Molly's Instant Pot Chili (Vegan)

1 medium onion, diced

4 C.+ sweet potatoes, diced (if thin-skinned organic, I don't peel)

2 medium red (or other colored) bell peppers

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1–2 tsp. ground cumin

1–2 tsp. kosher salt

2 1/2 C. vegetable broth

1 can tomato sauce

1 can petite diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 C. uncooked* quinoa (if using instant pot)

1 can organic black beans, drained

1 can organic red kidney beans, drained

1 can organic pinto beans, drained

1 can organic cannellini beans, drained

Toppings, for serving:

diced avocado

chopped fresh cilantro

shredded cheese (omit for vegan)

crushed tortilla chips

plain yogurt or sour cream (omit or use plant-based for vegan)

Cooked brown rice, for serving (optional)

1) To a 6-quart or larger Instant Pot, add onion and a bit of water on the SAUTE setting. Cook until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, bell peppers, garlic, chili powders, cumin, and salt. Cook for 1-2 additional minutes until the garlic is fragrant.

2) Add half the veggie broth and stir, scraping up any stuck-on bits of food. (This will prevent a burn warning!) Stir in the remaining broth and the quinoa. Pour tomato sauce on top (do not stir again).

3) Cover and seal the instant pot. Cook on manual (HIGH) pressure for 8 minutes. Immediately release the pressure and carefully open the instant pot.

4) Turn the instant pot to OFF. Stir in the beans. Place the lid back on and let stand 10 minutes to thicken. Uncover. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Serve hot with any and all toppings.

NOTE: I once added a can of pumpkin puree to the tripled batch, and it was yummy. It is a thicker broth that way, but doesn't taste of pumpkin at all. 

NOTE: This recipe also works well with butternut squash instead of sweet potato.

This recipe is modified from the original at Well Plated by Erin.

*STOVETOP VERSION: This recipe is delicious. I needed to feed a crowd too big for the instant pot, so I tripled the recipe and cooked it on the stove in a large pot, and it worked fine. I think next time I would pre-cook the quinoa and add it already cooked, though, as I had to cook the chili a long time to get the quinoa tender, and the veggies got cooked down more than I would like.