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Basic Vegetarian Chili Recipe

Basic Vegetarian Chili
Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: 45 mins | Makes: 6 to 8 servings

Unlike its slow-cooking, meaty brethren, this chili recipe is easy, fast, and vegetarian. It makes for a hearty weeknight dinner. Freeze leftovers in small containers for a ready-to-eat meal.

To see this recipe with illustrated steps, check out The Basics: How to Make Veggie Chili.

This recipe was featured as part of our Healthy Cooking photo gallery.

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, medium dice
  • 1 carrot, medium dice
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 bell pepper, medium dice
  • 1 zucchini, medium dice
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans light kidney, dark kidney, or black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
  • Chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)
  • Quartered lime pieces, for garnish (optional)
  • Shredded cheddar cheese or crumbled queso fresco, for garnish (optional)
  • Sour cream, for garnish (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid or a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, carrots, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the bell pepper and zucchini to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Add the cumin and chili powder and stir to incorporate. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are knife tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  3. Add the beans, water, and tomatoes with their juices and stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer until the vegetables are soft and the flavors have melded, about 15 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve and garnish as desired.
    Write a review | 14 Reviews
  • Basic Vegetarian Chili Recipe
    4

    This was great! so tasty!

  • Basic Vegetarian Chili Recipe
    5

    why bother. I had the best vegan chili never at a pop up called Sweet Jo's chili & biscuits. it was awesome. all vegetables could be tasted separately. quinoa and tofu. spicy but didn't hurt. and my non-vegan friend said the biscuits were to die for.

  • Basic Vegetarian Chili Recipe
    3

    I would use dry beans (soaked over night and cooked in the morning) to get full nutrition out of the recipe. Beans and legumes get very gastric over a period of time...not to mention all the preservatives that are present in the canned items. Nonetheless, great recipe! Thanks.

  • Great recipes ! I have done that ,UMMMMMMMMM~~~ it's my favourate! Delicious ! http://www.myrecipeslib.com/

  • Double thumbs up! Since zucchini is 3.56 a pound at (OY!) my oppressively seasonal co-op, I followed a suggestion in the and substituted a sweet potato and few tablespoons water instead. It came out perfect.

  • I like to add zuks and sweet potato to my veggie chili. They hold up well with the spices. The sweet potato cubes literally melt in your mouth- excellent nutritions as well

  • Miss scott - the "sin" means "without" in Spanish. One can also fake the "carne" or meat, by using texturized vegetable protein pieces (TVP) soaked in a flavorful brine of your choice.

  • It's officially (in vegetarian circles) known as chilli NON carne! "chilli sin carne"? What's sinful about it!

  • Absolutely brilliant! This is the best chile I've ever had. Keep 'em coming!

  • Thank you for the great recipe, it tasted very good

  • I always add celery; it works really well. As to the name; it's still chilli, (that's the spice) it's just not chilli con carne - how about chilli vegetal, or chilli sin carne?

  • My veggie chilli comprises of veggie mince! ie Quorn etc - with most of above ingredients, plus mushrooms, which makes it much 'meatier'- and 2-3 tbs of tomatoe puree to help thicken sauce. I sometimes stick a cheap ready made pasta/ tomato sauce in to!

  • How can it be chili, with no meat? SHouldn't this be called....vegatable chowder? Or Hearty veg stew? Not knockin' it...Just curious about the choice of naming a "chili"......

  • I'd add a tablespoon or two of damp cornmeal to thicken the broth and make the beans a complete protein. Sounds great otherwise.

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