It's a flavorful, taste-bud-tingling Instant Pot vegan chili recipe made with black-eyed peas and spices! It's an effortless and comforting dish that can be made in 30 minutes!
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What is chili
Chili is a type of stew that's made with a combination of beans, some kind of meat, tomatoes, and aromatic spices. There are many versions and varieties of chili recipes depending on the culture and region. Chili (chili con carne) or "chili with meat" may have its roots in Spanish cuisine but it was originally an American Tex-Mex dish.
Personally, I feel, chili is also very similar to an Indian curry made with beans. The ingredients used are pretty similar and so are the flavors. Chili recipes are an appetizing one-pot meal that's perfect for meal prep, busy weekdays, weeknight dinners, or simply when you are in need of a hearty meal to warm you up inside out.
Comforting vegan chili
This Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas vegan chili recipe has clearly become a family favorite now, given the sheer number of times I have made it! This Instant Pot vegan chili recipe is made with Black Eyed Peas which provides all the hearty satisfaction of a meat-heavy dish, sans the meat. The beans are rich and buttery which makes this chili uniquely flavorful, warm, and comforting!
This delicious chili will warm up your soul not just on cold winter nights. Enjoy it all year through. This is totally my kind of dish - easy preparation with wonderful depth of flavor! I love making a variety of chili recipes but this one is special. If you too love a chili recipe, check out Italian Chili and Yellow Peas Chili!
Southern tradition with black-eyed peas
Did you know - Southern tradition holds that the first food to be eaten on New Year's Day should be black-eyed peas for luck and prosperity? In fact, for the best chance of luck every day in the new year, one must eat 365 black-eyed peas on New Year's Day! Woah! This vegan bean chili is thick, creamy, chunky, and packed with lots of flavors. I love the flavor of black-eyed peas because they give this chili so much more flavor in comparison to other beans.
Chili in the Instant Pot
Instant Pot continues to be one of the most preferred kitchen gadgets! I won it 6 years ago at a food blog conference and have been using it extensively ever since. It makes cooking so easy and convenient. While we Indians are not new to the pressure cooking method, cooking in the IP is a different experience altogether.
Instant Pot recipes are so popular that I have created a separate category for them on the blog so that you can find all the recipes in one place. Some of the recipes I never thought I could make in it are Carrot Halwa, Mexican Rice, Arachuvitta Sambhar, and Beetroot Rasam Rice!
Why make this
- It's a hearty one-pot meal
- Made with basic pantry ingredients
- It can be enjoyed any time of the day and year
- Cooking it in an Instant Pot means it's time-saving and requires minimal effort
- It freezes well - so it can be stored for future meals
- Loaded with flavor, protein, and fiber
- Can be made on a stove-top or with a Pressure Cooker as well
- Is vegan and gluten-free
Ingredients needed 🧾
Black-eyed Peas - I have used the dry ones in this Instant Pot vegan chili recipe. But you can use canned beans too. Drain out the water from the cans and rinse the beans under running water before using them. Frozen black-eyed peas can also be used. Please keep in mind that this will impact the cooking time.
Tomatoes - You can use canned or fresh tomatoes. If using canned, both crushed or diced tomatoes would do. Tomato puree or paste can also be used.
Spices and herbs - Chili seasoning, turmeric powder, cumin powder, smoked paprika, Mexican oregano, and cilantro are used to give it an authentic flavor. You can also add Chipotle seasoning.
Other aromatics - red or white onions, garlic, and green chillies (or jalapenos/serrano peppers) are used in this vegan chili recipe.
Cheese - Use a vegan Mexican cheese blend for this recipe. Cheddar, Monterey, parmesan, Mozzarella, or pepper jack cheese can also be used.
Vegan sour cream gives it a creamy texture, and red wine vinegar and lemon juice help balance the flavors.
Besides these ingredients, you will also need an Instant Pot to make this recipe.
How to make it 🔪
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Before you begin, soak dry black-eyed peas in water for 5-6 hours or overnight. Alternatively, you can also use canned black-eyed peas. This will reduce the cooking time though. Read the notes below to know more.
- Turn the Instant Pot on in Saute mode. Add cooking oil and within 10 seconds add the bay leaf, minced garlic, and green chillies. Saute for 15 seconds.
- Then add the chopped onions. Saute till they turn translucent.
- Now add the crushed tomatoes to the pot. Continue to saute for another 30 seconds.
- Add the chili seasoning.
- Then add smoked paprika, cumin powder, red wine vinegar, and turmeric powder. Fry for 15 more seconds. Add half a cup of water to prevent the spices from sticking to the bottom.
- Now add the soaked black-eyed peas to the pot along with salt. Add water or vegetable stock. Close the lid. Select Manual/Pressure mode and cook (high pressure) for 7 minutes. Release pressure naturally for 10 minutes and then do a manual pressure release.
- Once you open the Instant Pot, give the chili a mix. Then add vegan sour cream and vegan Mexican cheese blend. Give it a mix.
- Garnish with cilantro and lemon juice (if adding).
Serving Suggestions 🍽
This incredibly delicious Instant Pot vegan black-eyed peas chili is a great recipe for weeknights. It's definitely worth keeping this one in your chili rotation! You can also pack it in lunchboxes. You can bring this chili even to a potluck or brunch. Serve it on special occasions, game days, parties, festive occasions, or holidays.
What toppings go well with chili
Here are some options that I have tried and loved.
- Diced tomatoes
- Sliced avocado
- Chopped red onions
- Sliced scallions
- Crushed tortilla chips
- Shredded Cheddar cheese
- Crumbled vegan queso fresco
- Sliced jalapeño
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- A dollop of vegan sour cream
Best Sides for Chili
Serve this healthy Vegetarian Black Eyed Peas Chili with some toasted bread, or flatbread, or pair it with a bowl of steamed rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice. You can even enjoy it as a hearty soup if you want to cut down on your carb intake. Some other obvious choices are cornbread, scones, or breadsticks.
Mexican food like Quesadillas, Tacos, Tostadas, Mexican rice, or Nachos also pairs well with this black-eyed peas chili. If you are looking for some lighter options, serve this meatless chili with salads like Mushroom Pasta Salad, Cucumber Salad, Cherub Tomatoes Salad, or Breadcrumbs Pasta Salad.
I have heard that bean chili tastes the best when paired with wine or some good old beer! Some non-alcoholic options are Cucumber Lemonade, Rose Lemonade, Cherry Lemon Iced Tea, or Watermelon Juice.
Top recipe tips 💭
You can use canned or fresh tomatoes. If using canned, both crushed or diced tomatoes would do. You can add vegetable stock instead of water to cook the beans. Oddly, some like to add some chocolate Chips to the chili for that rich goodness. While I have never tried it, it may be worth a try.
Add water or stock after adding the spices to prevent them from sticking to the bottom. Even after adding the beans, give it all a good stir to prevent the burn signal later. Scrape whatever is stuck at the bottom. Instead of chili seasoning, you can also add Mexican seasoning.
Recipe FAQs 📖
If the chili is too liquidy because you added more water than needed? No problem. Just turn on the Saute mode and cook it for a couple of minutes till the water evaporates and you get the desired consistency. If doing so, add all the garnishes once it's reduced.
In case, after opening the lid you feel the chili is too dry, add some water at room temperature, mix, and cook it in saute mode till it comes to a boil. Do not overcook as that could make the peas mushy. Then add the garnishes. The correct consistency of chili should be thick and hearty. A little bit of liquid is fine.
This is a great Instant Pot black-eyed peas chili recipe to make ahead of time. Once it's cooled down completely, store it in the fridge for 4-5 days. I always feel that this bean chili always tastes better the next day! It got time to soak in all the flavors.
It also freezes well for 3 months. To reheat, simply thaw it in the fridge overnight, then heat it back up in your Instant Pot, stovetop, or in Microwave. Chili will thicken as it cools in the fridge, so when you're reheating, add a little bit of water to it.
Soaking is not essential for black-eyed peas, but cooking time can be shortened if they get a quick soak in hot water. Plus it becomes easy to digest. I have used dry beans in this recipe. But you can use canned beans too. Drain out the water from the cans and rinse the beans under running water before using them. Frozen black-eyed peas can also be used.
While I have used black-eyed peas here, you can make this vegan chili using any other beans like chickpeas, white beans, lima beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, etc. You can also add greens like spinach, baby kale, or beet leaves to make them more hearty.
To balance the flavors, add corn, bell peppers, and/or carrots to bring in a mild sweetness to the chili. If you are missing the meat in your chili, then add crumbled tofu, meatless crumbles, tempeh, or TVP. You can also add other veggies like zucchini, radishes, cauliflower meat, etc to this chili.
You can cook it on the stovetop. Add all the ingredients one after the other and saute them till they are done. After adding the soaked black-eyed peas and water or stock, simmer covered for about 40-45 minutes on medium flame. Stir occasionally so that it doesn't burn on the bottom.
You can also make this vegan black-eyed peas chili recipe in a slow cooker. Add all the ingredients except the soaked black-eyed peas to your slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Then, stir in the black-eyed peas and cook for another 30 minutes.
More recipes with beans
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Recipe 📖
Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas Vegan Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups black-eyed peas soaked
- ½ tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 Bay leaf
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 minced green chillies
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- ½ cup crushed tomatoes or 2 tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon chili seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 3 cups water or stock
- salt
- 3 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 3 tablespoon vegan sour cream
- ¼ cup vegan Mexican cheese blend
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Before you begin, soak dry black-eyed peas in water for 5-6 hours or overnight. Alternatively, you can also use canned black-eyed peas. This will reduce the cooking time though. Read the notes below to know more.
- Turn the Instant Pot on in Saute mode. Add cooking oil and within 10 seconds add the bay leaf, minced garlic, and green chillies. Saute for 15 seconds.
- Then add the chopped onions. Saute till they turn translucent.
- Now add the crushed tomatoes to the pot. Continue to saute for another 30 seconds.
- Add the chili seasoning.
- Then add smoked paprika, cumin powder, red wine vinegar, and turmeric powder. Fry for 15 more seconds. Add half a cup of water to prevent the spices from sticking to the bottom.
- Now add the soaked Black eyed peas to the pot along with salt. Add water or vegetable stock. Close the lid. Select Manual/Pressure mode and cook (high pressure) for 7 minutes. Release pressure naturally for 10 minutes and then do a manual pressure release.
- Once you open the Instant Pot, give the chili a mix. Then add vegan sour cream and vegan Mexican cheese blend. Give it a mix.
- Garnish with cilantro, and lemon juice (if adding).
Rashida says
Hi. Lovely recipe - couldn’t find when to add the oregano?
Priya says
Thank you. You can add it along with the cumin powder or in the end along with the sour cream. Hope this helps.
Emily Liao says
This chili recipe was amazing! Loved the flavors in it and it was so easy to make.
Priya says
I am so glad to hear that. Thank you
Carrie Robinson says
This looks like my kind of comfort food! Yum. 🙂
Priya says
Thank you
Chris Collins says
Now this is my kind of chili! You can tell it's absolutely bursting with flavour! Can't wait to try the recipe 🙂
Priya says
Thank you so much
Lauren Vavala says
I haven't had black eye peas in so long and have been craving soup - so happy to have come across this recipe! Making it this weekend!
Priya says
Thank you. Please let me know how it goes.
Beth says
I am really excited to try this recipe! I have some non meat eaters in my family but we all do love chili so this will hit the spot!
Priya says
That's great. Do let me know how it goes. Thank you.
SHANIKA says
Black Eyed Peas are such a Southern Staple, but this chili looks absolutely delish!
Priya says
Glad you liked it
Anna says
I've made this today and it was utterly delicious! Love the fact this is naturally vegan too!
Priya says
I am so happy to hear that!
Rebecca says
I've never cooked black eyed peas before, but you make it look so easy! it's definitely time to try
Priya says
Yes, do try it..its really delicious
Kushigalu says
One of my favorite recipe
Will try this instant pot version soon.
Priya says
making it in the Instant Pot is so easy and convenient!
Kristen says
This chili is so good! Thank you for the recipe!!
Priya says
Thank you. Glad you liked it.