Here it is..... My award-winning Vegan Chili, all dressed up for the Instant Pot. Same great flavor, only now done in just a fraction of the time thanks to the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker.
One of my readers told me she made my stove top version for her husband, and his very first comment after taking a bite was "This is The Best Damn Vegan Chili Ever." After a comment like that, I can't change the name! So I guess I'll call this one,
Best Damn Instant Pot Vegan Chili.
Another interesting fact about this chili is that it is now an "Award Winning" Vegan Chili.
I received an email one day from one of my blog's followers. He told me that he entered my chili into his hometown's Chili Cookoff Contest. There were 9 total entries, and only 2 were Vegan. Would you believe he came in 3rd place?!
But here's the kicker....... This was in TEXAS!
I'm so proud {sniff sniff} - I wish I could have been there to seen it! 🙂
Anyway, I often get asked about the ¼ cup of chili powder this recipe requires. Yes.....I said ¼ CUP. I know it seems like a bit much, but just try it. The flavors really do come together wonderfully.
So with all that said - here is my award-winning Best Damn Vegan Chili, now for the Instant Pot.
And for those that want the stove top version - I'll post a link to that recipe here.
Best Damn Instant Pot Vegan Chili
If you liked my original Vegan Chili recipe, AND you have an Instant Pot.....you'll like this new and improved recipe.
It's basically the exact same recipe as my stove top version, with just a few minor changes:
- I removed the Seitan from the ingredient list. I can no longer buy pre-packaged Seitan and I don't always feel like making a batch...JUST to make chili, so I took it out. It's still optional if you want to use it, but I found something better.
- What I substituted in its place - is my Cauliflower Crumbles from my Amazing Cauliflower Taco recipe. Simply mix 1½ cups of riced Cauliflower, 1 cup of finely minced mushrooms, and ½ cup of finely chopped Walnuts (optional). Stir together with 2 Tbs of Light Soy Sauce and bake in a 350° oven for 30 minutes. Use a parchment lined baking sheet for easy cleanup. Stir and continue baking for an additional 10-15 minutes or until browned. These crumbles make a wonderfully healthy but 'meaty' chili, without using any of the highly processed, soy protein meat substitutes.
- Of course you can leave out the crumbles as well and simply make an all bean chili, or add mushrooms, it's completely up to you. As you can see this is an extremely versatile recipe.
- I also removed the refried beans and added a 6oz can of Tomato Paste instead to thicken it up.
Ok, here we go.
Add 1 chopped onion, 1 diced green bell pepper, a diced red bell pepper, and 3-4 cloves of mined garlic to your Instant Pot and lightly SAUTE the veggies in a small amount of water, veg broth, or even the juice from a can of drained pinto beans until softened.
Add in any meat substitutes you may be using (mushrooms, seitan, Cauliflower Crumbles, etc), 2 cups of water, and all the spices except the masa flour. Stir well.
Stir in 1 can of Low Sodium Pinto Beans, and 1 can of Low Sodium Kidney Beans.
Now add an 8oz can of Tomato Sauce to the top of the stew, but DO NOT STIR it in.
Same thing with a 15oz can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes, add to the top but DO NOT STIR.
Attach the lid and set your IP to MANUAL mode for 10 minutes. After cooking, allow it to naturally vent for 10 minutes before CAREFULLY releasing any remaining pressure.
Remove the lid and stir in a 6oz can of Tomato Paste. This is also a good time to add any last-minute garnishes you may want to add, like a few tablespoons of pickled jalapeños, or green onions.
Finally, sprinkle 2 Tbs of Masa Harina flour on top and slow stir it in.
Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, while it thickens.
This chili was perfect. Rich, thick, and full of flavor, everything I expect in a Texas style chili. Be sure and let me know what you think of the changes (refried beans vs tomato paste, etc).
Best Damn Instant Pot Vegan Chili
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Soup/Stew
- Cuisine: American
Description
My award-winning Best Damn Vegan Chili, all dressed up for the Instant Pot. Same great flavor, only ready to eat in just a fraction of the time...
Ingredients
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 1 green bell pepper (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 8 oz Seitan (optional OR)
- 2 cups Cauliflower Crumbles (optional)
- 8 oz Mushrooms (optional)
- 2 cups water
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp chipotle chili powder (optional)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ cup McCormick's chili powder
- 1 15oz can pinto beans (low sodium)
- 1 15oz can kidney beans (low sodium)
- 1 8oz can tomato sauce (low sodium)
- 1 15oz can diced tomatoes (fire roasted)
- 1 6oz can tomato paste
- 2 Tbs Masa Tamale Flour
Instructions
- Chop all vegetables and add to IP
- Lightly saute vegetables in a small amount of water, veg broth, or bean juice (aquafaba) until softened
- If using - add seitan, cauliflower crumbles, or mushrooms for a meat substitute. Note: All of these are optional and you could just add another can of beans.
- Add water and all spices except Masa and stir well
- Mix in beans and stir well
- Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes to TOP of stew and DO NOT STIR
- Add lid to IP and set to MANUAL mode for 10 minutes. Allow to naturally vent when completed for 10 minutes before CAREFULLY releasing any additional pressure
- Stir in tomato paste, any last minute garnishes, and Masa flour.
- Let rest for 10 minutes to thicken, stirring occasionally
Notes
Cauliflower Crumble Recipe Only use Soy Sauce to spice, nothing else.
Garnish with pickled jalapeños, green onions, or my green chili sour cream.
c
Lyn
I read a lot of the comments but not all of them. Can this chili be frozen? Using water instead of broth seems to eliminate some additional flavor. Is it because you are using the IP if the stove top used broth? What beans do you rinse and what ones do you pour in the liquid?
Rex Robinson
Hi Chuck!
I made this tonight for a Friendsgiving party tomorrow at my work. I used the Impossible “meat” (I’ve done this before at it turned out great!) instead of the Seitan. As for overnight in the fridge, is covering the top with foil ok? GREAT recipe!
★★★★★
Chuck Underwood
Some people do not like using foil - but I think as long as it's not making contact with the food you're ok.
Robin
Chuck, you hit it out of the ballpark with this recipe. Even my SIL liked it and he hates vegan type food. The majority of the recipes I try on this site are total flops so it was refreshing to to try your winner. Thank you. 🙂👍
Donna Burovac
Could I use quorn crumbles in the recipe?
Chuck Underwood
Sure - it's up to you
Coworker potluck
Made this recipe for a work chili potluck. I thought it was pretty tasty! My coworkers all said nice things about it too! One person did tell me it was spicy, but we all have different views. I thought it was packed full of flavor!
★★★★★
Diae
My family loves this recipe and I make it often!
James Dempsey
Ive made this 5 times now, I add a chopped jalapeño and half a bag of frozen corn. 10/10
★★★★★
Terri Cunningham
Hi Chuck! Love your carrot dogs and make them almost every week. I tried the chili tonight in the instant pot and followed your recipe exactly by putting the tomatoes and the sauce in the middle and did not stir. Set the time for 10 min and when I checked on it, the instant pot message read burned. Was able to salvage the chili by scraping the burn off and mixing it in. Did not taste burned but not sure if the chili cooked as long as it was suppose to. before burn message stopped the cooking cycle. Please advise. Thank u!
Chuck Underwood
I'm sure it's fine if it didn't taste burned. The only thing I can think of is to make sure everything is mixed well before you place the tomatoes on top. I've never seen that message, but honestly I make mine on the stovetop 99% of the time.
EmilyP
Absolutely delicious! I made the cauliflower scramble and the vegan chili, love it. One thing though, if you are using the smaller Instant pot, this recipe will not fit. I was partway through cooking and had to switch it to a larger pot on the stove. Given that the IP version requires 10 minutes at high pressure and 10 minutes natural release, this is one recipe where I don't see any advantage to using the IP. It's still a one-pot meal on the stove, and about same amount of time.
★★★★★
Jeannie N
Hi Chuck, your stovetop version is my husbands all time favorite chili recipe. This is the first time I have made the Instant pot version and I just realized there is slight difference in ingredients. This chili i made is heavy on the tomato taste and I am not sure what I could add to make it more like what the recipe intended. I did make one mistake that I am hoping can be remedied. I added just plain riced cauliflower without baking them with your cauliflower crumble recipe. Would you mind suggesting anything that I can do now to fix my error? My husband wants to just add in 8 ounces of Hatch chili’s, but I don’t believe that will help much with the tomato-y taste. Any help is appreciated. Just thought before I messed it up anymore, I would ask. Thanks!
Nicole
This is the best recipe I’ve ever found for vegetarian chili and I’ve been one for 20 years. The chipotle absolutely makes this recipe so don’t skip on it! I substituted TVP for the meaty portion and it was killer!
★★★★★
Sheri
Hi Chuck! I live in Texas and wanted to make your chili today. One word....Delicious!!! I used McCormick hot Mexican chili powder. The flavors were so good and it does taste meaty with the cauliflower mushroom crumble added. Thank you for sharing your awesome vegan recipes. I have so many more of your recipes saved that I want to try!! ?❤️?
★★★★★
Valerie Brown
This was amazing. So much better than any meat recipe I had made before going WFPB. I used Beyond crumbles and mushrooms but next time will probably just double the mushrooms. I loved the texture they added. Thank you for this recipe!!!
★★★★★
Nancy Mathieu
In the instruction there is mention of refried beans but I don't see it in the ingredients, how much should I use?
Chuck Underwood
Sorry - I'll fix that. About 1/2 of a 15oz can.