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Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot Lentil Chili Recipe

January 6, 2020 by Jeanette 37 Comments

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Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot Lentil Chili - vegan/vegetarian, quick, healthy, delicious meal
Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot Lentil Chili - vegan/vegetarian, quick, healthy, delicious meal

Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot Lentil Chili cooks in less than 30 minutes, and is a nutritious, hearty vegetarian/vegan meal. 296 calories/1 Freestyle point per serving.

Whether you use an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, this lentil chili is a quick, delicious and healthy dinner. I love using pressure to cook stews and chili when I’m short on time. My mom used to use a stovetop pressure cooker to make hearty stews during the winter. For years, I was intimidated by the thought of an exploding pressure cooker. Fortunately, the Instant Pot and modern pressure cookers make pressure cooking easy for even the novice cook.

Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot Lentil Chili - 300 calories/18 grams protein per serving ~ lentils take just 14 minutes to cook in a pressure cooker - this vegetarian/vegan chili is deliciously hearty ~ https://jeanetteshealthyliving.com

Recently I made this pressure cooker/Instant Pot lentil chili for a couple who just had a baby. Their baby is in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) so they’ve been spending entire days at the hospital. I had first-hand experience when our twin boys were born 11 weeks premature. They spent 10 weeks in the NICU and it was a very stressful time.

The church reached out to our community to provide meals for this family, and I signed up for the first weekend worth of meals. The only catch was I had just two hours to prepare all the food due to the last minute notice.

This pressure cooker/Instant Pot lentil chili was one of four meals I whipped up in two hours. Some of you might know that I’ve been volunteering in a commercial kitchen for almost a year, and my prep skills and efficiency in the kitchen have improved exponentially. I feel as if I can prep/cook twice as fast now.

This pressure cooker/Instant Pot lentil chili recipe is based on a Slow Cooker Lentil Chili Recipe I made several years ago. Cooking under pressure is the opposite of cooking using a slow cooker. Pressure cooking can reduce cooking time by 2/3 of the time it would normally take on the stovetop, making pressure cookers especially handy for cooking beans, broths and stews when you’re short on time. These lentils take just 14 minutes to cook in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker.

Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot Lentil Chili - 300 calories/18 grams protein per serving ~ lentils take just 14 minutes to cook in a pressure cooker - this vegetarian/vegan chili is deliciously hearty ~ https://jeanetteshealthyliving.com

Lentils are nutritious plant-based source of protein, and have a nice meaty texture. I used a combination of French green lentils and brown lentils, which hold up well in chilis and stews. Each serving has almost 18 grams of protein and just under 300 calories. Serve over steamed brown rice or a baked sweet potato, with a nice tossed salad.

Watch how to make this Lentil Chili in an Instant Pot:

Pressure Cooker Lentil Chili - lentils take just 14 minutes to cook in a pressure cooker - this vegetarian/vegan chili is deliciously hearty
4.78 from 9 votes
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Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot Lentil Chili Recipe

Course Main Course
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 296 kcal
Author Jeanette

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onions chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 carrots chopped
  • 1 celery stalk chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
  • 1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes 15 -ounce can
  • 2 cups dry lentils picked through for stones, rinsed and drained, I used a combination of French green lentils and brown lentils
  • 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • salt to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method

  1. Heat oil in pressure cooker. Add onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Saute until onions are softened and lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, mustard, and cayenne (if you like a little heat) and stir well for a minute or two. Add tomatoes, lentils, broth, salt to taste, and pepper. Pressure cook for 14 minutes or until lentils are tender.

Instant Pot Method

  1. Select "Saute" setting on Instant Pot. Add oil and let heat up. Add onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Saute until onions are softened and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, mustard and cayenne (if you like some heat) and stir well for a minute or two. Add tomatoes, lentils, broth, salt to taste, and pepper. 

  2. Select "Cancel," then close the lid. Turn steam release handle to "Sealing" position. Select "Bean/Chili" and set time for 14 minutes (note: if you use red lentils, cooking time will be less ~ 7-8 minutes). Press "Cancel" and let Instant Pot naturally release pressure until float valve drops down and lid unlocks; alternatively, press "Cancel" and let Instant Pot naturally release for 10 minutes; then turn steam release valve to "Venting" until float valve drops down and lid unlocks.

Recipe Notes

You may want to add more broth or water after cooking to thin the chili depending on the type of lentils you use. I've used sprouted lentils, as well as a combination of French green lentils and brown lentils, and found 3 cups of broth to be sufficient.

1 Freestyle point per serving.

Nutrition Facts
Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot Lentil Chili Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 296 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Sodium 596mg26%
Potassium 935mg27%
Carbohydrates 49g16%
Fiber 22g92%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 18g36%
Vitamin A 4225IU85%
Vitamin C 11.6mg14%
Calcium 86mg9%
Iron 6.3mg35%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you like this vegetarian/vegan chili recipe, you might also like:

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili Soup

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili Soup - warm up your belly with this healthy, hearty flavorful soup

 

Three Bean Butternut Squash Vegetarian Chili

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili - hearty and delicious with butternut squash, this chili will warm your belly

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Filed Under: back-to-school, Clean Eating, dairy-free, Dinner, gluten-free, Instant Pot, main courses, New Year, Pantry Recipe, vegan, vegetarian Tagged With: beans, chili, game day food, Lentils, pressure cooker, pulses, vegan, vegetarian

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Comments

  1. Angie@Angie's Recipes says

    September 26, 2016 at 5:59 am

    You live in a lovely community, Jeanette and that’s very thoughtful of you to prepare such a comforting and delicious chili for the family. Thumbs up for you and your pressure cooker chili!

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      September 26, 2016 at 6:56 am

      Angie – I am very blessed to live in a tight-knit community. Our church is very supportive, so preparing meals for one another is one way we help each other out. Glad you like this lentil chili 🙂

      Reply
  2. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

    September 26, 2016 at 10:48 am

    Definitely feeling the need for some hearty veggie chili right now!

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      September 26, 2016 at 9:43 pm

      Me too Rebecca 🙂

      Reply
  3. Tara | Treble in the Kitchen says

    September 27, 2016 at 5:54 pm

    Wow! You are a speed demon in the kitchen! This pressure cooker chili looks like the perfect thing to share with a family who needs a little extra help 🙂

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      September 28, 2016 at 1:45 pm

      Haha Tara – experience in a commercial kitchen has definitely helped me be more efficient!

      Reply
  4. Denise says

    December 10, 2016 at 1:07 pm

    This recipe looks wonderful! I’d like to make it with either chicken or beef, which would you recommend? Also, How long would I need to cook the chili if I cooked it stove-top or with a crock pot?

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      December 11, 2016 at 9:23 pm

      Denise, you can add either ground chicken or beef for a non-vegetarian meal. Typically, cooking chili in a crockpot takes about 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. I would guess this could cook on the stovetop in an hour.

      Reply
  5. Christina Wedow says

    December 14, 2016 at 3:16 pm

    5 stars
    It looks so delicious that i want to make and take to a family potluck this weekend. Would I do a quick release or natural?

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      December 15, 2016 at 10:24 pm

      I usually do natural release.

      Reply
  6. Sarah says

    December 19, 2016 at 10:55 am

    5 stars
    In my favourite vegetarian chili, I add 1 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes and 1 15 ounce can of spicy tomatoes (like rotel). If I were to do the same with this recipe, would it make sense to reduce the amount of broth from 3 cups to 2 cups? Just worried I won’t have enough liquid for the lentils.

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      December 19, 2016 at 10:05 pm

      Hi Sarah, I would suggest reducing the broth from 3 cups to 2 1/2 cups since there isn’t as much liquid in a can of tomatoes. Let me know how it comes out – love the spicy tomatoes you’re adding!

      Reply
  7. Erin Sinisgalli says

    February 13, 2017 at 9:02 pm

    5 stars
    This was very flavorful and easy to make. I mixed a few types of lentils together and one did not cook completely in 14 minutes so next time I would increase it by a few minutes. Otherwise, I wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you for a great recipe!

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      February 13, 2017 at 9:20 pm

      Hi Erin – so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Great idea mixing in different types of lentils. Some lentils do take longer to cook than others, so thanks for sharing your experience!

      Reply
  8. Shannon says

    June 4, 2017 at 12:45 pm

    I’m going to try this in my Instant Pot! Sounds great!

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      June 4, 2017 at 8:49 pm

      Hi Shannon – I’ve been thinking about getting an instant pot. Let me know how this recipe turns out in yours.

      Reply
    • Dee Gamel says

      June 4, 2017 at 9:59 pm

      I would like to know how it turns out in the IP too. 🙂

      Reply
  9. Dawn says

    December 4, 2017 at 6:31 pm

    5 stars
    Just made it and it tastes fantastic.
    I soaked the lentils before cooking it as not get bloated. I also agree that it needs a bit longer than 14 minutes to cook.
    Will definitely make it again 🙂

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      December 4, 2017 at 10:33 pm

      Hi Dawn – so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and experience. Yes, I agree – the cooking time depends on the lentils you use.

      Reply
  10. Patti says

    February 13, 2018 at 3:09 pm

    This is delicious and easy to prepare. Used my 8 quart instant pot. May increase recipe 1-1/2 – 2 times next time to use all lentils in 1 lb. bag. Added 3/4 medium bell pepper and cut back on coriander. Added a little more stock at end to thin a little. Others may want to add jalapeños or hot sauce for more spice, I think t is perfect. Perfect meatless meal!

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      February 14, 2018 at 12:56 pm

      Thanks Patti – so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Love your addition of bell pepper. I agree – for people who like spicy food, jalapenos, cayenne or hot sauce would all be great additions. Thanks for all your suggestions!

      Reply
  11. Cindi says

    March 12, 2018 at 9:04 pm

    5 stars
    Could this be frozen and reheated?

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      March 12, 2018 at 9:23 pm

      This should freeze fine – the lentils may be softer once the chili is defrosted, but that is a matter of taste.

      Reply
  12. Kate West says

    August 5, 2018 at 8:24 am

    5 stars
    This was very tasty! I was pleasantly surprised that even my husband liked it, despite having no meat.

    Thank you so much for a good, healthy chili recipe! I will definitely be adding this to our dinners.

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      August 12, 2018 at 4:41 pm

      So glad you and your husband enjoyed this recipe Kate! Thanks for letting me know 🙂

      Reply
  13. Nicole says

    August 8, 2018 at 12:46 pm

    Just made this. Delicious! And so easy!

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      August 12, 2018 at 4:40 pm

      So glad you enjoyed this recipe Nicole! Thanks for letting me know 🙂

      Reply
  14. Deb G says

    August 30, 2018 at 12:38 pm

    Hi Jeanette,

    I have red lentils, will the timing be the same?

    Thanks,
    Deb

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      August 31, 2018 at 1:20 pm

      Hi Deb – red lentils take a lot less time to cook. They’re usually done in 15-20 minutes, so I think pressure cook for 5-7 minutes and let pressure naturally release

      Reply
  15. Veronica says

    January 10, 2019 at 7:43 am

    I made this recipe last night and only cut the amount of chili powder in half because I was worried about feeding it to my 1 and 4 yr olds. It was very easy to make and it came out great—nice consistency. It was a little bland (probably because I left out the chili powdee) but my husband and I added cilantro, green onion and green chili and that made it amazing! Per their request, the kids got colby jack in theirs. Thanks for the easy meal!

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      January 19, 2019 at 8:50 pm

      So glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for letting me know Veronica! Love the toppings you served with your chili.

      Reply
  16. Nat says

    January 19, 2019 at 8:10 pm

    3 stars
    Made this with orange lentils. It’s all that was available at the market with all the storm prep shopping. I did add 1/2 lbs. ground beef and additional stock. 14 minutes was way too long. The lentil turned to mush. I ended up with a rather tasty baby food. Any thoughts on the cooking time?

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      January 19, 2019 at 8:44 pm

      Hi Nat – I used French green and brown lentils for this recipe. Red/orange lentils take less time to cook and tend to fall apart – they don’t hold their shape like brown or green lentils. On the stovetop, red lentils take about 20-25 minutes to cook, so under pressure, I would think it should take 7-8 minutes. The rule of thumb is pressure cooking takes about 1/3 of the time it usually takes on the stovetop. I’ve added a note to the recipe directions in case anyone uses red lentils instead of brown/green lentils.

      Reply
  17. Divya says

    January 11, 2020 at 11:59 am

    5 stars
    This Recipie is very helpful for making best food thankyou for sharing your recipie

    Reply
  18. Ann Marie says

    February 5, 2020 at 6:05 pm

    Followed this recipe to a “T”, and my chili came out bone dry!! Any suggestions as to what I can do differently? I doubled the recipe and it filled my instant pot. Ended up adding 2 cans of chili beans and an extra 2 cups of broth at the end.

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      February 5, 2020 at 7:26 pm

      Hi Ann Marie – the amount of liquid can depend on the lentils used – some require more liquid. I think what you did to adjust the recipe is great – more broth as needed. I love your addition of chili beans.

      Reply
  19. marie johson says

    February 14, 2020 at 2:21 am

    5 stars
    Never tried anything in pressure cooker but i will definitely try this recipe 🙂

    Reply

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Hi! I'm Jeanette - welcome! Step into my kitchen, where you'll find healthy dishes packed with flavor and goodness.

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