Instant Pot sweet potato and black bean chili is a true celebration of winter meals. Chunky sweet potatoes, black beans and an array of vegetables come together in this nutritious oil free meal.
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Vegetarian Chili
exists! After all, why should making chili be limited to ground beef or turkey, right? Sweet potatoes and vegetables like corn and bell peppers come together with black beans in this hearty and healthy winter meal.
This recipe is a vegan and gluten free Chili recipe. Added bonus is that it has no oil.
Dump and Go Recipes
like these are a Godsend on busy weeknights. In under an hour, you have a healthy, wholesome and meal ready.
Since you do not need to sauté anything in this recipe, it is a stellar dump and go recipe that can be batch cooked. So much time saved, IMHO.
Some Easy Dump & Go Recipe Inspiration
- Easy vegan butternut squash Chili
- Healthy sweet potato and chickpeas curry
- Instant Pot Zucchini Soup
Ingredients
- Aromatics like onions and garlic and salt
- Vegetables like sweet potatoes and bell pepper
- Canned black and pinto beans – use canned kidney beans or white beans as a substitute
- Spices – cumin, paprika give this a well rounded flavor
- Canned tomatoes and vegetable broth – is the base we will use to cook this.
- Avocadoes, vegan sour cream, Nachos and jalapenos – all are lovely toppings
Variations
- More vegetables like carrots, celery, zucchini or squash will add more body and texture to this recipe.
- Switch up the protein- add other canned beans like kidney beans, navy beans or even garbanzo beans.
- Lentils instead of canned black beans – is a delicious variation. Use canned green lentils or brown lentils.
- Fortify it further by adding more sources of protein. You can add shredded tofu, cooked soy curls or use cottage cheese as a topping. If you choose to add tofu or soy curls, make sure to adjust the seasoning too.
- Where I live, fire roasted tomatoes are hard to come by. So, I have used regular canned tomatoes here. I must add, fire roasted tomatoes are amazing in Chili. If you can source them, go for it!
Cocoa powder in Chili
is definitely a thing. Yep. I have developed a deep love for this winter meal. And adding some cocoa to any Chili is a game changer. It adds depth, character and a unique flavor.
Try it to believe it. You need some good quality unsweetened cocoa powder to add some richness to your Chili.
And less is more here. For a batch like this one, you only need less than a tbsp. I recommend starting with the smallest amount and then adding more if you want a richer taste.
Crockpot Chili or Stovetop Chili
Don’t have an Instant Pot? No problem. This recipe can be easily cooked in the Crockpot or a slow cooker too.
How to make Vegetarian Chili in the Crockpot?
- To a 6 quart Crockpot, add all the vegetables and beans along with the aromatic and spices.
- Stir in the tomatoes and vegetable broth.
- Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
- When done, garnish with cilantro and serve with your favorite toppings.
Stovetop Vegetarian Chili
- Add 1.5 tbsp oil to a 6 quart heavy bottomed pan. I prefer my Dutch oven for this.
- When hot, add the onions and garlic and saute till the garlic begins to brown.
- At this stage, add the ground spices, reduce the heat and continue to saute for 30 seconds, allowing the spices to bloom.
- Now, add all the vegetables, beans, maple syrup and cocoa powder.
- Stir in the tomatoes along with the vegetable broth.
- Cook on low heat until the sweet potatoes are completely cooked through. This takes roughly 30 mins.
- When done, garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with your choice of toppings.
Serving suggestions
- We love Chili as is. But a few toppings definitely take it up a notch. Chopped avocados, Tortilla chips, sour cream, hot sauce and salsa are all excellent with this.
- Sides that you can try with this to make it a complete meal – chilli crisp broccoli, roasted cherry tomatoes, air fried tofu, a light salad like this Shirazi
- Mexican cornbread is yet another classic accompaniment.
- Fancy something more? Then, make a melty grilled cheese, go ahead and dunk it in your chili.
Make ahead, storage and freezing
- You can make this Chili well ahead of time and store it in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheat only as much as required over gentle heat and serve hot.
How to freeze vegetarian Chili?
- Allow the chili to completely cool down.
- Divide into 1 cup portions, transfer to freezer safe soup containers or bags.
- Label and freeze.
- To thaw, leave the desired quantity in the fridge overnight. Next day, heat gently in a sauce pan and serve hot.
- Alternatively, for a quick thaw, place in the microwave and defrost.
- Frozen vegetarian Chili lasts for 3 months.
- As always, do not refreeze thawed food.
More Instant Pot Meals
How to make Vegetarian Chili in the Instant Pot?
Prep all the ingredients necessary for the recipe. Drain the canned beans, rinse and set aside. Insert the inner pot into the Instant Pot.
Add the onions, garlic followed by sweet potatoes, canned beans, ground spices, salt, maple syrup and cocoa powder.
Tip in the canned chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock along with the lime juice. Stir to combine.
Make sure the sealing ring has been fitted properly into the Instant Pot lid. Close the Instant Pot and set the VALVE to SEALING.
Plug in, set the Instant Pot to PRESSURE COOK on HIGH PRESSURE for 30 minutes. Alternatively, use the BEAN/CHILI preset.
Allow the cooking cycle to complete. When done, wait for 15 minutes and then do a gradual QUICK PRESSURE RELEASE.
When the pressure has released, open the lid and mash the chili using a potato masher for a couple of times.
Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE MODE on NORMAL setting for 2 to 3 mins. Towards the end of the SAUTE cycle, garnish with chopped cilantro.
As soon as the SAUTE cycle is complete, serve hot with toppings of your choice.
Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
Equipment
- 1 six quart Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 c diced onions
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1.5 c chopped bell peppers you can use a combination of all colors
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed 14 oz can used here
- 1 can pinto beans drained and rinsed 14 oz can used here
- 1/2 pound sweet potato peeled and chopped into cubes
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp Chipotle seasoning
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp cocoa powder unsweetened
- Salt to taste
- 1 can diced tomatoes I have used a 14 oz can here
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1.25 tbsp lime juice
- 1/4 c chopped cilantro
To serve-
- 1 Avocado chopped into chunks
- 1/4 cup vegan Sour cream
- 1/2 cup Tortilla chips
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 4 lime wedges
Instructions
- Prep all the ingredients necessary for the recipe. Drain the canned beans, rinse and set aside. Insert the inner pot into the Instant Pot.
- Add the onions, garlic followed by sweet potatoes, canned beans, ground spices, salt, maple syrup and cocoa powder.
- Tip in the canned chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock along with the lime juice. Stir to combine.
- Make sure the sealing ring has been fitted properly into the Instant Pot lid. Close the Instant Pot and set the VALVE to SEALING.
- Plug in, set the Instant Pot to PRESSURE COOK on HIGH PRESSURE for 30 minutes. Alternatively, use the BEAN/CHILI preset.
- Allow the cooking cycle to complete. When done, wait for 15 minutes and then do a gradual QUICK PRESSURE RELEASE.
- When the pressure has released, open the lid and mash the chili using a potato masher for a couple of times.
- Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE MODE on NORMAL setting for 2 to 3 mins. Towards the end of the SAUTE cycle, garnish with chopped cilantro.
- As soon as the SAUTE cycle is complete, serve hot with toppings of your choice.
For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes
Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.
Disclaimer
Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.
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