Description

This vegan and gluten-free Instant Pot chili is made with butternut squash pumpkin, pinto beans and chickpeas. It’s hearty and comforting with just the right amount of spice and sweetness. Serve with chopped onion, avocado, cilantro and lime.

Ingredients

For soaking the beans

1 cup dried pinto beans

1 cup dried chickpeas

1 teaspoon bicarb soda

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1 butternut squash pumpkin, peeled and diced into cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 red onion, finely diced (reserve 1/4 cup for garnish)

1 red jalapeño chili, finely diced

1 celery stick, diced into cubes

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 cloves garlic, diced

2.5 tablespoons tomato paste

1 vegetable stock cube (unless using liquid veggie stock)

3 tablespoons soy sauce or Tamari for a gluten-free version

2 teaspoons cumin powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika or chipotle pepper powder

1 teaspoon coriander seed powder

1 teaspoon mild paprika powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder

4 cups of water

To finish:

1 teaspoon butter or plant-based alternative

2 tablespoons arrowroot, tapioca flour or cassava flour or other gluten-free flour/starch to thicken the sauce

Toppings

1/4 cup chopped red onion (reserved from above)

A handful of fresh cilantro/coriander

1 lime, cut into wedges

1 avocado, sliced

Optional: nutritonal yeast flakes, plant-based or regular yoghurt, sour cream, fried onions.

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Instructions

Soaking the legumes. Add the pinto beans and chickpeas (or other beans) to a bowl of water and add the bicarb soda (or salt), which helps to soften the beans. Soak overnight or for at least 6-8 hours. Then rinse thoroughly before using.
Cut the butternut squash in halves and scoop out the seeds. Peel the skin and dice into cubes (see pics above).
Turn the Instant Pot on and press the Saute function key. Once hot, add the oil, onion, celery, chili and salt and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring a couple of times. In the meantime, prepare other ingredients. Press Cancel to stop the cooking.
Add the rest of the ingredients and water and stir through well. Pop and close the lid. Make sure the top valve is pointing to Sealing. Press Manual/Pressure Cook button (depending on model) and set to 10 minutes at HIGH pressure.
After three beeps, Instant Pot will start to build up the pressure, which will take 10-15 minutes. FYI, that cooking starts even during the pressure buildup. Once the timer goes off, allow the pressure to release naturally. This part will take another 10-15 minutes. So, the total time is about 35-40 minutes (still quicker than the stovetop for this kind of chili). You can prepare all the toppings during this time.
Once all the pressure is out, open the lid. Add the butter or margarine and sprinkle preferred starch (we used tapioca flour) over the top. Stir through well.
Serve with sliced avocado, chopped onion and cilantro and any other toppings you like.

Notes

Nutritional information below is for 2 cups of the chili with a few slices of avocado, chopped onions and a teaspoon or two of nutritional yeast flakes.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 2 cups
Calories: 431
Sugar: 10 g
Sodium: 916.6 mg
Fat: 11.7 g
Saturated Fat: 1.9 g
Carbohydrates: 67.8 g
Fiber: 15 g
Protein: 18.8 g
Cholesterol: 1.7 mg

Keywords: Butternut Squash, Pumpkin, Chili, Make Ahead, Fall, Winter, Pinto Beans