Instant Pot Shrimp and Black Bean Chili

I was inspired by the bag of Bob’s Red Mill Orca Heritage Beans I found in the cupboard while cleaning. It had a simple recipe on the back for a black & white chili. It looked okay, but I thought I could do better, as well as use my Instant Pot to make it in a fraction of the time.

As I wanted this to be a quick recipe, I skipped my usual steps of sweating the vegetables and toasting the spices. However, I’m sure it would add complexity to this tasty meal.

I did add fish sauce and shrimp to the dish, but it works absolutely fine without them if you wanted to keep it vegetarian.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups (300g) of beans (black, cannellini, or similar)
• 7 cups (1.6L) water
• 2 tablespoons Vegetable Base
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tablespoons Chili Paste (about 2 teaspoons of your favorite chili powder can be used instead)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons cumin, ground
• 1 teaspoon coriander, ground
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce, optional
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce, optional
• 1 cup (50g) tortilla chips, crushed
• 1 lb peeled & deveined shrimp, frozen

Notes

• While optional, the soy and fish sauces are great way to boost the umami of a meal.
• The entire meal can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the shrimp and fish sauce.

Procedure

1. Check the beans for rocks and other stuff you don’t want to eat, then rinse under cold water.
2. Add all ingredients, except shrimp and tortilla chips, to Instant Pot or other pressure cooker.
3. Following your manufacture’s instructions, set your electric pressure cooker to cook at high pressure for 35 minutes. If using a stove top pressure cooker, bring to high pressure per manufacture’s instructions and set a timer for 35 minutes.
4. After 35 minutes, either let the pressure cooker naturally release (about 30-40 minutes) or use the quick release instructions provided by your manufacture. (Note: Manually venting the pressure cooker is dangerous and can cause violent boiling in the food. Use this method at your own risk.)
5. Once the pressure cooker has released, open it up and stir. It will look thin.
6. While simmering (refer to manufacture’s instructions for simmering), add the crushed tortilla chips in small amounts until the desired consistency is reached (Note: The chili may thicken further after cooled in the fridge).
7. Keeping the chili at a simmer, add in shrimp and cook 7 minutes or until opaque and/or reaches 145F/63C.
8. Serve immediately with garnishes such as avocado, cheese, lime wedges, etc. (Personally, I served it over leftover brown rice.)