Italian Chili in Instant Pot

Chili season is here

Chili is a hearty meal that will warm you up on cold, winter nights. No wonder it's comfort food! Serve it up with some delicious sides or enjoy it by itself! Both work!

This Italian spin on the traditional Southwestern-style chili is one hearty dish with all the right flavors.

Traditional chili recipes have meat in them. My version is vegetarian and can easily be made vegan. Read notes below to know more about that.

Bookmark this recipe and add it to your weekly menu rotation! It totally is worth it. Black Eyed Peas Chili and Yellow Peas Chili are two other variations of Instant pot chili that you can try.

Prior to cooking the chili, we need to cook the TVP. Follow the instructions on the packet and cook it. I soaked it in hot water for 10 minutes.

While it's soaking, you can chop the veggies to utilize your time.

1. Turn on the Instant Pot in saute mode. Add olive oil and fry chopped onion and minced garlic. Add 1-2 tbsps of water to deglaze the pot. When they turn light golden, add the cooked TVP.
2. Mix and cook for 30 seconds and then add the chopped veggies - bell pepper and carrot.
3. Give it a mix and then add the drained red kidney beans. You can also dump the whole can with the liquid.
4. Followed by Tuttorosso diced tomatoes, Tuttorosso crushed tomatoes and Tuttorosso tomato paste. Mix it all together and cook for 30 seconds.
5. Add paprika, chopped basil, freshly crushed black pepper and rosemary. Taste and then add salt as needed or add little salt for now. That's because the tomatoes have salt in them.
6. Hit cancel, close with the lid. Ensure the valve is in sealing position. Press Manual button on Instant Pot and set time to 15 minutes. Once time is up, let the chili naturally release pressure for about 10 minutes to set the valve to release remaining pressure. Open the lid, give it all a good mix. Taste the chili and re-season if desired.

Serving suggestions 🍽

Ladle chili into serving bowls, top with freshly grated Pecorino cheese and a large spoonful of pesto. It tastes best when hot or warm. I feel it also tastes better when it's a day or two old.

Some alternate topping ideas are avocado, croutons, cilantro, crumbled queso fresco, sliced jalapeño chiles, sour cream, Italian seasoning, ground cumin, or diced onions.

Serve this warm and flavorful vegetarian Instant Pot Italian Chili stew for game night, get-together’s, potlucks, or simply a fun family dinner. It's also a great choice when cooking for a crowd.

What to serve with chili

Some go-to sides for chili are any kind of bread, cornbread, rice, cauliflower rice, polenta, pasta, or even cooked alternate grains like quinoa/teff.

You can also serve some breadsticks, nachos, quesadillas, Tacos, Salad, Fries, Mashed Potatoes, or coleslaw! Even corn chips, crackers, and pretzels go well with it.

If you want to pair it with some non-alcoholic drinks, then serve it with Cherry Lemon Iced Tea, Cucumber Lemonade, Rose Lemonade, Strawberry Hibiscus Rose Punch, or Cold Cucumber Soup Shots.

Top recipe tips 💭

Some substitutes for TVP are quinoa, teff grains, bulgur wheat, or even cauliflower rice. If you don't have vegetable broth or stock, you can use water or red wine.

Instead of kidney beans, you can also use any other canned beans variety like black beans, pinto beans, white beans, navy beans, chickpeas, etc for this recipe.

Add more veggies like mushrooms, zucchini, or peas if needed. To balance the flavors and cut the acidity, add a tablespoon of sugar along with salt when cooking.

If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can definitely make this vegetarian chili recipe on a stovetop or in a slow cooker.