Chili is one of the absolute best ways to get sizeable portions of vegetables in a single dish. Indeed, during my years as a vegan, chili was my old faithful go-to food. If you’re a vegan, vegetarian or are just looking to get more veggies in your diet, here’s a hearty, healthy recipe for vegetarian chili that contains everything but the kitchen sink.
Related Article: Eight Super-Simple Ways to Get More Veggies Into Your Diet
What You Need
- 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 white or yellow onion, diced
- 8 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 yellow pepper, diced
- 1 orange pepper, diced
- 1 teaspoons of minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1/4 cup of fresh herbs
- 2 tablespoons of chili powder
- 1 teaspoons of chipotle chili powder
- 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
- 1-1/2 cup of tomato sauce
- 3 cups of water (desired consistency)
- 1-1/2 of cup chopped tomatoes
- 2 cans (15 ounces) of red kidney beans, drained
- 1 can (15 ounces) of black beans, drained
- 2 cups of frozen sweet corn, thawed and drained
- Fresh black pepper and sea salt, to taste
Note: The more vegetables the better so use your imagination and go crazy!
How To Prepare
Add the olive oil and onions to a large skillet and saute over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes. Add the peppers, garlic, oregano, herbs, chili powder, chipotle chili powder, and cumin. Cook while stirring for 3 minutes. Transfer all ingredients to a pot and add the tomato sauce, water, tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, and corn. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook for 20-30 minutes.
Tip: To thicken the chili, mash some of the beans against the bottom of the pot with a potato masher. Start with about 1/4 of the beans for a medium-thick texture. The more you mash the thicker the chili will become as it cooks. Stir the mixture well and simmer for another 10 minutes.
