This is Instant Pot vegetarian chili with big, rich flavor! It's easy, healthy, satisfying and versatile - it's the only vegetarian chili recipe you need.
Over the years I've kept tinkering with this vegetarian chili recipe, trying to perfect the flavor. The truth is that it's hard to make really flavorful vegetarian chili.
I'm happy to say that this recipe is finally perfect! It delivers vegetarian chili with big, bold flavor from a simple blend of canned beans, fire roasted tomatoes, frozen corn, spices and a few flavor-boosting secret ingredients.
Load up your bowl with toppings like grated cheddar, sour cream, cilantro and crushed tortilla chips and you have a very satisfying vegetarian meal.
Looking for more Instant Pot chili recipes? Try Instant Pot ground turkey and white bean chili or vegetarian Instant Pot sweet potato black bean chili.
Ingredients
The main ingredients for this veggie chili are:
- 2 cans kidney beans
- 1 can black beans
- 2 cans fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 diced bell peppers
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 onion, chopped and a few garlic cloves
What sets this vegetarian chili apart from other recipes are the spices and secret ingredients that add layers of rich flavor.
Spices
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Dried oregano
- Smoked paprika
Secret Flavor-Boosting Ingredients
- Cocoa powder
- Worcestershire sauce
- Soy sauce
- A pinch of sugar
Chili powder, cumin and dried oregano: These three dried spices/herbs give chili its Tex-Mex flavor.
Smoked Paprika: A subtle, smoky flavor is essential when there's no meat in the chili. Smoked paprika is usually easy to find in the spice aisle of grocery stores.
Cocoa powder: A little bit of unsweetened chocolate really does add rich flavor to vegetarian chili. This is also a "secret" ingredient because no one will be able to guess it's in there!
Worcestershire sauce & soy sauce: Worcestershire is a mysteriously flavorful sauce and secret ingredient. It adds that little extra something called "umami." Ditto for the soy sauce.
Sugar: Just a tablespoon of sugar is needed to mellow the acidic flavor of tomatoes
Chili Toppings
For all types of chili, but especially vegetarian chili, toppings are a must! Toppings add extra flavor to veggie chili that makes it extra good.
- Grated cheese
- Sour cream
- Avocado
- Green onions
- Cilantro
- Crumbled tortilla chips
- Hot sauce, sliced jalapeno peppers
Recipe FAQ
Yes, you can saute ground meat or plant based meat in the first step with the onion and garlic. Just make sure that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot or it might cause a burn notice.
Fire roasted tomatoes add more flavor than regular canned tomatoes but some brands of fire roasted tomatoes can be quite spicy and contain other spicy ingredients like green chiles. If you want to avoid (or control) spiciness, then use regular diced tomatoes.
Yes, and in fact I recommend you do! This chili tastes better the next day and even the day after that. It will keep well for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Black beans have a softer texture than kidney beans and tend to fall apart if cooked in a pressure cooker for 15 minutes. For this reason, I add the black beans after the chili has cooked.
A pressure cooker can dull flavor sometimes, so I wait and add the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce until after the chili has cooked.
It depends on how spicy the chili powder and canned fire roasted tomatoes are. When I make it, the heat is what I would call medium. If you like really spicy chili, then add diced Jalapeno or hot sauce to your bowl.
A pinto bean is a small speckled bean that has a light pinkish-brown color when cooked. Pinto beans are commonly used to make refried beans, burritos and chili. Kidney beans are larger beans with a firmer texture and dark red exterior. Kidney beans hold their shape when cooked, making it a good choice for chili that is pressure cooked or simmered for hours.
Yes, you can add ¼ cup of uncooked quinoa, farro or barley to the chili. It will add more texture and make the chili thicker.
More Chili and Bean Recipes
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
This is Instant Pot vegetarian chili with big, rich flavor! It's easy, healthy, satisfying and versatile - it's the only vegetarian chili recipe you need.
Serve this chili with lots of toppings - avocado, sour cream, grated cheese, green onions, cilantro, crumbled tortilla chips, etc..
Total Instant Pot Cooking Time: 15 minutes to reach pressure + 15 minute cooking time + 10 minute natural release
This recipe was updated on Dec. 4, 2023
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup and Chili
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 red or yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 bell peppers (any color), diced or thinly sliced
- 2 14.5-oz cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 15-oz cans kidney beans, drained
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 15-oz can black beans, drained
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Instructions
- Press the saute button on the Instant Pot and warm the oil.
- Saute the onion and garlic for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the next 11 ingredients: bell peppers, tomatoes, kidney beans, water, chili powder, sugar, salt, cumin, oregano, cocoa powder and smoked paprika.
- Mix really well to evenly distribute the spices.
- Seal the lid and cook for 15 minutes on high pressure.
- When the cooking time is complete, let the pressure release naturally (for at least 10 minutes).
- Stir in the black beans, frozen corn, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce.
- Serve with lots of toppings: sour cream, grated cheese, green onions, cilantro, crumbled tortillas chips, avocado, etc..
Notes
Fire roasted canned tomatoes have more flavor than regular canned tomatoes and are the first choice for this recipe. However, some brands can be quite spicy. If you want to avoid (or control) the heat then use regular diced tomatoes.
If you'd like more texture in the chili, you can add ¼ cup of dried quinoa, barley or farro. You can also saute plant based meat with the onion and garlic before adding the rest of the ingredients.
The black beans are added after cooking the chili because they have a soft texture that tends to fall apart in the pressure cooker.
This chili can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The flavor is even better the day after you make it and the day after that! Leftover chili also freezes well for up to 3 months. To defrost, leave the frozen chili in the refrigerator overnight.
This recipe was tested in a 6-quart Instant Pot.
Jen
I love how the flavors come together to create a really good vegetarian chili. It's even better the next day!
Pamela
You didn't mention the corn in your directions. Do you add it before after cooking?
Jenny
Hi! I stir in the corn right after the chili has finished cooking.