frozen, make sure to naturally thaw your chili in the refrigerator overnight. The best reheating method would be to add your desired portion in a pot on medium-low heat with the pot covered - or you can even use your Instant Pot! However, most likely you’ll be in a rush and want to eat ASAP, so you can reheat your chili in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes. Ensure to stir occasionally to make sure that the chili is evenly warmed through.
Other Serving Suggestions for Vegetarian Instant Pot Bean Chili
Tips for the Ultimate Instant Pot Vegetarian Bean Chili
If you want to and have it on hand, you can use Masa Harina, or corn flour, to thicken the chili. However, I don’t enjoy the flavour of it that much, so an alternative method of allowing your bean chili to thicken is to simply simmer it gently, as I’ve done here!The magic of this bean chili really lies in the chillies themselves. Any combination of the peppers below from your local Mexican grocery store will help achieve the desired results:
Ancho chili peppers
New Mexico chili peppers
Guajillo chili peppers
Cascabel chili peppers
Pasilla chili peppers
Ensure to dry roast the chillies well before soaking them and then sautéing the puree again with the onions to intensify the flavors and develop a complex base for the chili. The same also applies for roasting and cooking out the rawness from the dried spices in this recipe.
Slow cooking in the Instant Pot can really work wonders in the flavours that develop in this recipe. Instead of cooking on the Normal Slow Cook setting for 4 Hours, you can choose to cook for 8 Hours on the Low Setting. This makes it a perfect recipe to prep in the morning to have ready by the time you are home from a days worth of work and activities.
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Recipe by Anadi Misra
The Ultimate Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
Hearty, spicy, and packed with flavor, this Ultimate Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili is quick to make and perfect served over rice. A healthy, satisfying meal the whole family will love.
Rinse the beans and add to the instant pot with salt and 4 times the amount of water (1 part beans: 4 parts water).
Rinse the beans and add to the instant pot with salt and 4 times the amount of water (1 part beans: 4 parts water).
2
Close the lid of the Instant Pot and select Pressure Cook on High mode for 6 minutes each. A full table with designated times to cook the beans can be found on my website as well - click here.
Close the lid of the Instant Pot and select Pressure Cook on High mode for 6 minutes each. A full table with designated times to cook the beans can be found on my website as well - click here.
3
Let the pressure release naturally.
Let the pressure release naturally.
For the Chili
1
Break or slice the chilli peppers in half and remove all of the seeds and stems. Then set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode on the Normal setting and add all of the chillies to the Instant Pot. Sauté and dry roast for 5-8 minutes or until the chillies become fragrant and soften a bit.
Break or slice the chilli peppers in half and remove all of the seeds and stems. Then set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode on the Normal setting and add all of the chillies to the Instant Pot. Sauté and dry roast for 5-8 minutes or until the chillies become fragrant and soften a bit.
2
Transfer the chillies to a large bowl and fill halfway with the vegetable or mushroom broth. Submerge the chillies and let them soak for 15-20 minutes.
Transfer the chillies to a large bowl and fill halfway with the vegetable or mushroom broth. Submerge the chillies and let them soak for 15-20 minutes.
3
In the meanwhile, set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode on the Normal setting and once hot, add olive oil. Add cinnamon stick, chopped onions, peppers, jalapeños and minced garlic to the pot along with a good pinch of salt to the Instant Pot. Continue to cook with the onions until the onions have softened, stir often.
In the meanwhile, set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode on the Normal setting and once hot, add olive oil. Add cinnamon stick, chopped onions, peppers, jalapeños and minced garlic to the pot along with a good pinch of salt to the Instant Pot. Continue to cook with the onions until the onions have softened, stir often.
4
In the meanwhile, add the soaked chillies to a food processor, along with the mushroom/vegetable broth and purée until smooth. Add extra broth if needed to purée. Once the onions have softened, add the chilli paste to the Instant Pot and mix well. Sauté for 3-5 minutes.
In the meanwhile, add the soaked chillies to a food processor, along with the mushroom/vegetable broth and purée until smooth. Add extra broth if needed to purée. Once the onions have softened, add the chilli paste to the Instant Pot and mix well. Sauté for 3-5 minutes.
5
Add 2-3 chipotle peppers from the adobo sauce, in addition to all of the spices: the bay leaf, paprika, cayenne pepper, ground cumin, ground coriander, oregano, allspice and salt. Mix well to lightly roast and cook out the spices, about 5-6 minutes.
Add 2-3 chipotle peppers from the adobo sauce, in addition to all of the spices: the bay leaf, paprika, cayenne pepper, ground cumin, ground coriander, oregano, allspice and salt. Mix well to lightly roast and cook out the spices, about 5-6 minutes.
6
Add the cocoa powder and the brewed coffee. Mix well and then add in the cooked beans from earlier, followed by the diced tomatoes and mushroom or vegetable broth and water.
Add the cocoa powder and the brewed coffee. Mix well and then add in the cooked beans from earlier, followed by the diced tomatoes and mushroom or vegetable broth and water.
7
Mix really well and then set the Instant Pot to Slow Cook mode. You can slow cook the chilli on High for 2 hours or on Normal for 4 hours. Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to sealing mode during the cooking duration.
Mix really well and then set the Instant Pot to Slow Cook mode. You can slow cook the chilli on High for 2 hours or on Normal for 4 hours. Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to sealing mode during the cooking duration.
8
After the chili is done slow cooking, remove the lid and mix well. Taste and then adjust for any seasonings or spices to your preference. Check the consistency/thickness of the chili. If it needs to be thickened, you can either gently simmer until it has thickened, or add a heaping Tbsp of Masa Harina to a bowl/measuring cup with some water and whisk until smooth. Add this slurry to the chili and mix well and let the chili come up to a simmer.
After the chili is done slow cooking, remove the lid and mix well. Taste and then adjust for any seasonings or spices to your preference. Check the consistency/thickness of the chili. If it needs to be thickened, you can either gently simmer until it has thickened, or add a heaping Tbsp of Masa Harina to a bowl/measuring cup with some water and whisk until smooth. Add this slurry to the chili and mix well and let the chili come up to a simmer.
9
Serve the chilli over a warm bed of rice. Top the chili with grated cheddar cheese. Optionally, torch your cheese.
Serve the chilli over a warm bed of rice. Top the chili with grated cheddar cheese. Optionally, torch your cheese.
10
Finish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of cilantro.
Finish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of cilantro.
11
Serve hot and enjoy!
Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
•* If you can't find mushroom broth, feel free to use regular vegetable broth.
Nutrition per serving
175
Calories
7g
Protein
15g
Carbs
11g
Fat
4g
Fiber
5g
Sugar
521mg
Sodium
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Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen
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