Some folks see a leaf and declare it to be fall and get all things pumpkin ready. Here in southern California, I see 85 degree weather in sight and declare it’s time for chili (I also love all things pumpkin). That’s where this paleo veggie chili comes in.
I love any meal that I can load with vegetables and my boys won’t know. I especially love a meal that can be made quickly in an Instant Pot even more. This chili was made one day when I was in a hurry and needed to use up a bunch of miscellaneous vegetables in the fridge.
Before I mostly gave up beans, I always made chili with a chili packet, two cans of tomatoes with chilies, a pound of ground beef, two cans of chili beans and some beer. You take away the chili beans and that is a really (even more) boring chili. So I set out to recreate that recipe without the beans and this is what happened.
This recipe been pretty versatile so far. I just use up whatever vegetables are in my fridge or need to be eaten. It can also be made using ground beef, ground turkey or leftover taco meat. Add some sweet potatoes and a bit more peppers instead of meat, replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth and it’s vegan.
I find this recipe tastes even better the next day so feel free to make it ahead of time. I have an extra inner pot and silicone lid for my instant pot that I love to have around for fast and easy storage and reheating. They aren’t cheap, but have been well worth the investment.
PrintLoaded Veggie Scrap Chili
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 7 cups 1x
Ingredients
Chili
- 1 large yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 stalks of celery or 1 zucchini
- 1 green bell pepper ( (any color will work))
- 2 large carrots
- 1 lb ground pork or sausage ( *)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 can diced tomatoes with juices
- 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar ( (this gives a beer like flavor))
- 2 cups chicken broth or stock
- 1 can chilies or 1 fresh jalapeno if you like a little spice
Seasoning
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp red chili
Delicious Topping Recommendations
- green onions
- cilantro
- hot sauce
- paleo sour cream
Instructions
- Chop onions, garlic, celery (or zucchini), bell pepper and carrots into small chunks. I usually chop as small as possible to make them less noticeable.
- Add chopped vegetables and ground beef (unless using already cooked) to Instant Pot and push the Saute function. Sprinkle with the 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and saute until meat is browned.
- I like to keep my Saute function on here to keep my Instant Pot warm. Add the remaining chili and seasoning ingredients.
- Give it all a good stir. Stop the Saute function, put the lid on, close the valve and hit the Manual function. Press the + button until it reads 35 minutes. After 35 minutes, you can use the quick release or let the pressure release slowly.
- Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Notes
*I made this chili once with sausage when I didn’t have any ground beef. I was forever hooked. Ground beef, ground turkey or leftover taco meat also work great!
You can substitute 5 tablespoons of your favorite taco or chili seasoning in place of the seasoning I listed. You may or may not still need some salt, depending on your seasoning and your broth/stock.
I love adding fresh jalapeno, but my two year old won’t eat any chili that’s too “piceyyy.” I found a can of mild chilies adds a nice flavor without spice.
I love adding this paleo sour cream to the top.
This chili makes a great chili dog!
I haven’t tried this without the Instant Pot, but I think you can saute the meat and vegetables in a pan and add everything to a crock pot on low for 8 hours or so with the same results. Please let me know if you try!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
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