Instant Pot Brown Lentil and Bean Chili

I will be honest.. I'm still learning how to create recipes using a pressure cooker. I've had it for a year now and I'm just starting to get the hang of it. Here's to the first ever Instant Pot recipe on Frazzled Raspberry! It's full of flavour without being too spicy and best of all... no meat in sight! This chili is completely plant-based. It uses brown lentils, king oyster mushrooms and a ton of different beans. A hearty and healthier option for the cold winter.

So far there are a couple things I've discovered that the Instant Pot does best. One of those things is cooking dried beans and lentils. Every time I've attempted to cook these things on the stove top, no matter how long I cook them for, they always end with a harder texture. The Instant Pot however, will cook them in a fraction of the time and leave you with tender legumes.

This chili has two key ingredients that replace the typical beef in chili: king oyster mushrooms and brown lentils. The baby king oyster mushrooms have a great texture and take on the role of meat so well. I like to think of them as the chameleon ingredient. They tend to absorb and take on the flavour of the rest of the meal. Perfect for this chili! The lentils fill out the rest of the chili, and as a result of being cooked in a high pressure environment, they turn out so incredibly tender.

The final part of this chili is the beans. Beans, beans and more beans! I use canned beans so that they don’t mess with the timing for cooking dried lentils since dried beans tend to take double the cook time of lentils. My favourite mix of beans for chili consists of red kidney, black and a 6 bean medley. This is the magic combination that I use for almost all my different chili recipes.. Yes I’m someone who has multiple chili recipes. Don’t you?

This lentil and bean chili recipe cooks for only 14 minutes! However, that doesn't factor in the time it takes an Instant Pot to reach the correct pressure. This time will vary depending on the model, size and quantity of ingredients added. This recipe with my Duo Plus model can take anywhere from 15-20 minutes to reach pressure.

Natural and quick release. You will encounter these terms a lot when looking for Instant Pot recipes. It basically describes when the steam release valve on the lid should be opened after the cook time is over. Do NOT forget to set the valve to the closed position before you start pressure cooking. A quick release is exactly what it sounds like, releasing the pressure valve as soon as the cooking time is done. This will immediately release all the pressure and steam. The natural release either refers to letting the valve naturally release pressure over time or opening it the rest of the way after a set amount of time. This natural release typically allows some of the liquid to reform from the steam which is perfect for chilis, stews and soups!

This recipe makes a thick and mild chili. If you are someone who prefers more liquid in your chili feel free to add an extra cup of vegetable broth or tomato sauce. If you are someone who prefers spicy food then feel free to add more cayenne pepper or even throw in a diced hot pepper when sauteeing the onions and mushrooms. As always, tailor the recipe to your taste and those of your family members.

On that note, I've never been someone to top my chili with cheese and sour cream. However, if that's your jam then load it up! Instead, I like to have cheese biscuits on hand to dip in and scoop out the chili.

Now that I’ve finally broken the Instant Pot recipe seal, expect to see more pressure-based cooking recipes in the future!