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Pumpkin goes well beyond pie and lattes–add it to your chili in this easy Pumpkin Quinoa Chili! So simple and packed with veggies, beans and just the right amount of spice–not to mention ready in 30 minutes. This veggie chili gets a protein boost from the quinoa as well!
Nothing warms the body like a good bowl of chili and this pumpkin chili recipe will do just that! It is so simple and quite honestly, easy to modify to add meat or other ingredients for the meat lovers of your house!
Quinoa, black beans, and kidney beans pack this recipe with lots of protein as well as fiber. If you are looking for a way to add quinoa to your diet but keep shying away, start here.
Why You Will Love This Pumpkin Quinoa Chili:
- Its super veggie packed.
- You can whip it up in just 30 minutes.
- Perfect for the freezer!
- A great source of fiber and protein.
Vegetarian chilis like this one can still be so hearty and delicious. If you want to try more, check out this Crock Pot Sweet Potato Chili, Butternut Squash Chili or Lentil Chili.
Ingredient Notes
- broth: veggie broth to keep this recipe vegan and vegetarian. If that doesn’t matter to you, chicken broth works great as well.
- pumpkin purée: one can of pumpkin–NOT pumpkin pie filling. Make sure to double check or your chili is going to be super sweet.
- quinoa: use uncooked quinoa for this chili recipe. The quinoa cooks and absorbs the broth as it cooks to thicken up the chili. If you have quinoa that is already cooked, you can save time by tossing it in and omitting the broth until the end and adding until chili has desired consistency.
- diced tomatoes: canned tomatoes in juices. I like to use the fire roasted or regular. Typically I will go for no salt added so I can have full control of the saltiness of my chili.
- tomato paste: this helps thicken up the chili, you can adjust as desired.
- green chile: you can use a jalapeño for more of a kick. I like to chop of a green chile pepper but sometimes I toss in a can of diced green chiles instead. Whatever you prefer.
- spices: a combination of cumin, smoked paprika and chili powder with a hint of cinnamon to really make the pumpkin flavor pop.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to rinse your quinoa well before using. While most quinoa is pre-rinsed before packaging, it helps to rinse it well before using. If not, it can have a bitter or even soap like taste which you do not want in your chili or any quinoa recipe. Better to do so and be safe. This only accounts for uncooked quinoa.
- You can make this pumpkin quinoa chili in the slow cooker as well! Just dump all the ingredients except the tomato paste into a slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 4-6 hours. Thicken with tomato paste before serving.
Other Soup and Chili Recipes
- Tomato Tortellini Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Black Bean and Rice Soup
- Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Chunky Italian Vegetable Soup
- Slow Cooker Sriracha Lime White Chicken Chili
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Pumpkin Quinoa Chili
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- ½ red onion, diced
- 1 green chile, diced (can use canned)
- 1 can black beans (approx. 15 oz.), rinsed
- 1 can or kidney beans (approx. 15 oz.), rinsed
- 1 can pumpkin puree, (approx. 15 oz.)
- ¾ cup quinoa, uncooked
- 2-3 cups vegetable broth or stock, depending on desired thickness
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cans diced tomatoes, (14.5 oz.)
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1 ½ Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- dash of cinnamon
- ¼-½ tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- ½ tsp sea salt and pepper
- ⅓ cup tomato paste
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high.
- Add onion and pepper and cook until onions become translucent.
- Add all other ingredients except the tomato paste and stir to combine.
- Bring to a soft boil stirring occasionally.
- Lower to medium low heat and stir occasionally for about 15-20 minutes, until quinoa is fully cooked. Add in tomato paste to desired chili thickness.
- Lower to low heat and allow to simmer until ready to serve.
- Garnish with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Notes
I did not drain the cans of tomatoes.
If you prefer more spice, use a jalapeño instead of a chile pepper.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hi! Do you know about how many quarts or cups this makes? Thank you!
Hi! The recipe makes 6 servings, and I would estimate approximately 10–12 cups total, depending on how much broth you use and how thick you like your chili. Hope that helps!