Instant Pot lentil and bean chili

Make a big batch of this Instant Pot lentil and bean chili and you can wave boring lunches goodbye! Serve over rice, as a jacket potato filling, in a taco salad or turn into burritos – this healthy chili is endlessly versatile. However you decide to serve it, a bag of Popchips will help you ‘enjoy more’ of your lunch break.

Recipe in collaboration with Popchips

I remember the days of lunch ‘al desko’ without much fondness, even though I used to work in a company that had a staff canteen at the basement level of our office building. I remember plenty of lunchtimes where the only highlight of my meal was the bag of Popchips I had treated myself to.

Popchips are popped rather than fried which results in a healthier and crunchier snack – less fat but tons of flavour so you can ‘enjoy more’. I have been a big fan for years and the range now has plenty of exciting flavours such as barbecue, smoked bacon and buffalo ranch.

Chips and chili are well matched of course, and this lentil and bean chili goes well with pretty much most of the Popchips range – apart from Salt and Vinegar perhaps 🙂 If you want to keep your chili vegan, then serve it with the Smoky Bacon chips which are actually totally vegan due to their unique blend of spices and salt.

Making this lentil and bean chili could not be easier, thanks to a little Instant Pot magic. I mean, it’s not really that difficult to make in general, but pressure cooking allows you to use dried pulses without soaking them first.

Why use dried pulses? Well for one thing they are generally a lot cheaper than the canned versions – yielding up to 3 times their original amount when cooked. They taste a whole lot better when you cook them yourself – really, quite a revelation. Plus you can control the amount of salt, eliminate additives and experiment with lesser known pulses.

I only recently ventured into the world of Instant Pot, but I am rapidly becoming a Pot head… I never, ever thought I could call myself that 😉 But it’s like I am in the beginning stages of a love affair – I use my IP daily and sometimes multiples times a day. I am constantly excited to try new recipes and I am boring my husband silly with my euphoric Instant Pot rhapsodies.

Before I bore you as well, let me talk a little more about this chili. It is…

• Totally vegan – unless you add toppings like sour cream and cheese – and gluten-free
• Even more delicious the second or third day
• Mild enough for kids to enjoy – though you can dial up the heat if you prefer
• Really versatile – turn into taco salad, add rice and cheese and a tortilla to turn into burritos, make chilli Mac and cheese, chilli topped jacket potatoes or fries…

To make your chili, start by preparing all your ingredients first. Chop up your onion (or you can use frozen chopped onions) and peppers, mince your garlic and measure out your salt and spices. Rinse the lentils and beans thoroughly in cold water. Prepare your stock – I used a Kallo vegetable bouillon cube here but you can use homemade stock if you prefer..

Sauté your onion first, then add the garlic, spices and seasoning. Stir in the peppers for a minute or two and then add the beans, lentils, tomatoes and stock. Set your vent to ‘sealing’ and cook for 25 minutes on high pressure. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes then manually release.

Made one of my recipes? Tag me on Instagram or pop by on Facebook and make my day! 🙂

Check out these brand new Celebrating Food Bloggers Chili Recipes :

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili from My Mommy Style
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili from Ashlee Marie
Chicken Enchilada Chili from Creations by Kara
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili from Real Mom Kitchen
Taco Chili from Simply Stacie
Slow Cooker Chili from Pretty Providence
Pork Chili Verde from The Baker Upstairs
Sweet Potato Chili from Namely Marly
Homemade 3 Bean Vegetarian Chili from An Italian in My Kitchen
Award Winning Crockpot Chili from Heather Likes Food
Instant Pot Chili from Savory Experiments
Instant Pot Turkey Lentil Chili from 365 Days of Slow Cooking
Creamy White Chicken Chili from Crumb
Jalapeno Popper Turkey Chili from Premeditated Leftovers

Even more delicious chili recipes:

Fritos Chili Casserole from Creations by Kara
Mexican Chicken Chili from Creations by Kara
Sweet potato black bean chilli (vegan) by Domestic Gothess
Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Chili from Plain Chicken
Cheese Tortellini Chili from The Taylor House
Loaded Quinoa Chili from Domestic Superhero
Chipotle Chocolate Chili from Our Best Bites
Cheesy Chili Bombs from This Mama Loves Food
Chili Cheese Bread Dip from Sunny Sweet Days
Chili Pot Pies with Cornbread Crust from Sweet Peas and Saffron
Pumpkin Chili from Tidy Mom
Crockpot Cream Chicken Chili from Chelsea’s Messy Apron
BBQ Chicken Chili from Carlsbad Cravings
Chili Cheese Baked Potato Casserole from Eat Cake for Dinner
Beef chilli with cornbread dumplings from the blog archives

5 from 12 votes

Print

Instant Pot lentil and bean chili

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

This Instant Pot lentil and bean chili is hearty, healthy, delicious and budget-friendly. Mild enough for kids to enjoy and endlessly versatile: serve over rice, as jacket potato filling, in taco salad, nachos or turn into a burrito. Dial up the spice by adding some ancho chilli paste if you like it hot!

Servings: 6

Calories: 302 kcal

Author: Lucy Parissi

Ingredients

• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion finely diced
• 3 large garlic cloves minced
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp hot chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp ancho chili paste (optional)
• 1 red bell pepper finely diced
• 1 green bell pepper finely diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper finely diced
• 1 cup (160g) black beans, rinsed
• 1 cup (160g) green lentils, rinsed
• 1 cup (180g) red split lentils, rinsed
• 2x 15oz (400g) canned chopped tomatoes in juice
• 4 cups (950ml) hot vegetable stock from 1 cube
• Handful Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves to garnish

Instructions

1. Add the oil into your pressure cooker and select the ‘Sauté’ function.

2. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about 3 minutes, then add the garlic, spices and seasoning. Stir to combine.

3. Add the peppers, and paste if using, and stir for 2 minutes.

4. Stir in the beans, lentils, tomatoes and stock. 

5. Set your vent to ‘sealing’ and cook for 25 minutes on high pressure. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes then manually release.

6. Taste the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

7. Serve over rice, as jacket potato filling, in taco salad, nachos or turn into a burrito.

Recipe Notes

I used a 6L/Q Instant Pot Duo for this recipe.

I used unsalted canned tomatoes, if you use salted reduce the added salt in the recipe.

Although the active pressure cooking time is 25 minutes (plus 5 minutes sautéing) the recipe requires 20 minutes natural release so factor that in when making the recipe.

 

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot lentil and bean chili

Amount Per Serving

Calories 302 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5g 8%

Sodium 1220mg 51%

Potassium 689mg 20%

Total Carbohydrates 45g 15%

Dietary Fiber 21g 84%

Sugars 2g

Protein 18g 36%

Vitamin A 11.7%

Vitamin C 3.7%

Calcium 4.4%

Iron 30.4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

SaveSave