Instant Pot Chipotle Pumpkin Vegan Chili

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This is the most selfish post I have ever written. There. I said it. Now for the story of how Instant Pot Chipotle Pumpkin Vegan Chili cured my insta-phobia. 

I promised my Progressive Eats friend Jane Bonacci that I would check out her new Instant Pot (pressure cooker/slow cooker/etc.) cookbook. While it seemed like a lovely offer, actually I had an ulterior motive. The Instant Pot I bought last year has been sitting, unused. I’ve been paralyzed by a terrible case of insta-phobia. It probably goes back to seeing the old pressure cooker my grandmother used. The thought of the pressurized steam and that ominous hissing sound gave me chills. 

Making a recipe from Jane’s new book seemed like the perfect vehicle to force myself to get over this phobia. Little did I know that I’d fall in love – with the book, the dish, and even my Instant Pot.

I received a review copy of the book, but did not make any agreement to include any content in this post in exchange for that copy. As always, all views expressed are solely my own. 

Instant Pot Chipotle Pumpkin Vegan Chili doesn’t seem like it would be a hit in my house. Not only is it vegan, but it’s also gluten-free.

You don’t have to know my beloved very well to imagine how he would take to a recipe without meat and gluten. We’re talking about a guy who eats double portions of ribs and thinks gluten is a gift from the heavens. Anyway, even he gave this a two-thumbs up, grimacing only slightly when he was informed that it did not contain either meat or gluten. He even managed to finish his portion without hunting down some grated cheddar cheese for a topping, keeping to the vegan (not just vegetarian) theme for the evening meal. 

Anyway, back to how I conquered my insta-phobia with help from Jane and her co-author, Sara. The introduction to the recipes is a comforting how-to guide that immediately set me at ease. I will admit it didn’t quite get me over my phobia about pressing “start” on this adventure. I had to watch a few videos from the Instant Pot company for those visual cues that a book just can’t provide. Still, the book’s introduction is tailor-made for novice Instant Pot users like me, which I appreciated. 

I highly recommend following their advice and starting with the “water test” to see if your Instant Pot (or other brand of electric pressure cooker) is working right and if you’ve understood how to work it as a pressure cooker. 

And I’d definitely advise following their caution – keep the pot away from cabinets, wall decorations, and most important – your face and hands!  Although it’s not a great shot, this photo will give you some idea of how the steams shoots out of the Instant Pot, safely of course. Look at the dead center, just above the valve. That’s hot steam.

For my first foray, I wanted something easy and this Instant Pot Chipotle Pumpkin Vegan Chili fit that bill perfectly. Although it has a number of ingredients, and some need chopping, once you get everything ready, it’s a snap. (Jane and Sara call this “Pumpkin Black Bean Chili.”) 

After collecting the ingredients and chopping, there are just two steps. First, you add most of the ingredients to the pot and push the start button. Then, at the end, you add the last two ingredients to finish off the dish. 

The peppers and spices give this dish quite a smoky flavor. We liked it, but you could tone down the smokiness by using regular paprika instead of smoked and regular tomatoes instead of fire-roasted. Although you might not believe it if you’re a carnivore, the nuts and lentils really do give this chili a “meaty” flavor and look. 

I’m looking forward to trying their recipes for deviled eggs, several soups, and particularly brown rice pilaf. I love pilaf and have been meaning to use brown rice more often instead of white because it’s healthier. However, brown rice takes a long time to cook conventionally and I’m often too lazy to allot sufficient time. From their recipe, it looks as though using the Instant Pot cuts brown rice cooking time about in half. That sounds good to me.  And then there are the desserts. Cheesecake anyone?