Name: Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 medium sweet onion, chopped; 2 large red bell peppers, seeds removed and chopped; 2 medium carrots, chopped; 6 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 2 tbsp chili powder; 2 tsp cumin; 2 tsp cocoa powder; 1 1/2 tsp paprika; 1 tsp oregano; 1/2 tsp coriander; 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper; salt to taste; 1 (28 oz can) diced tomatoes, with their juice; 2 (15 oz cans) black beans, rinsed and drained; 1 (15 oz can) pinto beans, rinsed and drained; 2 cups frozen corn; 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth; 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped; chopped cilantro, avocado, chips, sour cream, grated cheddar for chopping

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This Instant Pot vegetarian chili doesn’t have any meat but you won’t be missing it with the flavors that come together quickly in the Instant Pot.

So I finally joined the crowd and got an Instant Pot. I’ve seen the posts for the past few years from different bloggers about Instant Pot recipes. I had been wanting to get one for quite some time but never pulled the trigger. It was Amazon’s Prime Day back in July that finally convinced me and 300,000 other people to buy it! With that in mind I wanted to ease into using it, so the first dish I made was an Instant Pot vegetarian chili.

To be honest, my concerns over easing into using it were unfounded. The Instant Pot really couldn’t be easier to use. The big benefit about the Instant Pot is what is a 4-8 hour recipe becomes a 30-60 minute recipe and it tastes just as good. This Instant Pot vegetarian chili was no different. It tastes like it had been stewing for hours.

And for those that might be turning their nose up to vegetarian chili, all I can so is don’t knock it until you try it. And if you want regular old chili, I’ve got that covered too. But take a risk and give this Instant Pot vegetarian chili a try. And if you don’t have an Instant Pot, just wait for the next sale!

What Ingredients are in this Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili Recipe?

Olive oil
Produce – sweet onion, red bell peppers, carrots, garlic, cilantro, corn
Tomato paste
Spices – chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder, paprika, oregano, coriander, cayenne pepper, salt
Diced tomatoes
Black beans
Pinto beans
Vegetable broth
Toppings – avocado, sour cream, cheese, chips

How to Make Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili

Set a 6-qt Instant Pot to the high saute setting. Heat olive oil. Add onion, peppers and carrots and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until onions are translucent.
Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder, paprika, oregano, coriander and cayenne pepper and cook for another minute. Stir in diced tomatoes, beans, corn and vegetable broth.
Select Bean / Chili Instant Pot setting, adjust pressure to high and select time for 20 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
Stir in cilantro and season with salt to taste. Serve immediately and garnish with your desired toppings.

What if I Don’t Have an Instant Pot?

Not a problem. As I said, I didn’t have one for quite a while. You can just throw all the ingredients except for the beans and cilantro in a slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. With 30 minutes remaining stir in the beans in cilantro.

What to Serve with Chili?

You can never go wrong with cornbread muffins. It goes perfect with this hearty soup.

Tips for Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili

Be consistent with the size you dice the vegetables so everything cooks evenly.
Use quality low-sodium vegetable broth. Remember a lot of the flavor will come from the broth.
If you like more heat, increase the amount of cayenne pepper or keep the seeds from the peppers.
Don’t skip toppings like cheese, avocado or sour cream. These ingredients all help enhance the flavor.

Other Soup Recipes

If you’ve tried this Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I’m up to.

Instant Pot vegetarian chili in white bowl

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5 from 2 votes