Instant Pot Spicy Vegan Chili is hearty, flavourful and comes together in less than an hour. It’s loaded with vegetarian taco meat, as well as black beans and peppers, so you get a dose of fibre with a spicy kick!
Are you sensing a trend on Crumb Top Baking lately? I share a lot of different clean eating recipes, but I usually focus on breakfast dishes, clean sweet treats and healthy snacks. But lately, I’ve been posting a few more vegetarian and plant-based recipes. This isn’t strategic on my part. It just reflects the types of food I’m enjoying right now. And this Instant Pot Spicy Vegan Chili is definitely one that’s being enjoyed right now!
I promise more sweet treats are coming soon, but with fall just a day away and the cold weather quickly creeping in, I’m all about the cozy, hearty meals.
Vegetarian Taco Meat
So I mentioned that this chili includes vegetarian taco meat. Well, if you remember these Loaded Vegetarian Nachos from a few months ago, you know exactly what I’m talking about. This ‘taco meat’ is just mushrooms and walnuts pulsed in the food processor, and sautéed with jalapeños, red onion, lime juice and spices.
I was inspired to add walnuts to vegetarian taco meat after reading Pinch of Yum’s Cauliflower Walnut Taco Meat recipe, and I’m so glad I gave it a try. The texture resembles ground beef, and I’ve been obsessively making it for months! For this chili recipe, I just kicked up the jalapeños and red onions, but everything else stayed the same.
Slow Cooker or Instant Pot?
Okay, here is my big disclaimer – I am a die-hard slow cooker fan! I love cooking pork, beef and chicken in my slow cooker. You can set it and forget it, and it always turns out so perfectly moist and tender.
Soups are great in the slow cooker too, and I even have a slow cooker chili recipe that I make quite a bit. And yes, it’s vegetarian!
So with all the slow cooker action, my Instant Pot often gets stored away in the corner, only to be used when I want to make a creamy soup – like this one or this one!
The good news? I’m slowly getting the hang of my Instant Pot, and this spicy vegan chili is definitely an Instant Pot winner. It’s super quick and easy to make, but tastes like it has been simmering on the stove for hours. It’s perfect for Sunday meal prep, but also great for busy weeknights. You can whip up a batch in less than an hour, so you can have dinner on the table in no time!
With a few Instant Pot successes under my belt, you can bet I’ll be sharing a few more Instant Pot recipes over the coming months!
So, I’m curious. Are you a slow cooker or Instant Pot fan?
A few tips for making Instant Pot Spicy Vegan Chili
- It’s called spicy, but this chili can be as hot or mild as you like. I would say the recipe, as it’s written, is mildly spicy. If you like your chili super spicy, just add more jalapeño peppers, crushed chipotle peppers and/or chili powder. And if you like it a little less spicy, just cut back on those ingredients.
- To get this recipe started, you need to sauté the ‘ taco meat’ in the Instant Pot. This requires constant stirring to help prevent the mixture from burning. I usually spray the Instant Pot insert with cooking spray in addition to adding the extra virgin olive oil. You will still get a little bit of burning on the bottom of the pot, but in my experience, this washes off fairly easily. (And the little burnt bits add flavour to the chili!)
- This chili only cooks for 18 minutes on high pressure. This amount of time ensures the vegetables don’t over-cook. If you prefer your veggies a little softer, you can always cook the chili for longer (but I wouldn’t go past 25 minutes).
If you make this chili, I would love to know what you think in the comments below. Or take a photo and share to Instagram by tagging @crumbtopbaking.
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Instant Pot Spicy Vegan Chili
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 bowls
- Category: Dinner; Lunch
- Method: Pressure Cook
- Cuisine: Vegan
Description
Instant Pot Spicy Vegan Chili is hearty, flavourful and comes together in less than an hour. It’s loaded with vegetarian taco meat, as well as black beans and peppers, so you get a dose of fibre with a spicy kick!
Ingredients
For the vegetarian taco meat:
- 2 cups raw walnuts, halves or pieces
- 2 cups cremini mushrooms, chopped
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium-sized red onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp crushed chipotle peppers
For the remainder of the chili:
- 6 stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 can (796 ml) diced tomatoes, no-salt added, drained
- 1 can (540 ml) black beans, no-salt added, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (398 ml) tomato sauce, no-salt added
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
Instructions
- Add the walnuts and mushrooms to a food processor and pulse a few times until the mixture is crumbly.
- Grease the Instant Pot insert with cooking spray. Turn on the Instant Pot and select sauté and adjust the time to 8 minutes. Add the oil and let the Instant Pot heat up for 45-60 seconds.
- Add the crumbled walnut and mushroom mixture, along with the rest of the vegetarian taco meat ingredients to the Instant Pot and stir to combine. Cook for the remainder of the time selected, stirring constantly to ensure the taco meat does not burn (see note).
- Add in the remaining chili ingredients and stir to combine. Select the chili/bean option and cook on high pressure for 18 minutes. Vent for a quick release of pressure.
- Serve with sliced jalapeños, fresh cilantro or chopped avocado.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days.
Notes
- The taco meat may burn on to the pot a little bit, but in my experience, the insert comes clean after soaking in a little soapy water. To prevent excessive burning, spray the Instant Pot insert with cooking spray in addition to adding extra virgin olive oil before cooking. Stirring the meat constantly while it sautés will also help prevent burning.
- This chili only cooks for 18 minutes on high pressure. This amount of time ensures that the vegetables don’t over-cook. If you prefer your veggies a little softer, you can always cook the chili a little longer, up to 25 minutes.
- The peppers cook faster than the celery, so I like to cut the peppers in bigger chunks and the celery in smaller pieces
- To prevent the chili from turning out watery, it’s important to drain the liquid from the can of diced tomatoes.
- This recipe was inspired by Pinch of Yum’s recipes for Cauliflower Walnut Taco Meat and Instant Pot Pumpkin Walnut Chili.
the walnut and mushroom taco meat sounds so inventive! i wouldhave gone the lazy route and just used beans (;
Haha! Thanks Heather! Beans works for me too! 😉
Love a good spicy chili Leanne and I’m always looking for more Instant Pot recipes, I’ll be saving this one to make! I’m so with you, I love my slow cooker too but now that I’m getting used to my Instant Pot I just want to make everything in it – can’t wait to see what Instant Pot recipes you have coming up!
Thanks Tanya! Would love to know what you think if you make this one! It’s a long fall and winter, so I’m sure I will have a few cozy Instant Pot recipes to share!
Oh wow! This is just what this time of year ordered, it was chilly here this past weekend. I’ve only used a crock pot but since seeing how quickly this chili cooks up Im seriously considering an Instant Pot, 18 minutes? This chili looks wonderful, I would take all the spice I could get. Take care 🙂
Fall is definitely in the air around here, and I could use all the cozy chilis and soups I can get! The Instant Pot is pretty wonderful in cooking things up quickly! Great for busy weeknights! Thanks Stacey!
I’m getting the hang of my Instant Pot , too and this chili looks like one I definitely need to try!
It took me a while, but now I think I got the hang of it! Thanks Lisa!
This looks delicious Leanne, and it’s the perfect fall meal! I love serving chili for football games too. Always a crowd favorite!
Thanks Mary Ann! Totally agree – chili is always a crowd pleaser!
I have both. Like you, I love my slow cooker, and I love making soup in my Instant Pot. I’ve had some fails with it (mushy chicken) and some great successes too. Right now, I’m making bone broth in my Instant Pot and I wouldn’t make it any other way. Oh, and by the way, this chili sounds divine. Pinned!
Thanks for pinning Elaine! I’ve had some fails in my Instant Pot too. Altough I’ve had fails in my slow cooker and oven, so I guess it just comes with learning! Bone broth in the Instant Pot sounds like something I need to try!
This is another delicious example why I love my Instant Pot so much! Getting ultra flavorful chili cooked in a fraction of the time is a life saver on meal prep days or busy weeknights. I love this hearty vegan version and the kick of heat!
Thanks Marcie! The Instant Pot is a definite life saver on busy weeknights and totally helps with multi-tasking on meal prep days!
This looks great Leanne, I really need to get an instant pot, it is such a great and convenient way to cook and I would love to try out this recipe as well :)Thank you for sharing, it looks amazing 🙂
Thanks Ashika! I got my Instant Pot last Christmas, and it has been a great addition to my kitchen!
This sounds delicious, Leanne! It’s still really hot here but as soon as we have a little cooler weather I’m going to try this–and make it extra spicy :). Hope you had a great weekend!
Thanks Kelsie! I like the way you think! I love extra spicy! Hope it cools down a little for you soon!
I don’t have an instant pot but I love my slow cooker. Its Chili season and this looks amazing.
Thanks Patrick! I love my slow cooker too! Yay for chili season!
I do have a Breville unit that’s basically like an Instant Pot and I do use sometimes. I don’t have an Instant Pot, but I do love my slow cooker and it’s actually in action as I’m typing this. Though it’s decent today, we’re in for a poo poo Saturday weather wise (lol) so this chili is definitely in order. Love how hearty and thick it is. And spicy? Bring it on girlfriend! Love it! Happy weekend 🙂
I knew you would appreciate the spicy Dawn! This one is definitely hearty, and perfect for our colder fall days! Hope you’re having a great week!