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The Basics: How to Make Veggie Chili
Fast, healthy, and delicious
From the store to the kitchen to the table: We outline the steps that get you from raw ingredients to your dinner tonight, free of measurements and complicated techniques. It’s a method you’ll remember and whip out whenever you like. It is the most basic way to make the thing you’re making.
- WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- - a medium Dutch oven or pot with a tightfitting lid
- - a colander or strainer
- - one onion
- - one carrot
- - one bell pepper
- - one zucchini
- - two cloves of garlic
- - vegetable oil
- - salt and pepper
- - two 15-ounce cans of beans (any kind)
- - ground cumin
- - chili powder
- - one 28-ounce can of chopped tomatoes
- - optional garnishes: chopped cilantro, quartered pieces of lime, shredded cheese, sour cream
WHAT YOU’LL DO:
PRINT PDF1. Cut all the veggies except the garlic into little pieces. Finely chop the garlic.
2. Coat the bottom of the pot with oil. Heat the pot over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers, then add the onions, carrots, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are soft.
3. Drain the beans in the colander or strainer and rinse. Set aside.
4. When the onions are soft, add the remaining vegetables to the pot and season again with salt and pepper. Add one heaping spoonful of cumin and a couple of spoonfuls of chili powder. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are just starting to get tender (about 10 minutes).
5. Add the tomatoes and their juices to the pot, along with the rinsed beans.
6. Fill one bean can with water and add it to the chili. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and cover the pot. Gently simmer until the veggies are soft and the flavors have melded (about 10 minutes). Taste the chili and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
7. Serve and garnish as desired.
Illustrations by Bill Russell
mtview, you're right- cook your grains and lentils first and add them near the end so they warm up, absorb a little flavor, but don't get overcooked. As for the sweet potato, I would add them in uncooked with the carrots in the beginning as they will take a little longer to cook. Keep in mind the larger you dice them, the longer they'll take to cook.
Amy Wisniewski, CHOW test kitchen
Reading the comments of adding sweet potato, lentils, or wheatberries, I am assuming I cook the grains first before adding them to the chili? I can add the sweet potato in uncooked?
Draining beans drains off a lot of the soluble fiber. Just sayin'.
Fantastic recipe. Definitely add in a little bit more fat, a quarter cup of butter's nice. Be generous with your spices, and rather than water, I prefer to add either a heavy red wine or a strong beer, add it before the beans and tomatoes and let it go on high for 2-3 minutes. But really, this is a simple recipe, fantastic on it's own, and easy to expand on and experiment with. Good show,...+READ
Fantastic recipe. Definitely add in a little bit more fat, a quarter cup of butter's nice. Be generous with your spices, and rather than water, I prefer to add either a heavy red wine or a strong beer, add it before the beans and tomatoes and let it go on high for 2-3 minutes. But really, this is a simple recipe, fantastic on it's own, and easy to expand on and experiment with. Good show, chowhound.
Oh, and for those who prefer a thicker feel to your chili, as this comes out a bit soupy, quinoa is a wonder grain adding texture, protein, and fiber. Healthy and delicious!-COLLAPSE
I have no problems with the presence of the carrots or zucchini - mine often includes a handful of frozen corn, as well.
Try using black-eyed peas in chili sometime. The result is silky and sublime.
A scant tablespoon of masa harina (or even crushed tortilla chips) thickens the sauce and rounds out the flavor nicely.
My favorite veggie chili includes a couple of cups of wheatberries that have...+READ
I have no problems with the presence of the carrots or zucchini - mine often includes a handful of frozen corn, as well.
Try using black-eyed peas in chili sometime. The result is silky and sublime.
A scant tablespoon of masa harina (or even crushed tortilla chips) thickens the sauce and rounds out the flavor nicely.
My favorite veggie chili includes a couple of cups of wheatberries that have been cooked till soft. They have a meaty heft, without being any sort of faux meat.
You'll get more flavor out of that cumin if you add it with the garlic at the beginning and toast it a bit. Toss in some paprika for good measure.-COLLAPSE
Lentils are always a great addition for a veggie chili.
I just make a turkey chili with Thanksgiving leftovers and used zucchini and carrots; I think they are a great addition. I do love my veggies, though.
A couple of tablespoons of bulgur will add nice texture as well...
The Carrots and Zucchini are fine additions, however this recipe seems to use too much water, 1/2 can should do next time.
Carrots and zucchini do not belong in a chili with meat; why should they go in one without? Beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic and couscous for texture. Simple as can be.
Add kombu and remove at the boil for extra umami. TVP is another addition that non-veg's assume to be ground meat. I'm with Aladams on using at least 2 kinds of beans, a bit more oil than for other stews, and to carmelize the vegetables in advance. An a small word of warning on using dark beers - many contain isinglass.
As a long-time vegetarian who has lived with meat-eaters I can attest to the fact that it's difficult to make a good vegetarian chili that will please everyone. Too often vegetarian cooking skimps on the fat (obviously, that's why some people like it better) but if you're looking for flavor, I recommend adding fat to vegetarian chili. If you're making vegan chili, use plenty of oil, at least 1/4...+READ
As a long-time vegetarian who has lived with meat-eaters I can attest to the fact that it's difficult to make a good vegetarian chili that will please everyone. Too often vegetarian cooking skimps on the fat (obviously, that's why some people like it better) but if you're looking for flavor, I recommend adding fat to vegetarian chili. If you're making vegan chili, use plenty of oil, at least 1/4 cup. And I also suggest caramelizing the onions and deglazing your pot with a little red wine (or, my favorite) some dark beer. (Though if you're using a cast iron dutch oven, you might not be able to do this, but it's worth a shot anyways.) If you're making vegetarian chili for people who eat dairy, cut an inch of butter in there in addition to a smaller amount of oil. It really improves the flavor and gives you that fat-and-sauce emulsion that it is so lovely about chili. I also always put at least two kinds of beans into my vegetarian chili--it helps distinguish it as something distinctly "veggie" from its meaty counterpart.-COLLAPSE