Description
This Vegan Chili Recipe is a hearty and flavorful plant-based dish perfect for a nourishing meal. Made with a blend of fresh vegetables, cooked beans, and warming spices, this chili offers a balanced combination of robust taste and satisfying texture. It’s simple to prepare and can be customized with your preferred level of heat, making it ideal for family dinners or meal prepping.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 5-6 medium diced fresh tomatoes or 1 (20 oz) can diced tomatoes
Liquids & Beans
- 5 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 4 cups cooked beans (e.g., kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, white beans, or 1 cup of each)
Spices & Sweeteners
- 2 tsp coconut sugar (or substitute brown sugar or any other sweetener)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp salt (or less if using seasoned vegetable broth)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1-2 hot red chili peppers, adjusted to preference
Other
- 2 tsp oil of choice (for frying)
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and green pepper, sautéing for about 5 minutes until they become soft and fragrant. Then add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
- Add Tomatoes: Stir in the diced fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes, allowing the mixture to cook and blend for 3 to 5 more minutes, breaking down the tomatoes slightly to develop depth of flavor.
- Combine Ingredients and Simmer: Mix in tomato paste, vegetable broth, cooked beans, and all the spices including coconut sugar, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and hot red chili peppers. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add extra broth if the chili thickens too much.
- Blend for Creaminess (Optional): For a creamier chili, use an immersion blender to partially blend the chili to your desired consistency before serving. This step is optional and can be skipped if you prefer a chunkier texture.
- Serve: Ladle the hot chili into bowls and serve it with rice, flatbread, or your preferred garnishes such as avocado, fresh cilantro, or vegan sour cream for a tasty finishing touch.
Notes
- You can customize the heat level by adjusting the number of hot red chili peppers or omitting the cayenne pepper.
- If fresh tomatoes are unavailable, canned diced tomatoes work well and are convenient.
- Feel free to mix different types of beans or stick with your favorites for varied texture and flavor.
- The recipe can be made in advance and often tastes better the next day after the flavors meld.
- Use low-sodium vegetable broth if you want to control the salt content more precisely.
