My experience living in Minnesota had been a rollercoaster ride…Spring in Minnesota is cold, it often snows a few times during the months of March and April almost every year. This vegetarian chili recipe is perfect for cold winter days and also for those chilly early spring days! It has an overall well-rounded flavor and so healthy thanks to all the veggies and beans we add along with aromatic spices. It has been a favorite lately and I always make a big pot so I can enjoy the leftovers the next day when flavors have melded well together!
This vegetarian chili is hearty, healthy and filling that I am sure everyone in the family would enjoy it equally. It is by default a VEGAN recipe, but you could easily customize it to your taste by choosing different toppings like cheese, sour cream etc. and make it your own.
It packs a huge flavor with some basic spices and ingredients. The addition of aromatics like onion, carrots and celery create a flavorful blend that enhances the chili. In addition to the basic veggies, we add sweet corn and some bell pepper.
I love to layer flavors with the use of different chili powders in this recipe, but my personal favorite addition has to be the smoked paprika. It adds that smokey mildly sweet flavor to this chili and I would highly recommend not to skip it. If needed you could cut down or lessen the other chili pepper powders to go easy on the heat but I personally love the little heat and then cool it down with lots of avocado slices or sour cream when serving it.
What ingredient you need for the Vegetarian Chili?
Veggies – onion, carrots, celery – the basics, chopped in even size so they cook together. Celery could be substituted with some green bell pepper if you do not have it. Sweet corn adds such a sweet flavor to the chili, fresh is best but when out of season frozen works well too. I love adding some red bell pepper to it for a pop of color and sweetness.
Did you know red bell pepper is fully ripe and mature stage of green bell pepper? Since they are fully ripe, they contain more nutrients like Vitamin A and C compared to other colored peppers.
Beans – I love using canned beans for this recipe. I buy organic beans always and buy the “BUSH” brand in bulk from Costco. If you would like you could soak and then cook the beans from scratch and then add it in the recipe.
Black beans are a staple in any chili recipe. Along with that we add pinto beans or white beans or both. You can pretty much add any beans you like. I personally love the combination of black beans and white beans (Cannellini beans or Great Northern beans). We will use a can of each.
Tomato Sauce – Best to use canned tomatoes for any chili recipe, I use the organic kind. Most recipes out there recommend adding two can of tomatoes but during developing this recipe I found that, adding two cans creates very tart tangy flavor that I personally do not enjoy. So, to counteract that I choose to add only one can of “crushed tomatoes”. Crushed is the key here, if you buy whole peeled or chopped tomato can then run it through a blender and crush it before you add it to the vegetables and beans. I would not recommend using “pureed tomatoes” because that would not create the chili texture we are aiming for!
TIP: If you do not have can of tomatoes on hand, add equal amounts of jarred tomato pasta sauce like Marinara. Skip the sugar and watch out salt if you use jarred sauce.”
Aromatics and Spices – The recipe calls for 8-10 cloves of garlic. Minced garlic or pressed in the garlic press is the key here so you don’t have large pieces of garlic in the chili after its been cooked.
Different types chilies create an intense and complex flavor! I like to add chili powder, chipotle powder, paprika and smoked paprika both. Black pepper is must. Along with that lots of cumin and oregano lend that classic Mexican flavor.
Vegetable Stock – I use my favorite Imagine organic low sodium vegetable stock for all the soups, stews and chili recipes. You could also use homemade vegetable stock if you want.
Additions – There are three very necessary additions to this recipe.
First is hot sauce, use any kind you prefer. My favorite brand of hot sauce is YellowBird’s Habanero hot sauce, try it you will love it!
Next is sugar, use any kind you prefer. I like to use coconut sugar from Wholesome! You could also use honey or maple syrup as well.
Once chili is cooked through and is off the stove, stir in lemon juice. Lemon juice really brightens the whole dish without stealing the spotlight. The hit of acidity in most dishes sharpen the flavors – Make sure to add it at the end because cooked lemon juice quickly turns into weird taste.
Tips for Making the Best Vegetarian Chili
- Chop all the veggies in equal thickness. Since we are cooking all the vegetables together in the beginning, it is vital that they cook at the same time and remain tender and hold their shape.
- Canned tomatoes are MUST! This is what gives the Chili its “chili” flavor.
- Letting the spices bloom a bit once veggie are cooked through is the key to a good chili recipe. It is an important step; it lets the spices release it flavor and aroma. Do not let the spices burn, lower the flame if needed, followed by crushed tomato and let cook for good few minutes.
- Another trick to make good chili is to blend a small portion of the chili in the blender or use an immersion blender. This trick binds the veggies, beans and spices together to make it look and taste like the chili that has been cooking for long hours like traditional recipes.
- Always taste test the chili before you switch off the flame, adjust the salt, pepper, sugar, hot sauce if needed. Chili is personal, it should be how you like it!
- Highly recommend adding a squeeze of lemon juice once chili has finished cooking, lemon gives it that fresh vibrant flavor and acidity it needs.
Chili Toppings
No chili is complete without some addition of toppings if you ask me, but you can enjoy this vegetarian chili AS IS if you want.
Here’s a full list of options to choose from:
- Tortilla chips (crushed if desired, my absolute favorite!)
- Grated cheddar cheese or vegan cheese if you prefer
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt, again choose vegan if you prefer
- Diced avocado (another favorite!)
- Salsa
- Sriracha or hot sauce
- Fresh cilantro leaves (no stems)
- Lime or lemon wedges
How to store and use leftover Chili?
Everyone knows that chili tastes even better the next day, when flavors have melded together so well.
Once the hot chili comes to room temperature, store the leftover chili in an airtight container, preferably glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat the chili in the microwave or over the stop top, you could add couple of tablespoons of water or vegetable stock to get the desired consistency.
This vegetarian chili doesn’t have to be just chili; it could be more!
I often enjoy the leftover chili with rice or in a burrito bowl. You could also spread it over nachos and then layer it with salsa and gauc if you like. Serves great inside a burrito or use it as filling inside quesadillas. I hope that you make it and enjoy it as much as I do! Do tag me on Instagram @theurbancilantro if you make this recipe! I would love to check it out and feature it on my feed!
I hope that you make this vegetarian chili recipe and enjoy it as much as I do! Do tag me on Instagram @theurbancilantro if you make this recipe! I would love to check it out and feature it on my feed!
Love adding beans to your diet? Then you would enjoy this Spicy Black Beans Soup with thyme, garlic and ginger!
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained (about 1.5 cup cooked)
- 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans or white beans, rinsed and drained (about 1.5 cup cooked)
- 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups (32 ounces) of vegetable stock
- 1.5 cup onion, chopped (about 1 large onion)
- ½ cup carrot, chopped (1 medium size)
- ½ cup celery, chopped (2 medium stalks)
- 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 medium size)
- ⅓ cup sweet corn (fresh or frozen)
- 3 tablespoons jalapeno, chopped (1 medium size)
- 8-10 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 ½ tablespoon hot sauce of your choice
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or sweetener of your choice)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided (more if needed)
- In a large heavy bottomed pot or Dutch Oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion, carrots, celery, red bell pepper, sweet corn and jalapeno along with two bay leaves. Cook covered for 5 minutes.
- Next, add minced garlic and a teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine well and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until the garlic is fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.
- Lower the heat if needed and add the spices - chili powder, chipotle powder, paprika, smoked paprika, cumin powder, oregano and freshly ground black pepper. Cover with lid and cook until fragrant for about 8-10 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes, hot sauce and coconut sugar (or your choice of sweetener) and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Add drained black beans and white beans/pinto beans to the simmering mixture. Stir to combine.
- Add vegetable stock and additional salt to your taste (make sure to taste test, vegetable stock usually has salt in it too). Stir to combine and let the pot come to simmer. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally in between.
- Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf.
- Blend 1-2 cups of chili in a blender (watch out when you blend hot liquids) or run an immersion blender for few seconds, making sure to blend just enough to maintain the chili texture. If using blender then add back the blended chili back into the pot. Alternatively, you could use potato masher and blend away till it reaches desired consistency.
- Add lemon juice at last, taste test and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Add fresh chopped cilantro leaves and stir to combine.
- Divide into individual bowl, serve hot with toppings or garnishes of your choice.
ADJUST SPICE LEVEL: If you are sensitive to spice or heat from the chili -you might want to scale back on the spices mentioned here. Start with half of the amounts listed and add more to taste.
LEFTOVER:Once the hot chili comes to room temperature, store the leftover chili in an airtight container, preferably glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat the chili in the microwave or over the stop top, you could add couple of tablespoons of water or vegetable stock to get the desired consistency.
I often enjoy the leftover chili with rice or in a burrito bowl. You could also spread it over nachos and then layer it with salsa and gauc if you like. Serves great inside a burrito or use it as filling inside quesadillas.
