Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
Updated May 02, 2025
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A healthy and flavorful Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili recipe made with dried beans, vegetables, spices, and a secret ingredient. This is an easy, one-pot meatless meal your whole family will love.
Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
I love this meatless vegetarian chili recipe and I know you are going to love it, too. I think it’s fun to use dried beans, cooked in the Instant Pot. Dried beans are fun to use and inexpensive. I’m working with Hurst’s Beans today and I used their slow cooker chili dried bean mix for this recipe. I love their mixed dried beans because you get a good variety of beans all in one bag. This chili mix contains Pinto, black, small red, and kidney beans all in one bag. The best part is you DO NOT have to soak these beans before cooking them. You literally toss them in the pot and let them cook. They turn out awesome every time.
Other things that I love about this recipe are that it has a heavy hand of vegetables in it, but you don’t know it. They kind of cook into nothing and just add flavor and great texture. It also contains a hidden vegetable that I love to sneak into chili… pumpkin! Adding pumpkin thickens the chili and adds a pleasant sweetness that offsets the acidic tomatoes nicely. Trust me on this one, no one will know that your chili has pumpkin in it. I can’t wait for you to try this veggie-filled chili and be sure to read the tips and tricks on how to make it in the slow cooker if you don’t have an Instant Pot and how to make substitutions to fit your preferences.
Here’s why I’m excited to be working with Hurst’s Beans today. Hurst’s is a 4th generation family-owned company that is based out of Indiana (I was raised in Indiana and consider myself a Hoosier through and through), and they’ve been a brand that has been in my cupboard, my mom’s cupboard, and my grandma’s cupboard for years and years. I grew up loving the 15 Bean Soup Mix, and their products are ones I use and know well. I’m so excited to be working with them today. They grow their beans in the US and Canada (yay!), and the flavor packets really are just seasonings in a convenient little package. They are gluten-free and vegan and have no added MSG. This is a great brand, and I can’t wait for you to bring them into your own kitchen if you haven’t already.
What size Instant Pot do you have?
I got an 8-quart Instant Pot in November and I love it! I’m shocked at how much I use it. It’s great for all kinds of soups, Cajun beans and rice, “boiled eggs”, homemade chicken stock, and more. I think you need one 🙂
Can I substitute chicken stock for vegetable broth?
You have a lot of flexibility here. Feel free to use chicken stock if you’re not concerned about it being vegetarian. You can also use fire-roasted tomatoes if you like, and you can use 2 small cans of diced green chilis in place of the salsa. Use what you have, Friends!
Can I use a slow cooker instead of the Instant Pot?
Yes! You can make this in the slow cooker by sauteing the veggies in a pan and then adding the beans and cooked veggies into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for another hour or until the beans are tender. Adjust seasoning to taste and enjoy.
What do I serve with Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili?
- Skillet Cornbread
- The Best Homemade Cornbread Recipe
- Momma’s Jumbo Dinner Rolls
- The Best Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
- Sour Cream Cornbread
- Super Simple No-Knead Bread
Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced (about 2 ribs)
- 1 bag Hurst Slow Cooker Dried Chili Bean Mix, 15.5 ounces
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic, about 6 cloves
- 1 cup green salsa
- 2 cans petite diced tomatoes, 14.5 ounce
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Additional salt, pepper, and cumin to taste
Instructions
- Select browning/saute to preheat the pressure cooker. Add the olive oil, onion, bell pepper, and celery and saute, stirring often, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the dry beans and the vegetable broth.
- Lock the lid in place, make sure the vent is set to seal, and select high pressure and 30 minute cook time.
- When the cooking time ends, use the quick pressure release. When the valve drops, remove the lid carefully.
- Add the garlic, green salsa, diced tomatoes, pumpkin puree, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker again, making sure the vent is set to seal. Select high pressure and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- When the cooking time ends, use the quick pressure release. When the valve drops, remove the lid carefully.
- Adjust salt, pepper, and cumin to taste and serve hot.
Video
Notes
- You have a lot of flexibility here. Feel free to use chicken stock if you’re not concerned about it being vegetarian. You can use fire-roasted tomatoes if you like, and you can use 2 small cans of diced green chilis in place of the salsa.
- You can make this in the slow cooker by sauteing the veggies in a pan, then adding the beans and cooked veggies into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for another hour. Adjust seasoning to taste and enjoy.
- If the chili tastes a little too acidic in the end, feel free to add 1 tablespoon of white sugar. Tomatoes vary a lot and if it’s too acidic my kids don’t like it.
Nutrition
Here are a few other simple recipes I think you’ll love:
- Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
- Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
- Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
- Easy Slow Cooker Chili
- Easy Turkey Pumpkin Chili
- Creamy Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
- Healthy Lentil Chili
I hope that you love this easy Instant Pot Vegetarian Chilias much as we did. It’s got great flavor and texture and you can’t beat how quickly an Instant Pot can cook dried beans!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hurst’s Beans. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make Bless this Mess possible.
I added extra veg (fresh corn, carrots I had to use up) and all was well. When it was time to do the second pressure cook after adding the remaining ingredients and some chopped zucchini, I noticed it was taking a long time to start. But then I got the burn food error message! I scooped it all out into my spare pot liner, added an extra cup of water and some veg bullion and finishing up using high slow cook setting. There was a ring of burnt around bottom of the first pot, but I saved the majority of it in time. Maybe add a little extra water or broth if using more vegetables than the recipe calls for. next time. It’s still slow cooking but looks great and tastes good. I would try this again. I’m still on a bit of a learning curve with my instant pot.
Hi, Melissa,
Loved it!
Where does the fat content come from? Can ? Can I make it low fat?
Plug the recipes into your own nutrition calculator, mine might be off!
So easy, filling and very flavorful! My son loved it! Thank you!
do you have adjusted amounts for a 6 quart instapot?
Nope it should be the same.
I have made this chili about a half-dozen times now, and it is really stellar! I haven’t been able to find the Hurst beans, so I use a mixture of whatever I have on hand – usually some black, some pinto, and maybe some small red beans. Thank you for the great recipe!
I’m making this now, I have a question though… Do you not add the seasoning packet that comes in the bag of beans? Only add the seasonings as listed above?
You can do either or! I didn’t add it in this recipe, but it tastes great. You can omit my seasoning and add the packet, and then add more of the seasoning I suggested to taste. It’s up to you!
This recipe does no call for the seasoning packet, but you for sure can use it. I do often and it’s really good. You can omit my seasoning and add the packet and then just add additional seasoning that I’ve suggested to taste, you won’t need the full amount.
I made this and my kids loved it; I wanted to make it again, but we don’t presently have green salsa or diced green chili’s in our pantry – any other substitutions that might work? Ty!
Normal salsa will work fine!
What is causing this to be do high in sodium??
Probably something weird in my recipe nutrition calculator… I don’t think it should be that high either. Maybe plug it into something like myfitnesspal app on your end?