Name: Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 23 min
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons sunflower oil or olive oil; 1 onion, chopped; 4 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 tablespoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire or soy sauce; 1 heaping tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley; 1 cup frozen diced bell pepper or 1 bell pepper, chopped; 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (regular or fire-roasted); 2 cans beans, drained (your choice - kidney, pinto, black); 3 cups water or vegetable broth (or a combination of the two); 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 cup frozen or fresh corn; 2 tablespoons masa harina (optional); If you prefer thicker chili, then only add 2 cups water or broth; Cocoa powder gives the flavor of vegetarian chili a little more oomph and richness. Try it! Don’t worry, you won’t taste any chocolate flavor.; I buy frozen, chopped bell peppers because they’re easy to add to soup and chili. Check your grocery store’s freezer section. Or, just buy 1 fresh bell pepper.; Masa harina can be stirred into chili to thicken the broth slightly and add a subtle corn flavor. Completely optional, but delicious. You can also use masa harina to make homemade corn tortillas.

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Richly flavorful vegetarian chili, cooked in the Instant Pot for just 8 minutes!

Bowl of Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili made with pinto and black beans, tomatoes, corn and spices

From here on out, this is the only vegetarian chili recipe you need - it's easy, healthy and packed with rich, satisfying flavor.

I love vegetarian chili, but it can't be bland and boring. That's why I love this chili! This Instant Pot chili uses just a few simple, pantry ingredients to layer in lots of flavor. And don't skimp on the toppings! Toppings are what transform a bowl of chili from good to soooooo good.

You know the drill - grated cheese, sour cream, avocado, green onions, cilantro and crunchy crumbled tortilla chips are a must.

This is kid-friendly chili, which means it's not spicy. Adults (and kids who love some heat) can spice up their individual bowls with chopped jalapeno peppers, hot sauce or salsa.

How to Add Flavor to Vegetarian Chili

Eat Chili the Next Day: Not an ingredient, but a strategy that always adds more flavor to chili. Instant Pot vegetarian chili is perfect for meal prep. Make this chili when you have time and plan to serve it for dinner a day or two later.

Smoked Paprika: A subtle, smoky flavor is essential when there's no meat in the chili. Smoked paprika is usually easy to find in grocery stores. It will say “smoked paprika” right on the front label.

Fresh parsley: Dried parsley has very little flavor, but fresh parsley has tons of flavor. I almost always add quickly chopped fresh parsley to soup, stew and chili recipes. Parsley keeps really well in the refrigerator (especially curly parsley) so it's a herb I always keep on hand.

Worcestershire sauce: This oddly flavorful sauce is a secret ingredient of home chefs and a pantry staple. It seems to keep forever without going bad. Worcestershire adds that little extra something called "umami."

Cocoa powder: It's true, a little bit of unsweetened chocolate really does add a rich flavor that vegetarian chili often lacks.

Dark Beer: This is optional, but adds another layer of flavor. I don't always add beer because I'm not a beer drinker and I have to buy it especially for chili....but it's a great addition if you have it. Just substitute 1 cup dark beer for 1 cup of the water/broth.

Masa Harina: Completely optional, and mostly used to thicken chili, but it also imparts an earthy corn flavor that add another subtle layer of flavor.

How to Make Easy Instant Pot Chili

Saute onion and garlic
Add spices and seasonings
Add beans, bell peppers and tomatoes
Add water/broth and cocoa powder
Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes
Add frozen corn, masa harina (optional) and toppings

Four steps for making Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili, saute onion and garlic, add spices, add beans, peppers and tomatoes, add water and cocoa powder

Make it Vegan

This veg chili can easily become vegan chili with one easy substitution - use soy sauce instead of Worcestershire sauce, or use Annie's Vegan Worcestershire.

Don't forget vegan chili toppings like store-bought vegan cheese or 3 Ingredient Vegan Queso.

Hope you enjoy this easy, healthy and filling vegetarian dinner!

More Vegetarian Instant Pot Dinners

Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili

Author: Jenny Meier | Kitchen Skip blog
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 23 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Diet: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Description

Richly flavorful vegetarian chili, cooked in the Instant Pot for just 8 minutes! Serve Instant Pot vegetarian chili with lots of toppings - avocado, sour cream, grated cheese, green onions, cilantro, jalapeno and chips.

Total Instant Pot Cooking Time: 15 minutes to reach pressure + 8 minutes cooking time + natural release

Ingredients

Scale

2 tablespoons sunflower oil or olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire or soy sauce
1 heaping tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 cup frozen diced bell pepper or 1 bell pepper, chopped
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (regular or fire-roasted)
2 cans beans, drained (your choice - kidney, pinto, black)
3 cups water or vegetable broth (or a combination of the two)
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup frozen or fresh corn
2 tablespoons masa harina (optional)

Ingredients Notes:

If you prefer thicker chili, then only add 2 cups water or broth
Cocoa powder gives the flavor of vegetarian chili a little more oomph and richness. Try it! Don’t worry, you won’t taste any chocolate flavor.
I buy frozen, chopped bell peppers because they’re easy to add to soup and chili. Check your grocery store’s freezer section. Or, just buy 1 fresh bell pepper.
Masa harina can be stirred into chili to thicken the broth slightly and add a subtle corn flavor. Completely optional, but delicious. You can also use masa harina to make homemade corn tortillas.

Instructions

Press the saute button on the Instant Pot. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, to soften and lightly brown the onion. If the onion begins to stick to the bottom of the pot, add a drizzle of water. Turn off the saute function.
Add the next 12 ingredients: chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, fresh parsley, cocoa powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, bell pepper, beans, tomatoes and water/broth. Mix well.
Secure the lid. Make sure the steam release valve is in the sealed position. Press the Manual button and program the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to reach pressure.
When the cooking time is complete, let the pot release pressure naturally (about 20 minutes) before opening the lid.
If you’re adding masa harina to thicken the chili slightly, stir it in now. Let the chili set for about 10 minutes before serving.
Add more salt, to taste.
Serve Instant Pot vegetarian chili with your favorite chili toppings, like sour cream, grated cheese, chopped green onion, jalapeno, avocado and chips.

Notes

This is kid-friendly chili, which means it's not spicy. Adults (and kids who love some heat) can spice up their individual bowls with chopped jalapeno peppers, hot sauce or salsa.

Leftover chili freezes well. Put the chili in a Ziploc freezer bag, removing as much air from the bag as possible.

If you've previously cooked a batch of dried beans, you can used homemade cooked bean to replace canned beans in this recipe. 1 ½ cups cooked beans equals one 15-oz can of beans.

Category: Chili
Method: Instant Pot
Cuisine: Tex-Mex

Keywords: vegetarian chili, instant pot chili, Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili