Description
The ultimate pumpkin chili recipe! This vegan pumpkin chili is filled with bold flavor, hearty texture, warm spice, & the perfect kick of heat. Plus, it’s packed with autumnal flare, thanks to 3 – yes, three! – layers of pumpkin.
Naturally vegetarian, vegan, & dairy-free. Slow cooker, & Instant Pot directions provided in the Recipe Notes, below.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 red (or orange, yellow) bell peppers, deseeded & diced
- 2 jalapeno peppers, deseeded (as desired) & diced
- 1 1.5-pound sugar pumpkin, peeled, deseeded & diced into 1/2-inch cubes (~2–3 cups diced, see Recipe Notes)
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 12-ounce bottle beer of choice (see Recipe Notes)
- 2 cups walnuts, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or agave nectar)
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1 14-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup water or vegetable stock/broth
- coarse kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Cook the veggies: Add the olive oil to a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot & shimmering, add the onion, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, & diced sugar pumpkin. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt & stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-7 minutes.
- Add the spices: Add the garlic, chipotle peppers, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon & tomato paste to the pot, stirring to coat the veggies. Cook for 2-3 minutes, to allow the spices to bloom.
- Deglaze: Slowly pour the beer into the pot, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil & allow the beer to reduce slightly.
- Build & simmer the chili: Add the chopped walnuts, maple syrup, black beans, kidney beans, pumpkin puree, fire-roasted tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, & water or veggie stock/broth to the pot. Stir to combine. Bring the chili to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes, allowing it to thicken slightly. Taste and season with additional salt or ground black pepper as needed.
- Serve: Ladle the chili in individual bowls & finish with toppings of choice – smashed avocado, chopped cilantro, cashew crema or shredded dairy-free cheese, crackers, etc. Enjoy!
Notes
- Spiciness: As written, this chili recipe yields what I consider medium spiciness. If you’re less tolerant to heat, be sure to deseed the jalapeno pepper & scale back the chipotle or omit entirely & substitute with a few teaspoons of adobo (the sauce that canned chipotles are packaged with).
- Sugar pumpkin, also called “pie pumpkins” or “sweet pumpkins,” are small in size, with tender flesh, & sweet flavor. They’re great to cook with! If you’ve never handled a sugar pumpkin before, see the blog post, above, for prep tips. If you cannot find sugar pumpkin, feel free to swap it out with any other winter squash you love – butternut squash would be my top pick!
- Beer is one of my favorite things to add to chili, as it adds a rich depth of flavor. Since this is pumpkin chili, I like to use pumpkin beer! A drier, earthier pumpkin beer will work best – stay away from the sweet stuff. We love New Holland’s Ichabod Pumpkin Ale, which is brewed with real pumpkin & warm spices like nutmeg & cinnamon.
- Slow Cooker Instructions: To cook this vegan pumpkin chili recipe in the slow cooker, follow Steps 1-3 of Recipe Directions as written. Yes, it’s an extra pot to wash, but it makes a huge difference in the overall flavor of the chili! If your slow cooker has a browning/searing feature, feel free to complete Steps 1-3 right in the slow cooker! Transfer the veggies, spices & beer to the slow cooker along with the rest of the chili ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours, until the pumpkin is tender & the chili has thickened slightly.
- Instant Pot Instructions: To cook this vegan pumpkin chili recipe in the Instant Pot, set the Instant Pot to its Sauté mode. Complete Steps 1-3 of Recipe Directions in the Instant Pot. From there, build the chili according to Step 4. Cover and cook with manual high pressure for 10 minutes. Carefully use the quick release to release the steam from the pot. If you’d like your chili to be a little thinner, turn the Pot back on its Sauté mode. Cook, stirring occasionally until desired consistency is reached.
- Make-ahead, Storage, & Freezing: Chili is the perfect make-ahead meal since its flavors develop & meld as it sits! This vegan pumpkin chili will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. You can also freeze this chili for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight & reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- 15-Minute Meal Prep: Almost all of the prep work involved in this recipe is chopping the veggies. Chop them all in advance, storing in individual airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to prep your soup, all you have to do is get cooking – seriously so easy!:
- Dice 1 large yellow onion
- Deseed & dice 2 bell peppers
- Deseed & dice 2 jalapeno peppers
- Peel, deseed & dice a 1.5-pound sugar pumpkin into 1/2-inch cubes