This Instant Pot Veggie Chili is a perfect veggie-packed recipe for meal prep or quick weeknight dinners. It's hearty, flavorful, cozy, and is ready in under an hour thanks to the Instant Pot. With just a few chopped veggies, this vegetarian chili comes together quickly for a warm, comforting meal.
Growing up, one of my favorite meals was vegetarian chili served over Fritos, my family’s simple take on Frito chili pie. This plant-based version was inspired by those flavors and has become a staple in my kitchen! It’s hearty, packed with nutritious beans and veggies, perfect for busy nights, and perfect for meal prep or leftovers.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Easy Chili Recipe
- Quick and easy: This Instant Pot Veggie Chili is ready in about an hour thanks to the Instant Pot! Perfect for busy weeknights.
- Nutritious and nourishing: Packed with beans, vegetables, and fiber, this plant-based, oil-free chili is a wholesome, WFPB-friendly meal.
- Meal-prep friendly: Makes a generous batch that reheats well, ideal for leftovers throughout the week.
Key Ingredients
- Onion, bell pepper, and garlic: Classic chili staples that add depth and flavor.
- Carrot and corn: To bring a touch of sweetness to compliment our savory spices, and a pop of color!
- Veggie broth and fire roasted tomatoes: For a liquid base with a rich, smoky flavor.
- Black, kidney, and pinto beans: A hearty mix that adds protein, fiber, and texture.
- Seasonings and spices: A mix of savory spices for that signature chili flavor.
How to Make Instant Pot Vegan Chili
- Sauté the onion and veggies in the Instant Pot, then stir in spices.
- Stir in tomatoes, beans, corn, and veggie broth. Add tomato sauce on top but do not stir.
- Pressure cook on high for 8 minutes, natural release for 5 minutes, then quick release.
- Let sit to thicken, then stir in lime juice and salt.
- Serve & enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- When you add your tomato sauce in step 5, do not stir! Tomato sauce is rather heavy and if it falls to the bottom of the pot it can cause a "burn" notice on your Instant Pot. By letting it sit on top, this is less likely to happen.
- When you first open the Instant Pot at the end of cooking, don't stress if your chili doesn't seem thick enough. It thickens a bit as it sits over the next 10 minutes or so.
Serving Suggestions
- This Vegan Instant Pot Chili is perfect for meal prep. Just make a batch on Sunday and reheat it throughout the week for quick, nourishing lunches or dinners!
- Serve your oil-free veggie chili on its own for a hearty, plant-based meal, or spoon it over Fritos for a fun, crunchy twist on classic Frito chili pie!
- Use this in a loaded baked potato bar for an easy, crowd-pleasing dinner idea! Offer topping options such as this veggie chili, Quick Vegan Queso, or Roasted Poblano Sauce!
Substitutions & Variations
- Switch up the beans! This Instant Pot Veggie Chili uses black, kidney, and pinto beans, but feel free to mix it up with other canned beans. You can even use three cans of your favorite type rather than having a mix! Just keep in mind that different beans may provide different textures.
- Get creative with toppings! My go-to is avocado, of course! Other tasty options for this easy plant-based chili recipe include shredded vegan cheddar, plain coconut yogurt or vegan sour cream, or fresh cilantro.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this vegan chili ahead of time?
Yes! This chili is perfect for meal prep. Make a batch on Sunday and reheat it throughout the week for quick lunches or dinners. The perfect easy weeknight vegan dinner!
Can I use other canned beans for this chili recipe?
Yes! This recipe calls for black, kidney, and pinto beans, but you can experiment with similar beans, such as chickpeas or navy beans. Keep in mind that textures may vary slightly depending on the type of bean you use.
Is this Instant Pot vegan chili WFPB (Whole Food Plant Based)?
Yes! This plant-based chili is fully oil-free and made with whole foods, making it perfect for a WFPB lifestyle.
Other Plant-Based Comfort Foods You'll Love
Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Veggie Chili
This Instant Pot Veggie Chili is hearty, flavorful, and packed with nutritious vegetables. Ready in under an hour, it’s perfect for quick weeknight dinners or meal prep.*Note that From Start to Finish is an estimate that assumes about 10 minutes to chop your veggies, and 50 minutes to complete the steps of the recipe. Within those 50 minutes, the first 10 are hands-on, but the following 35-40 are mostly passive steps (in which the chili is simply cooking in the instant pot, or sitting to thicken).
Ingredients
- ½ medium yellow onion - diced
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- ½ medium green bell pepper - diced
- 1 medium carrot - diced
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1.5 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 15-oz can fire roasted tomatoes - (NOT drained)
- ¾ cup frozen corn - thawed (I like to thaw mine by simply placing it in a colander and running cold water over it in the sink - only takes a couple minutes!)
- ¼ cup veggie broth
- 1 15-oz can black beans - drained and rinsed
- 1 15-oz can kidney beans - drained and rinsed
- 1 15-oz can pinto beans - drained and rinsed
- 1 15-oz can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- salt, to taste
- Optional toppings: plain coconut yogurt, avocado, vegan cheese, or cilantro
Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode. Once it has heated and is ready to sauté, add a splash of water to the Instant Pot to prevent sticking, and toss in your diced onion. Allow to sauté about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water as needed to prevent sticking.
- Add your garlic, bell pepper, and carrot to the Instant Pot. Continue to sauté another 3 minutes. By this time your onions should be slightly translucent.
- Add in garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, and smoked paprika. Give everything a stir so that the veggies are all evenly coated in the spices.
- Add in your fire roasted tomatoes, corn, veggie broth, black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans. Give it a stir so everything is evenly incorporated.
- Pour your tomato sauce on top but do not stir. (Tomato sauce is rather heavy and if it falls to the bottom of your pot it is likely to cause a "burn" notice on your Instant Pot. This is less likely to happen by letting it sit on top!).
- Turn off the sauté function on the Instant Pot, and set it to pressure cook on high for 8 minutes. Place and secure the Instant Pot lid, make sure the valve is set to "sealing", and allow the Instant Pot to come to pressure and complete its 8 minute pressure cook (it usually takes mine about 15 minutes to come to pressure before the 8 minutes begins)
- Once the Instant Pot has completed its 8 minute pressure cook, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 5 minutes (this just means to let it sit for 5 minutes and don't touch it!). After 5 minutes, move the valve to "venting" and allow the pressure to "quick release". Once the pressure has been released, remove the Instant Pot lid (your Instant Pot should have a little metal pin called a "floating valve" that will drop when the pressure is adequately released and you can open the pot).
- Give the chili a stir, and then let it sit for about 10 minutes. It will thicken slightly during this time.
- Stir in lime juice and salt. Serve however you wish and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 2g
*Nutrition facts are an estimate and are calculated for one serving.
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Stay joyfully balanced!
beachbum94 says
Hi there! I love the idea of the Instant Pot Veggie Chili, especially since it's such a great option for meal prep. I'm curious if you have any suggestions for substituting the veggies in the recipe for others that may be in season or just more to one's taste? Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!
Justin Williams
Delaney Marie says
Hi Justin, thanks for the question! The veggies listed in this recipe are the only ones that I have personally tested, so I can't guarantee which other ones would work. In addition, most of the veggies used in this recipe are typically available at most grocery stores year-round (carrots, onions, bell peppers). If you would like to experiment and substitute in other vegetables you are of course more than welcome to try it out! Just keep in mind that not all veggies cook at the same rate - if you think that the cook time of this recipe might be too long or too short for your particular veggies, you could always saute your veggies on the stovetop separately, and then add them to the cooked chili. I wouldn't recommend changing the cook-time on the actual instant pot as this could affect the consistency of the chili itself.
Laurie Griggs says
This is a great recipe! Love using different beans and that it's without meat! Definitely a keeper!
Delaney Marie says
So glad you like it!! 🙂
Christina says
This looks delicious. I just got an Instant Pot for my birthday so I'll have to try this!
Delaney Marie says
What a fun birthday present! Hope you love the recipe!