For years, I thought of chili as a meat-based meal. (Sound familiar?) So I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered you can really (really) have vegetarian chili.
Check out these six vegetarian chili recipes, including Texas-Style Chili and Vegetarian Chili with Corn Bread Topping. Enjoy!
VEGETARIAN CHILI
This comes from Ken Stross in Runner’s World. It begins, “Bursting with protein and fiber, this chili makes a hearty dinner. Serve with brown rice and a green salad.” Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
To view this online, go to http://www.runnersworld.com/recipes/vegetarian-chili.
Ingredients
4 ribs celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 large onions, chopped
2 large green bell peppers, chopped
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes, drained
1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles
1 cup salsa
1 cup low-sodium tomato or vegetable juice
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground smoked paprika
Directions
Combine the celery, garlic, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, beans, chickpeas, corn, chiles, salsa, juice, broth, cumin, chili powder, and paprika in a large stockpot.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
ULTIMATE VEGAN CHILI
This comes from the February 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 51. It begins, “This chili is made with a base of seitan and mushrooms for a rich, thick dish that is, for lack of a better word, meaty! In lieu of chili beans such as Bush's Best Chili Beans, you can substitute or 1 can each black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans, partially drained. If you like your chili three-alarm hot, add an extra chipotle chile or two.” Serves 8.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, drained and minced
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 8-oz. pkgs. seitan, chopped (3 cups)
3 Tbs. tomato paste
2 tsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
3/4 tsp. celery salt
3 15-oz. cans chili beans, partially drained
1 cup chopped carrots (2 to 3 large carrots)
2 Tbs. low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
1 Tbs. vegan Worcestershire sauce
Directions
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté 7 to 10 minutes, or until beginning to brown, stirring often. Add garlic and chipotle chile, and sauté 1 minute more. Stir in mushrooms; cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened. Add seitan, tomato paste, paprika, oregano, chili powder, celery salt, and 1 cup water; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add beans, carrots, tamari, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 1 hour, or until carrots are tender.
nutritional information Per 1-cup Serving: Calories: 276; Protein: 24 g; Total Fat: 5 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 33 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 844 mg; Fiber: 9 g; Sugar: 4 g; Vegan
TEXAS-STYLE CHILI
This comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Texas-style chili is a bean-free stew that’s usually made with chunks of slow-cooked beef. Here, eggplant stands in for meat in the traditional thick, spicy sauce. Serve with chopped green onions, cilantro, jalapeño, tomato, shredded cheese, sour cream, and corn chips.” Serves 6.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
3 mulato or pasilla dried chiles
2 costeno dried chiles
1 cascabel dried chile
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 15-oz. can whole tomatoes
1 1/2 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. light brown sugar or 1 tsp. molasses, optional
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
4 medium Japanese eggplant, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 Tbs. masa harina
Instructions:
Place dried chiles in medium bowl, and cover with 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes, or until soft, pushing chiles under water occasionally. Let liquid cool until chiles are easy to handle.
Remove tough stems and seeds from rehydrated chiles, using soaking liquid to rinse away seeds. Coarsely chop chiles, and strain liquid to remove seeds. Set aside.
Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic, and sear 1 to 2 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Add chiles with soaking liquid, tomatoes with juice, chili powder, brown sugar (if using), cumin, oregano, and 4 cups water. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover, and simmer 30 minutes.
Remove pot from heat, and blend chiles and vegetables with immersion blender until smooth. Stir in eggplant chunks, then cover pot, and simmer 30 minutes over medium heat, or until eggplant is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in masa harina, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 148; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 6 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 21 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 242 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 10 g
VEGETARIAN CHILI WITH CORN BREAD TOPPING
This comes from Nigella Lawson in The New York Times Cooking e-newsletter. Nigella wrote, “The idea behind this spicy, all-vegetable chili is ease: It’s easily made on a weekend, a meditative wintry afternoon in the kitchen, chopping and stirring. Then, on a weeknight made even shorter by commuting and homework, concoct an easy corn bread topping, spread it on the chili and bake it for a while. It’s healthy, filling food.” Time: 1 hour 35 minutes; makes 8 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Chili
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups red bell peppers (about 2 large peppers), finely diced
2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 1/2 cups red lentils
3 cups canned chopped tomatoes
3 1/2 cups drained canned kidney beans
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
For The Corn Bread Topping:
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups cornmeal
2 tablespoons flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup butter milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup coarsely grated Cheddar cheese
For Serving:
2 cups sour cream
1 cup chopped cilantro
Preparation
To prepare chili, heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a deep, wide pan with a lid. Add onions, garlic and bell peppers, and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in red pepper flakes, coriander, cumin and cardamom pods. Stir in lentils.
Add chopped tomatoes, kidney beans, ketchup, tomato paste, cocoa and 3 cups water. Stir well. Cover, and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened and beans are tender, about 45 minutes. Chili can be made ahead to this point and topping added later. (In that case, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days, bringing to room temperature before proceeding.)
For corn bread topping, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine salt, cornmeal, flour, baking powder and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, honey and oil. Pour liquid ingredients into dry; stir until combined.
Pour chili into a baking dish 13 by 9 by 3 inches. Spread corn bread topping evenly over chili, and sprinkle cheese on topping. Bake until topping has risen and turned golden brown, about 25 minutes.
Remove from oven, and let chili stand about 5 minutes. To serve, cut into squares, and pass sour cream and cilantro at the table.
VEGETARIAN SKILLET CHILI
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “If you keep canned beans, tomatoes, onion and garlic in your pantry, you can make this dish on any weeknight without having to shop. The pickled onions aren’t strictly necessary, but they are simple to make and add a welcome tangy contrast to the beans. Pickled peppers are a fine substitute. If you have a bell pepper or jalapeño or two, chop them up and sauté them with the onions. And if you want to be fancy, grate the zest off the lime before juicing for the pickles, and stir it into the sour cream.”
Yield: 4 servings; Time: 30 minutes
This was featured in “5 Easy Meals for the Distracted Cook,” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Pickled Onions:
1 lime
1 red onion or shallot, thinly sliced
Salt, as needed
Sugar, as needed
For the Chili:
Olive or grapeseed oil
1 large onion, chopped
Garlic cloves, to taste, minced
Chile powder
Dried oregano
2 (15-ounce) cans beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
Salt, to taste
Fresh cilantro, diced avocado and sour cream, for garnish (optional)
Preparation
Make the pickled onions: Squeeze the lime juice into a bowl and add the onion or shallot, a large pinch of salt and a small pinch of sugar. Let rest for 20 minutes while you make the chili.
Heat a large skillet, then add the oil. When hot, add the onion and sauté until softened. Add the garlic, chile powder and oregano and sauté until fragrant. Add the beans and tomatoes and a few large pinches of salt and let simmer until the tomatoes break down, about 20 minutes.
Taste and add more salt, chile and/or oregano to taste. Serve with the pickled onion and any of the garnishes you like.
BLACK BEAN CHILI
This recipe is from the Silk emailed newsletter. Total time: 1 hr 15 min; Servings: 6
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 medium green, yellow, orange or red bell pepper, finely chopped with stem and seeds removed
3 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/4 cup Silk Original Cashewmilk
2 (15-oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 3/4 cups vegetable stock
Whole cilantro leaves or parsley, if desired
6 scallions, chopped, if desired
Preparation
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and pepper, reducing the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft (about 10 minutes).
Stir in chili powder, cumin, bay leaf and salt. CooStir in chili powder, cumin, bay leaf and salt. Cook, stirring often, until spices are fragrant (about 1 minute), stirring often, until spices are fragrant (about 1 minute).
Add tomatoes with juice, stir, and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes.
Add Silk, beans, quinoa and stock, cooking for an additional 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Serve topped with cilantro and scallions, if desired.
