This easy vegetarian chili recipe is made in just one pot yet packed with veggies, beans and spices. Perfect for a hearty plant-based meal on a chilly winter day!
It’s officially autumn and that means just one thing: chili season! If you love a thick, bean-y, meaty vegetarian chili, this recipe is for you!
I’ve been developing a smoky mushroom fajita recipe for my upcoming cookbook (tentatively titled 30-Minute Frugal Vegan Recipes) and went a bit overboard on the bell peppers. I wanted to have one of every colour and that ended up being way too much.
So what better way to use up leftover peppers than in a delicious vegan chili?
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In fact chili is great for using up all kinds of leftovers since there are so many ways to make it. This time I opted for a more “traditional” style with beans and tvp to replace the ground beef, but another one of my favourites is the red lentil chili recipe included in Nutriciously's Vegan Starter Kit’s 14-day meal plan.
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Tvp is one of my favourite vegan ground beef replacements. It’s much cheaper than buying a ready-made ground round and you can season it however you like. It makes a great taco meat substitute for this vegan nacho pizza recipe.
Most vegetarian chili recipes with tvp will instruct you to soak the tvp beforehand. This is totally unnecessary. Tvp rehydrates perfectly well on it’s own in soups, stews and chilies provided you add enough liquid. Furthermore, it can soak up all the yummy spices and seasonings.
So to make this easy vegetarian chili recipe simply add everything to a pot and let it simmer for a bit to meld the flavours. I added the typical spices like paprika, cumin, chili powder and oregano, and since I’ve been hearing a lot about adding chocolate to chili, I wanted to give it a try.
It’s no secret that chocolate and chili peppers are a match made in heaven and the 1 ½ tablespoons of cocoa powder in this recipe added an interesting depth of flavour and great colour.
Top your vegetarian chili with your favourite chili toppings: vegan sour cream or plain vegan yogurt, cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips or vegan cheese. Serve with crusty bread, cornbread or a fresh green salad.
Wanna see how easy it is to make this vegetarian chili recipe? Watch the video:
Vegetarian Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil - $0.10
- 1 medium onion diced - $0.32
- 3 cloves of garlic minced - $0.24
- 1 ½ cups (215 grams) diced bell pepper any colour or a mix - $1.44
- 1-2 jalapeño peppers diced - $0.41
- 1 6-oz can tomato paste - $0.99
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano - $0.20
- 1 tablespoon cumin - $0.10
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika - $0.12
- 2 teaspoons chili powder - $0.15
- 1 cup (90 grams) tvp - $1.53
- 1 large can (19 oz / 570) grams kidney beans do not drain - $0.75
- 1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder - $0.06
- 1 can (15 oz / 400) grams diced tomatoes do not drain - $0.69
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) vegetable stock - $0.69
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce - $0.04
- Salt and pepper to taste - $0.03
- 1 lime sliced - $0.23
- Optional garnishes: chopped cilantro, vegan sour cream or plain vegan yogurt, diced avocado, tortilla chips
Instructions
- Heat a pot over medium heat and add the oil and onion. Fry the onion until soft and translucent then add the garlic and fry until fragrant.
- Add the bell pepper and jalapeño and fry until soft.
- Add the tomato paste and spices and fry, stirring frequently, for a couple of minutes until the tomato paste darkens and the spices are fragrant.
- Add the tvp, beans (with the aquafaba), cocoa powder, diced tomatoes (with their juices), vegetable stock and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes to allow the flavours to meld. Stir from time to time and add more stock or water if it begins to look dry.
- Taste and add salt and pepper if you think it’s necessary. Serve with a slice of lime in each bowl and your favourite chili toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
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Silpa | Silpa's kitchen says
vegetarian chili recipe is so colorful and yummy. Thank you for the spicy recipe.
Ginger says
Made this chili tonight,exactly as written, and it was excellent.
Thank you for posting.
Sheri says
YUM. Just made and ate this chili minus TVP. It was FANTASTIC! TY
Kindey says
This was absolutely fantastic! The cocoa powder was a nice touch. I added about a 1/2 cup of wine. Thanks for sharing!
Amy says
I love this recipe, so easy and healthy. Not sure about the TVP but I have some so I will give it a try!
nicole (thespicetrain.com) says
This looks so delicious! I love your lighting, it brings out the texture of this beautiful chili perfectly.
Oliver says
Has anyone tried this in a slow cooker or instapot?
Thanks!
Elyshia says
So good! I crumbled some tempeh instead of using TVP. I will definitely make this again!
Angela says
This was fantastic - I made it exactly as written and it was filling and delicious. A go-to for sure.
Ileana Ayala says
This recipe it's just delish, best I ever tasted.
Diane says
We love this chili. I've made it dozens of times. Always a hit!
valerie says
i added carrot, corn celery and liquid smoke and beyond sausage and it was good! thank you!
chantal says
what is tvp?
Melissa says
Textured vegetable protein
Lorraine says
Absolutely love this recipe it is my favourite dish to eat ,, on my own so I portion it for freezer 😋 Love it Thank you
Carol says
I cook my beans from scratch. How much liquid should I include from my cooked kidney beans? How many cups of beans does 19 oz. translate to? Also, I assume the tvp is hydrated before assembling the chili? Thank you!
Melissa says
No, the tvp is not rehydrated before adding to the chili.