Vegan Pumpkin Chili (Oil-free!)

5 from 43 votes

Vegan Pumpkin Chili (Oil-free!)

This Easy Vegan Pumpkin Chili is 1 pot, ready in 30 minutes, oil-free and meatless. It is so hearty with seasonal pumpkin for body and creaminess that is accented with spicy, smoky chipotle peppers.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Gluten-free, Vegan

Keyword: easy vegan chili, pumpkin chili recipe, vegan pumpkin chili

Servings: cups

Calories: 203kcal

Author: Brandi Doming

Ingredients

FOR THE CHILI

1/2 cup (120g) water or low-sodium veggie broth
1 1/2 cups (235g) finely diced white onion
6 large garlic cloves, minced (16g or 1 1/2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon standard American chili powder (use store-bought or my homemade blend
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons salt (this will vary depending on your tomato sauce or broth)
2-3 teaspoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I used 3 tsp, add as little or as much to desired heat level. Make sure to remove the seeds if you don't like super spicy)
1 1/2 cups (360g) tomato sauce/puree
three 15 oz low-sodium cans of chili beans, drained & rinsed well (or 1 can each of black beans, pinto beans and kidney beans)
3/4 cup (180g) pumpkin puree

OPTIONAL LEMON CREAM SAUCE (this really goes amazing with the smoky spice!)

2/3 cup + 2 heaping tablespoons (140g) raw cashews
2/3 cup water
3 tablespoons (45g) fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
I use this scale.

Instructions

If making the lemon cream sauce, you will need to make it the day before wanting to eat the chili, as it needs overnight to firm up in the fridge. Simply add all the ingredients to a power blender and blend until completely smooth. It is very runny after making it, but firms and thickens a lot in the fridge, similar to a sour cream consistency. I did not soak my cashews since I have a vitamix, but if you don't, you will need to soak your cashews overnight to soften, drain and rinse, then blend in a food processor as smooth as you can get it along with the other ingredients.
For the chili, add just the 1/2 cup water/broth to a pot with the onion and garlic over medium heat. Once it starts simmering, cook about 8 minutes until the onions are very soft and the liquid has evaporated.
Get your remaining spices and ingredients ready while the onions are cooking.
Add the chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt (I started with 1 1/2 teaspoons), chipotle peppers and sauce and tomato sauce. Cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute.
Add the remaining ingredients plus 1 cup of water/broth and stir well, bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 20-30 minutes until thickened and the flavors have deepened. I like to put it on very low heat and let it gently simmer for 30 minutes to really deepen the flavor, but you can get away with just 20 minutes if needed. If you'd like it thinner, add a tiny bit more broth or water. Taste and add any more salt if needed or more chipotle if you'd like it spicier.
Serve with lemon cream and fresh cilantro, if desired. The cream really does go amazing with the smoky, spicy flavor!

Notes

Nutrition is based per cup.

The chili powder I used from Sprouts is very dark (as can be seen in the photo) so that is why my chili looks rather dark. If using a standard American chili powder, some are more red than others. My homemade chili powder recipe I often use and it makes the chili more red than brown.

Nutrition