I've loved chili for years. Since it's perfect for cold weather, I figured to start the week off with six vegetarian chili recipes, including Spicy Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili and Easy Black Bean Chili. Enjoy!
VEGETARIAN SKILLET CHILI
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, 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."
Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 4 servings
This was featured in "5 Easy Meals for the Distracted Cook," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017704-vegetarian-skillet-chili.
You might also want to check out Sam Sifton's guide, "How To Make Chili." While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, now is as good a time as any to sign up.
Ingredients
For the Pickled Onions
1 lime
1 red onion or shallot, thinly sliced
Large pinch of kosher salt
Small pinch of granulated sugar
For the Chili
Olive or grapeseed oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, or to taste, minced
1 teaspoon chile powder, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano, plus more to taste
2 (15-ounce) cans beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juices
Kosher salt
Fresh cilantro, diced avocado and sour cream, for garnish (optional)
Preparation
Make the pickled onions: Squeeze lime juice into a bowl, and add onion, salt and sugar. Let rest while you make the chili.
Prepare the chili: Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add the oil. When hot, add onion and sauté until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, chile powder and oregano and sauté until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add 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 powder and/or oregano to taste. Serve with the pickled onions and any of the garnishes you like.
HEALTHY LENTIL CHILI
This is from the Food Network, and begins, "This hearty vegetarian chili is both nutritious and satisfying, thanks to the protein-packed navy beans and brown lentils. We added a generous dose of dried spices and other pantry staples to boost the flavor and make this dish accessible for any night of the week."
Active Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour; Servings: 6; Level: Easy
To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/healthy-lentil-chili-8707622.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
Two 14.5-ounce cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
One 15-ounce can navy beans or another small white bean (do not drain)
1 cup dried brown lentils
1 dried bay leaf
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Shredded reduced-fat Cheddar, plain yogurt, pickled jalapenos and crushed tortilla chips, for serving (all are optional)
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Cook until vegetables are just tender and browned in spots, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, oregano and cumin, then continue to cook until fragrant and brick-red in color, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, beans (and their liquid), lentils, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a couple grinds of black pepper. Bring to a steady simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover with a lid and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and the chili has thickened slightly, 35 to 45 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf and stir in the vinegar. Season with salt and black pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve with toppings as desired.
EASY BLACK BEAN CHILI
This comes from Betty Crocker, and begins, "We love chili for its rib-sticking deliciousness, and this meatless version is no exception. Just because it’s made with beans, and no meat, doesn’t mean it’s not filling. Cumin, chili powder and chiles add heat, while fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans and sweet corn give it extra flavor."
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Servings: 6
To view this online, go to https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/easy-black-bean-chili/f273db4a-5710-4ced-b099-205c9f3c1d70.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 fresh jalapeño or serrano chiles, seeded, finely chopped
2 cans (15 oz each) Progresso™ black beans, drained, rinsed
2 cans (14.5 oz each) Muir Glen™ organic fire roasted or plain diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon coarse (kosher or sea) salt
1 cup Cascadian Farm® frozen organic sweet corn
Sour cream or plain yogurt, if desired
Shredded Cheddar cheese, if desired
Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired
Directions
In 4-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic and chiles; cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender.
Stir in black beans, tomatoes, water, chili powder, cumin and salt. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in corn. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 5 minutes longer.
Top each serving with remaining ingredients.
Expert Tips
You can vary the heat level of this chili by decreasing or increasing the amount of chiles that you use.
Serve this veggie chili with warm cornbread or corn tortillas.
TWO BEAN CHILI
Yield: Makes about 7 cups (7 servings)
Source: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes
Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/509.shtml
Ingredients
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons canola, corn, or olive oil
One 14-15 ounce can stewed tomatoes with juice
1 can or bottle beer (12 ounces)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or 1 tablespoon hot salsa or picante sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
One 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
One 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
Direction
Saute the onions and garlic in oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their liquid, the beer, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, and salt (if desired).
Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. Stir in the beans and green pepper; simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes longer.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 173; Protein: 9 g; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 238 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Carbohydrates: 32 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 Starch, 2 Vegetable
EASY VEGAN TEMPEH CHILI
This is from OnTrackDiabetes, a site with some good information for diabetics and their families.
Servings: 6; Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 30 minutes; Total: 40 minutes
You can view this at https://www.ontrackdiabetes.com/recipes/easy-vegan-tempeh-chili.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces tempeh
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 15-ounce can of organic pinto beans (undrained)
1 15-ounce can of organic kidney beans (drained)
2 15-ounce cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes (undrained)
3/4 cup of water
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large (6-quart) saucepan on medium heat.
Remove tempeh from the package and crumble it into saucepan. Brown for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add chopped onion, bell peppers and celery to saucepan. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes.
Add beans (1 drained and 1 undrained), tomatoes, water and remaining seasonings. Stir well to combine.
Simmer on low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until peppers are cooked yet still firm.
Nutrition Information Per Serving: 330 calories (33% calories from fat), 18 g protein, 12 g total fat (2 g saturated fat), 38 g carbohydrates, 12 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 767 mg sodium
SPICY SLOW COOKER VEGETARIAN CHILI
This is from WW (formerly Weight Watchers), and begins, "This super-flavorful vegetarian chili is ready to cook in just 20 minutes. The rest of the work is done by the slow cooker so you can move on with your day. Full of wonderful veggies, this chili packs a bit of heat from the poblano peppers and chipotle chili powder. If you want to dial it down, use green bell peppers instead of the poblano. A rich tomato base and filling beans makes each bowl hearty enough for the staunchest meat-lover to embrace. Toss the ingredients together at night and start the slow cooker on your way to work in the morning. When you arrive home, dinner is ready!"
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 6 hours; Total Time: 6 hours 20 minutes; Serves: 6; Difficulty: Easy; 1 point
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
29 oz. canned diced tomatoes, fire-roasted with garlic
3 Tbsp Canned tomato paste
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Tbsp chili powder, regular-variety
1/2 tsp chili powder, chipotle-variety
1 tsp ground cumin
2 large uncooked zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch dice (about 4 cups)
2 cups frozen corn kernels
15 oz. canned black beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz. canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium poblano chile, seeded and diced (about 1-3/4 cups)
3/4 cup cilantro, fresh, chopped
1/2 cup water, or up to 1 cup if needed
3/4 tsp table salt, or to taste
Directions
In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, oil, both types of chili powder and cumin. Add zucchini, corn, both types of beans and poblanos; stir to mix well.
Cover and cook on LOW setting until vegetables are tender, about 6 hours.
Stir in cilantro and enough water to desired consistency; season with salt.
Yields about 1-1/2 cups per serving.
Notes
Serve topped with reduced-fat sour cream, if desired.
