• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Shop
  • Contact
OMG! Yummy
  • Recipes
  • Cookbook!
  • Sumac & Sunshine
  • Classes and Events
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbook!
  • Classes and Events
  • Sumac & Sunshine
  • Shop
  • Contact
×
Home » Main Courses

Instant Pot Red Lentil Chili with Pumpkin and Black Beans || Vegan, Gluten-Free

by Beth Lee · Published: Oct 27, 2018 · Modified: Oct 15, 2024

285 shares
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Instant Pot Red Lentil Chili with Pumpkin and Black Beans image for pinterest with bowl at an angle and bright orange and white headline

Instant Pot Red Lentil Chili with Pumpkins and Black Beans will wow your carnivores with its flavor and texture. This easy dish makes a perfect meal on Halloween night - keep it on the warm setting and grab a bowl before or after trick-or-treating.

A favorite vegetarian recipe is my elegant vegetable wellington.

For ease of browsing, here are all of my main course recipes in one place.

Red Lentil Chili your Carnivore will Adore

Instant Pot Red Lentil Chili in an orange bowl on a pumpkin plate with a copper spoon and pumpkins on the side.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this cookbook for free. All opinions shared are my own. 

The Gluten-Free Instant Pot Cookbook by Jane Bonacci and Sara De Leeuw is filled with comforting, nourishing, simple recipes that use easy-to-find ingredients and pantry items you will likely have on hand. You don't need to be a gluten-free eater to enjoy this book. While Jane and Sara always offer ingredient choices to satisfy gluten-free requirements, every recipe is just as appropriate for a gluten-based diet. And if you are tentative about how to use your pressure cooker, Jane and Sara take all the fear and guesswork out of it with excellent instructions.

Instant Pot Red Lentil Chili showing the cover of the cookbook called Gluten-Free Instant Pot Cookbook.

I started with this red lentil chili because it is a tradition in our house to eat chili on Halloween. And what better chili to eat for Halloween than one with pumpkin in it?!

At first I was skeptical that it might taste sweet or just not savory enough to satisfy my carnivore husband's beefy chili expectations. But I was wrong. This Instant Pot Red Lentil Chili is a really smart recipe. It looks and tastes hearty and substantial like a traditional beef-based version. But it is vegan (if you don't put the yogurt on top) and gluten-free if you use Jane and Sara's recommended ingredients.

Instant Pot Red Lentil Chili in a bowl at an angle with avocado, cilantro and yogurt on top.

 

 

 

 

How to Make Instant Pot Red Lentil Chili 

Email this recipe to me!

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

  1. The recipe doesn't require you to saute the onions, garlic and peppers, but I chose to in the pressure cooker on sauté mode.
  2. As they caramelized and softened, I gathered my other ingredients - the walnuts, lentils, seasonings, and stock.
  3. Once the veggies were softened and slightly browned, I added everything except the pumpkin puree and the black beans.
  4. This mixture cooks at pressure for 30 minutes, then you add in the pumpkin and black beans and just let it heat through on keep warm.
  5. You end up with a deeply-colored and richly-flavored vegan and gluten-free chili.
  6. They suggest topping with avocado, lime wedges, and cilantro and to serve it with cornbread. A dollop of sour cream or yogurt is also excellent if you are not vegan.

Instant Pot Red Lentil Chili with Pumpkin and Black Beans top down beauty shot with orange bowl on pumpkin plate

What Ingredients are in Instant Pot Red Lentil Chili?

In the book, they call this recipe Pumpkin Black Bean Chili. But I think every carefully chosen ingredient in this recipe matters.

  1. Two cups of red lentils give it protein and so much wonderful texture and color. Plus red lentils cook quickly.
  2. Fire-roasted tomatoes are the perfect addition for liquid, color, and flavor.
  3. Vegetable stock is used to cook the red lentils under pressure. I think you could use chicken stock or beef stock if you are not trying to make this dish vegan.
  4. Fresh peppers - jalapeno and poblano - give it flavor and heat but not too much heat if you take out the seeds.
  5. Canned chipotle pepper adds a bit more spice and lots of smoky flavor, enhanced further by the smoked paprika.
  6. The surprise ingredient for me are the walnuts. They are toasted up and coarsely chopped and cook in the instant pot with the lentils. When you serve the chili, they still have a crunch to them - adding an even more interesting texture to the dish.
  7. Pumpkin puree (unsweetened) and the 2 cans of black beans are added after the pressure cooking is done and just get heated through. Turns out you can't really taste the pumpkin but it brings together the expected chili consistency just perfectly.
  8. And it has all the expected chili basics - onion, garlic, chili powder.

I highly recommend making this Instant Pot Red Lentil Chili with Pumpkin and Black Beans, even if you are used to making beefy chili con carne. And if you are looking for inspiration to take that Instant Pot out of the box and use it, buy this book and get going! What are you waiting for?

Don't have a pressure cooker yet? We bought the 6 quart Instant Pot and are happy with it even though we mostly cook for two people these days. If you are cooking for a large family, you might consider the 8 quart version.

Other OMG! Yummy Pumpkin Recipes:

  1. Pumpkin Pie Granola Sweetened with Date Syrup
  2. Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes
  3. Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good

This post contains Amazon affiliate links – if you click on one and purchase something, I receive a very tiny percentage of the sale. Your price is never affected. 

I also have an Amazon shop that includes some of my favorite food and food-related products. I am always updating it – please visit often. And let me know if you need specific products recommendations – I am happy to help!

Buy my cookbook now!

P.S. If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or a review in the comment section below. I so appreciate your feedback! AND find more inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Signup for my email list, too!

Instant Pot Red Lentil Chili in a bowl at an angle with avocado, cilantro and yogurt on top

Instant Pot Red Lentil Chili with Pumpkin and Black Beans

Beth Lee
This deeply flavorful and texturally perfect chili from The Gluten-Free Instant Pot Cookbook is easy to make, will satisfy the carnivores in your crowd, but is vegan and gluten-free! 
5 from 15 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 367 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 28-ounce (or 784 g) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes including juice
  • 1 large poblano pepper seeded and finely chopped
  • 2 jalapeño peppers seeded and minced
  • 1 chipotle pepper from canned gluten-free chipotle in adobo chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion minced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 ½ cups (or 210 g) chopped walnuts toasted
  • 2 cups (or 400 g) red lentils
  • 1 tablespoon (or 15 ml) sauce from the chipotles in adobo, or more depending on your heat preference (La Costeña brand is gluten free)
  • 2 teaspoons (or 12 g) salt
  • 3 tablespoons (or 24 g) gluten-free chili powder (Penzey's and McCormick clearly label their products)
  • 2 tablespoons (or 14 g) smoked paprika (Penzey's brand is gluten free)
  • 7 cups (or 1645 ml) vegetable stock divided (recipe included in book)
  • 1 14-ounce (or 392 g) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
  • 2 15-ounce (or 438 g) cans black beans well rinsed and drained

Optional garnishes

  • Avocado slices
  • Lime wedges
  • Chopped fresh cilantro
  • Savory Gluten-Free Corn Bread (page 110)
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Place the tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, walnuts, lentils, and seasoning in the inner pot of your electirc pressure cooker. Stir in 6 cups (1410 ml) of the vegetable stock.
  • Close and lock the lid, making sure the steam release knob is in the sealing position. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.
  • When the cooking time is complete, do a quick release by opening the release knob and venting all the steam. When the float pin drops, unlock the lid and open it carefully.
  • Stir in the pumpkin puree, black beans, and ½ cup (120 ml) of remaining stock. Lock the lid back in place and allow the beans to warm through, about 5 minutes. If the chili is too thick, add the remaining ½ cup (120 ml) stock and stir well.
  • Serve with avocado, lime wedges, cilantro, and corn bread as desired.

Notes

  1. Jane and Sarah add the note that "red lentils have been hulled and split, showing their lovely golden-orange color. They are easier to cook and make for a very smooth consistency."
  2. This dish would be delicious without the walnuts or you could sub another nut, if you don't like or can't eat walnuts. Susan from Wimpy Vegetarian used pumpkin seeds and loved it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 367kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 15gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 938mgPotassium: 677mgFiber: 16gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2695IUVitamin C: 14.4mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 5.1mg
Keyword gluten-free, lentils, red lentils, vegan chili
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Main Courses

  • Large oval red platter of matzo nachos with leftover brisket.
    Matzo Nachos with Leftover Brisket (Vegetarian Option)
  • Bulgogi burger on a wooden board with a red bowl of coleslaw in the background.
    Bulgogi Burgers with Kimchi Sauce
  • One stuffed pepper on a plate with yogurt and fresh parsley.
    Stuffed Romano Peppers Recipe
  • Braised beef brisket in a bowl with a slice of challah on the side.
    Braised Beef Brisket with Tsimmes

Reader Interactions

Comments

    5 from 15 votes

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Sara

    January 26, 2020 at 1:43 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe won me 3rd place in a chili cook-off today! I didn't feel like grocery shopping, so I used pinto and canneloni beans (one can each) and subbed a tsp of ground chipotle for the peppers. Sauteed the onions and garlic with the spices and let that sit overnight in the fridge. And I subbed 2 1/2 cups of water for some of the stock, because I only had one carton. Added another tbsp of salt to taste at the end. And I left out the walnuts--will try those next time. I thought it would be watery when I put all of the stock, water, and tomatoes in, but it came out to the perfect consistency after a 14-minute natural pressure release, and really looks like regular chili. This one's a keeper.

    Reply
    • Beth Lee

      January 26, 2020 at 5:34 pm

      Wow - what smart substitutions! I am making this for book club this week. Can’t wait. And I’ll pass on your comments to the writers of the cookbook. Thx so much for taking the time to share your experience.

      Reply
« Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

  • Amazon
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
Beth Lee holding red chopsticks and eating rice out of blue bowl.

Hi, I'm Beth!

I'm a cookbook author, cooking teacher and preserved lemon lover. My family is a mix of Jewish, Hawaiian and Korean heritage. My virtual multicultural kitchen is always open. Let's cook together! 

Read More!

Popular

  • Pomegranate charoset in a blue bowl with oranges surrounding it and pistachios on top.
    Pomegranate Charoset (Haroset) for Passover and Year-round
  • Chocolate-filled hamantaschen on a red plate with a yellow bowl in the background with powdered sugar suggesting the Mexican wedding cookie flavors as well.
    Chocolate-filled Hamantaschen: or was that a Mexican wedding cookie?
  • Mandu dipping sauce on a tan plate with mandu all around and brown bowl with sauce in the center and a slate colored liner in the background.
    Mandu Dipping Sauce (Cho Jung)
  • Pomegranate sauce in a gravy boat with a spoon and the sliced turkey breast in the background.
    Pomegranate Gravy with Port and Rosemary

Buy My Cookbook

Photo of the cover of the essential Jewish baking cookbook by Beth Lee.

Footer

↑ back to top
Horizontal image showing logos of various media outlets that OMG! Yummy has been featured in.

About

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Recipes

  • Recipe Index
  • Jewish Recipes

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Beth Lee/OMG! Yummy · All Rights Reserved

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Threads
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
 

Loading Comments...
 

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.