Oooo sweet sweet vegetarian chili, I mean who doesn’t love a warming bowl of this stuff? Funnily enough, I have come to realize since living abroad that this is very much an American dish. None of my friends in Australia or New Zealand have ever had it. I felt pretty special giving my husband his first chili experience and safe to say he loved it.
Vegetarian Chili, So Simple!
I love that chili is one of those things you can easily throw together at a moment’s notice. You most likely have these ingredients in your pantry and if you don’t, you can swap ingredients out for what you have. If you have certain vegetables, you need to use up, add them in!
Since I am catering to a 2-year-old’s taste buds, I have left any spice out, so add some chili into it if you want an extra kick!
Stovetop or slow cooker?
I have cooked this one on the stovetop with my dutch oven, however, if you prefer to make it with a slow cooker, you can do so. On days I plan on making this I usually throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker and let it marinate for a couple of hours on high heat-I mean let’s face it some days we just don’t want to cook and that is a way to take the pressure off (especially when you have kids!).
Got Leftovers?
This recipe yields about 4 large portions, so if you are cooking for a family of 3-4 people (children included) you may have some leftovers, I like to throw the extra into the freezer to keep on hand for those “what’s for dinner? We don’t have anything!” nights.
Make It Dairy Free!
The chili recipe itself is vegan, however the toppings are not. Simply swap out the dairy cheese and yogurt for alternative toppings such as vegan cheese, coconut yogurt or avocado!
Vegetarian Chili
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 brown onion medium
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 2 stalks of celery chopped
- 3 carrots small
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cans of crushed tomatoes (15 ounces each) I find the Mutta Polpa brand the absolute best!
- 3 cans of beans (15 ounces each) drained. Use whatever beans you prefer! I use, black beans, kidney beans and usually a mix
- 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and quinoa. Cook until fragrant while stirring for about 1 minute.
- Add the canned tomatoes, drained beans, vegetable broth, apple cider vinegar and bay leaf. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a simmer. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and reducing heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, for 30-40 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked through.
- Remove chili from heat and take two cups of the mixture and add to a blender to blend until smooth. I like doing this as it thickens the chili and also brings out the flavours. Then poor the mixture back into the pot, stirring to combine. You can also use a hand blender if you prefer.
- Add the lemon juice and add any additional salt or spices you prefer. Divide into individual bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro (coriander), cheese, and yogurt. This recipe makes for great leftovers that can be stored in the freezer.
