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This super quick and easy Instant Pot Vegan Chili recipe is smoky, spicy, and protein-packed! Tender black beans, meaty mushrooms, and chipotle chilli powder are the stars here, creating irresistible flavour and texture. This chili is a Meatless Monday staple in our house!
Some products in this post were generously gifted to me by Buy Whole Foods Online, who I am thrilled to partner with to bring you this Instant Pot Vegan Chili! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
So I did it, friend. I bought an Instant Pot.
It only took me three years to make the decision, and now I can firmly say that not only do I wish I’d done it sooner, I am NEVER GOING BACK. This little (okay, not so little) kitchen tool is brilliant if you’re short on space like us, because it literally does all the things: pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice maker, beans maker, everything. I haven’t tried making yogurt in it, but I heard it does that too. Magic.
One of the first things I made in it was a smoky chili con carne. I paired it with a side of my Roasted Butternut Squash Cornbread and it was absolutely amazing! It shocked me how quickly it all came together. I basically browned some onions, walked away for half an hour, and came back to a hearty, flavourful meal that would normally have taken me over an hour on the stove.
So this month, in honour of Veganuary, I thought I’d share my meatless take on that chili recipe in this Instant Pot Vegan Chili! This chili is super flavourful and nourishing. It’s smoky, spicy, mildly sweet, and packed with veggies and plant-based protein. It’s become a Meatless Monday fave in our house and I can’t wait for you to try it!
The best spices for smoky vegan chili
When it comes to plant-based cooking, I always make sure I use a ton of spices. It’s a surefire way to pump up the flavour of your veggies and also use less salt. To achieve a deep smoky flavour in this Instant Pot Vegan Chili recipe, I used a combination of seven spices:
- Chipotle chilli powder – deliciously spicy, musky, and smoky and really the key flavour ingredient in this recipe.
- Smoked Paprika – ramps up the spicy, smoky flavour even more!
- Dried oregano – a bit earthy, a bit citrusy, a bit minty, it adds a whole other dimension to the chili. Don’t skip it!
- Ground cumin – peppery, nutty, bittersweet and a staple in southwestern cooking.
- Ground cinnamon – sweet and woody and perfect for chili. Trust me.
- Black pepper – sharp, piney, and definitely needed.
- Sea salt – to season and balance everything out.
I get all of my spice refills from Buy Whole Foods Online, because I can buy in bulk and save from purchasing new containers. I use a lot of spices and go through them quickly, so their online shop comes in super handy!
Their ingredients are high-quality and they have a plethora of natural, wholefoods available – I also used their organic brown basmati rice and black turtle beans for this Instant Pot Vegan Chili recipe. My only criticism is that their bulk foods come in non-recyclable plastic packaging, which is a bummer. Hopefully they change that soon.
How to make this instant pot vegan chili perfectly
This recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner because it’s super speedy, requiring only 15-ish minutes of hands-on time. The rest of the work is done by your Instant Pot! Here’s how to do it:
- On Saute mode, lightly brown your onions and garlic.
- Add your peppers, mushrooms, and spices. Saute until just glistening and still firm. We don’t want to cook these down, otherwise they turn to mush in the pressure cooker.
- Deglaze the pot with veggie stock. This prevents a burn notice and also adds extra flavour to the Instant Pot Vegan Chili.
- Add the tomatoes, beans, maple syrup, and tomato paste and stir to combine.
- Lid on, valve to Sealing, then pressure cook for 4 minutes. It doesn’t take much time to cook the vegetables – we want them to retain some of their texture!
- Naturally release the pressure for 15 minutes, then quick release. Do not attempt to quick release right away. Some of the pressure needs to release naturally first, or you may end up with chili all over your kitchen.
- When the gauge drops, open the lid, stir, and serve!
Looking for more healthy dinner options?
- Maple Miso Salmon Stir Fry
- Sweet Potato Crust Quiche
If you make this recipe, let me know by snapping a picture and tagging me on Instagram @naturallysweet_kitchen. I love seeing your creations and sharing them in my Stories. Or let me know you love this Instant Pot Vegan Chili by leaving a comment and rating below!
3 from 1 vote
Instant Pot Vegan Chili
This quick and easy Instant Pot Vegan Chili recipe is smoky, spicy, and protein-packed! Perfect for Meatless Monday or when you need a fast weeknight meal.
Category Healthy Dinners, Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican
Keyword instant pot vegan chili, smoky vegan chili
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Serves 6
Author Amanda | Naturally Sweet Kitchen
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium brown onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 200 g baby chestnut mushrooms
- 2 tsp chipotle chilli powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 480 ml vegetable stock
- 2 tins (800g) plum tomatoes
- 400 g cooked black turtle beans
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
Method
Turn the Instant Pot to Normal Saute and let it heat up. Lightly brown the onion and garlic in the olive oil.
Add the bell pepper and baby chestnut mushrooms, making sure to half or quarter any larger mushrooms. Saute just until the mushrooms start to give off moisture then add the chilli powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine for 30 seconds.
Pour in half of the vegetable stock and deglaze the bottom of the pot by scraping any browned bits off with a wooden spoon. Turn off the Instant Pot.
Add the remaining stock, tomatoes, black beans, maple syrup, and tomato paste. Stir to combine.
Put the lid on, turn the valve to Sealing, and select Pressure Cook for 4 minutes. It will take 10-15 minutes to come to pressure and then start counting down.
Once the cooking time is over, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then activate Quick Release until the pressure gauge drops.
Remove the lid and use a fork to break down any larger plum tomatoes into small chunks. Stir and serve over rice with toppings of choice, such as dairy-free sour cream, coriander, avocado, dairy-free cheese, and toasted tortilla slices.
Notes
- The spice level of this chili is medium. To make it milder, decrease the amount of chipotle chilli powder by 1 teaspoon. To crank the heat up, add up to 1 more teaspoon of chipotle chilli powder.
- This isn’t a thick chili. If you prefer a thicker texture, do this: Once the cook time is up, turn the Instant Pot onto the Saute setting and stir in a slurry of 1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder + 2 tbsp water. Simmer until thickened to your desired consistency.
- Leftovers will keep refrigerated and sealed in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
