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Instant Pot Pumpkin Walnut Chili in bowl with spoon.

Instant Pot Pumpkin Walnut Chili


  • Author: Lindsay
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 12 cups (!!!) half-batches are good, too. 1x

Description

Yummy vegan instant pot chili featuring red lentils, fire-roasted tomatoes, walnuts, black beans, pumpkin, chipotles, and all the good toppings. I LOVE THIS ONE.


Ingredients

Scale

Pumpkin Chili Ingredients:

  • 1 28-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
  • half an onion, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 poblano peppers, chopped
  • 23 chipotle peppers, chopped
  • 2 cups walnuts, chopped
  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 1 cup bulgur
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 6 cups water or broth (refill the tomato can about 2x)

Add at the end:

  • 1 14-ounce can pumpkin puree
  • 2 or 3 14-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained

Instructions

  1. To Start: Place all the chili ingredients in the Instant Pot (affiliate link) and set to soup mode (30 minutes).
  2. To Finish: Release the steam, stir in the pumpkin and black beans, and season with more salt, more spice, etc. Serve with avocado, lime wedges, cilantro, tortilla chips, rice, cornbread… whatever you like with your chili! If it’s too thick, you can always thin it out with additional water or broth.

Notes

Stovetop: Saute the onions and garlic and peppers and spices. Simmer the broth and tomatoes with the lentils and bulgur and walnuts until lentils are cooked and walnuts are a little bit soft. Add the pumpkin and black beans last.

Slow Cooker: Same as Instant Pot directions, except low heat for 6-8 hours. If it’s not thickening, keep it in a little longer. You’ll know it’s done when the lentils have softened and absorbed.

Peppers: What peppers you choose kind of depends on what you want to happen with the flavor. Red and green bell peppers would add some mild flavor and sweetness, while adding a few jalapeños, roasted poblanos, chipotles, etc. would give you heat and a more smoky flavor.

Beans: 2-3 cans of black beans is up to you – just depends on how bean-y you want the chili. Other beans (like chili beans) would work, too.

Leftovers: Half batch would be a good idea if you are a one or two person household. Making the FULL batch and freezing half might be even better. 🙂 You will need to add water to your leftovers because it gets super thick!

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: instant pot chili, instant pot vegan chili, pumpkin walnut chili