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This is our family favorite Instant Pot vegetarian chili, starring two beans, lentils, and a hearty flavor that everyone loves! Making pressure cooker chili is fast and easy. This recipe has become a reader favorite!
Chili never goes wrong as a crowd-pleasing meal. So if you’ve got a pressure cooker, why not try Instant Pot chili? This Instant Pot vegetarian chili is our favorite: it’s full of beans, veggies, and lentils and chock full of plant-based protein.
Alex and I much prefer a pressure cooker chili to making it in a slow cooker, which takes hours and can turn out soggy. This Instant Pot chili is full of savory, hearty flavor—in fact, it might be the best of our chili recipes. Readers agree—it’s gone on to become a reader favorite with lots of positive ratings!
Featured reader comments
“This chili is a miracle dinner! My whole family (hubby and 5 kids) love this! We have some picky eaters and it’s such a relief to have a meal everyone is excited about. Thanks so much for a quick, easy and healthy dinnertime win!” -Kallie
Flavor secrets in this vegetarian chili
A good chili has a flavor secret or two! Here are a few key ingredients in this Instant Pot vegetarian chili recipe that make it hearty and satisfying:
- Two types of beans and lentils: To bring in lots of texture and protein, lentils add a key texture element to this chili.
- Fennel seeds: Adding a bit of fennel seeds gives a meaty undertone to this chili (it’s a main ingredient in Italian sausage, so it tricks your brain).
- Fire roasted tomatoes: These canned tomatoes are roasted over an open flame before canning, making their flavor sweet and developed right out of the can.
How to make Instant Pot chili: basic steps
Here’s the thing: Instant Pot chili is not done in an instant. This vegetarian chili takes about the same amount of time to make this stovetop vegetarian chili. So why use a pressure cooker? It’s a hands off method once you’re done sautéing, just set it and forget it! Here are the basic steps (or go to the full recipe below):
- Step 1: Sauté 6 to 7 minutes. Dice the onions and bell pepper. Turn on Sauté mode of the Instant Pot and add olive oil, then sauté the vegetables and a bit of fennel seed for 6 to 7 minutes, until tender.
- Step 2: Pressure cook 12 minutes. Add the tomatoes, lentils, broth, and spices to the Instant Pot. Seal the lid and pressure cook on High for 12 minutes. (It takes about 15 minutes for the Instant Pot to “preheat” or come up to pressure before cooking.)
- Step 3: Quick release, add the beans, garlic, and spices, and rest 5 minutes. Because the pressure cooker can sometimes dull flavors, we like to add ingredients at the end to brighten it up. Allow to rest, then enjoy!
Vegetarian chili toppings
The best part about chili is the toppings, in our opinion! Alex and I have found that this Instant Pot vegetarian chili needs toppings to get the final flavor, like any vegan or vegetarian chili. Here’s what we think are essential, plus a few more ideas:
- Hot sauce or lime: We like hot sauce, but if you prefer try fresh squeezed lime juice.
- Sour cream: Adding creaminess and richness is also key. If you eat vegan or plant based, use vegan sour cream or cashew cream.
- Sliced green onions or cilantro: These add freshness and a pop of green.
- Cheese: Cheese is optional, but it sure makes chili taste good! For vegan, use a dairy-free cheese.
- Pepitas, tortilla chips, or crackers: It’s nice to have a little crunch too.
- Pickled jalapenos: If you love heat, homemade pickled jalapeños add big flavor. Or if you have time to prep in advance, make pickled red onions.
- Tortilla strips: Try our crispy tortilla strips for a crunch!
Want more ideas for your pressure cooker? Try more of our top Instant Pot recipes!
Dietary notes
This Instant Pot chili recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Best Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
This is our family favorite Instant Pot vegetarian chili, starring two beans, lentils, and a hearty flavor that everyone loves! Making pressure cooker chili is fast and easy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Vegetarian / Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 medium yellow onions
- 1 green bell pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ¾ cup dry brown or green lentils
- 28 ounce diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 28 ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons cumin, divided
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon chili powder*
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans
- 1 15-ounce can black beans
- 2 medium or 1 large garlic clove, grated
- For serving: sour cream or cashew cream, shredded cheese, hot sauce, cilantro, sliced green onion, roasted and salted pepitas
Instructions
- Dice the onions. Dice the pepper.
- Turn on Saute mode and add the olive oil to the Instant Pot. When it is heated, add the onion, pepper, and fennel seeds and saute for 6 to 7 minutes until translucent. Add the lentils, tomatoes, broth, kosher salt, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 3 tablespoons chili powder. Lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Place the pressure release handle (vent) in the “Sealing” position.
- Cook on High Pressure for 12 minutes: Press the Pressure Cook button, making sure the “High Pressure” setting is selected, and set the time. Note that it takes about 15 minutes for the pot to “preheat” and come up to pressure before it starts cooking. (During cooking, avoid touching the metal part of the lid.)
- Quick release: Vent the remaining steam from the Instant Pot by moving the pressure release handle to “Venting”, covering your hand with a towel or hot pad. Never put your hands or face near the vent when releasing steam. Open the pressure cooker lid.
- Add the final flavorings: Drain and rinse the beans. Stir in the beans, grate in the garlic (using a microplane is easy), and add the remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder and 1 teaspoon cumin. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Taste and season with additional salt and fresh ground pepper as necessary.
- Load it up: Load up with toppings, as they provide the final flavoring! Use sour cream or cashew cream, shredded cheese, hot sauce, cilantro, sliced green onion, roasted and salted pepitas, or your other favorite toppings.
Notes
*Use chili powder which is a blend, not chile powder (like ancho chile powder, which is straight ground chiles and very spicy).
I’ve made this twice now, and love it. I was wondering if it freezes well.
Hi! Yes, it should freeze fine.
This chili is a miracle dinner! My whole family (hubby and 5 kids between 4 and 10) love this! We have some picky eaters and it’s such a relief to have a meal everyone is excited about.
The only change I make is cutting down on the chili powder. Thanks so much for a quick, easy and healthy dinnertime win!
Thank you for making!
I haven’t tried this recipe yet but it looks good and the comments are positive.
Is it possible to use chickpeas instead of lentils?
Can I add more vegetables? The more variety, the better for me.
I’m not sure what the cook time would be for chickpeas. Sorry!
This recipe was delicious, and I loved the additional flavor of fennel. The only thing was the lentils were a little chewy. My neighbor, who tried it, didn’t think it was a problem, and that it gave it a “meaty” texture. I would prefer them softer, and will try increasing the time by maybe 5 more minutes. What do you think? Thanks, we really enjoyed it.
Yes! A few more minutes should do it. Different brands of lentils can vary in cook time so these probably just need a bit more.
Wow I really appreciate all the tips for using an instant pot yall included bc this was my first time using mine and had NO idea how to use it. You rule!
Also the chili was delicious.