Although summer is starting to heat up here, I know the temperatures are getting colder in the North! December is summer where I live, but I always think of cold weather come December time. Cold temperatures and warm, cozy fireplaces! And, to me, there isn’t much more cozy than a hot bowl of chili! It is one of my favorite comfort foods! I have made countless batches of meat-free chili since we went vegetarian 12 years ago, but this version is by far my favorite! This vegetarian chili is hearty, flavorful, and hits the spot! I hope that your family likes it as well, even if they are meat-eaters!
I love to make a big batch of chili and have it for leftovers for the week. Doesn’t chili get better after a day or two?
Pin it now to save it for later!
Stove top or slow cooker?
Now if you have a slow cooker that is 5.5 quarts or larger, I recommend the “set it and forget it” approach for making this chili that way. However, if your slow cooker is smaller, or you don’t have one, you can totally cook it on the stove top! I will walk you through both approaches….
Step one for my vegetarian chili!
So, I make my vegetarian chili in two stages. I start with dried beans that I have soaked overnight and then rinsed and drained. Then to either your big pot or slow cooker, add the following:
- dried black beans, soaked overnight then rinsed and drained
- onions
- sweet bell pepper
- garlic
- hot pepper (in my case chocolate habañero, but use your favorite)
- ground cumin
- chili powder (I make my own from Whole New Mom’s recipe)
- salt
- ground black pepper (I like my chili spicy, but you could reduce the black pepper if you prefer yours mild)
- ground turmeric
- bay leaf
- fresh oregano (but you could substitute dried)
- culantro coyote (optional… but if you can find it, it is delicious in this chili!)
- water
Could you sauté your veggies first? Sure, if you prefer. However, it isn’t totally necessary for this chili.
Cook your beans until they are done, which may take 4 to 6 hours or so in your slow cooker on high. If you are cooking yours in a large pot, bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook covered for around 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The time will depend on your stove and your beans, so use this as a guide. Add a little water only if necessary. Just be sure to cook the beans until they are done.
Next up!
After the beans are just done, add in the following:
- a large can of tomatoes
- tomato paste
(For the exact quantities, check out the recipe below.)
Then simmer away until the tomatoes are cooked through and chili has nicely thickened!
Now, the reason we split up these two steps for our chili prep is that the tomatoes can keep the beans from getting soft, and when the beans do finally get softer, their texture is, well, a little off. Separate out the two cooking steps, and you should be good to go!
How should I serve the vegetarian chili?
We often top ours with cheese, jalapeños, and green onions, but skip the cheese and make it vegan! It’s delicious served with crackers, tortilla chips, homemade bread, or on a baked potato! Yum!! How do you like to eat your chili?
Check out the YouTube Short for my Vegetarian Chili!
Did you know you can now find this recipe along with my others on Pinterest?
Check out my profile there!
Vegetarian Chili (Slow Cooker or Stove Top)
Notes
If you are using a slow cooker, it should be 5.5 quarts or larger.
Be sure to cook the first round separate from the second round, so that beans can get soft prior to the addition of tomatoes!
Ingredients
First round of additions
- 3 cups dried black beans (or your favorite red bean)
- 7 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups onions, chopped
- 1 cup sweet bell pepper, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 leaves culantro coyote, chopped (optional)
- 1/2 chocolate habañero pepper (or your favorite hot pepper to taste)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper (or less if you prefer your chili less spicy)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/8 teaspoons ground turmeric
Second round of additions
- 800 gram (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
- 210 grams (7.41 oz) tomato paste
Toppings (optional)
- shredded cheese (or skip to make it vegan)
- jalapeño slices
- green onions
- sour cream (or skip to make it vegan)
Instructions
- Sort through beans to remove any debris or rocks.
- Soak beans overnight.
- The next morning, rinse and drain the beans.
- Add beans to either a slow cooker or a large pot.
- Add remaining items from first round.
- Cook until beans are soft. (Slow Cooker: 4 to 6 hours on high. Stove Top: Bring beans to a boil then reduce to simmer and cook covered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or more, depending on your cook temperature and beans. Be sure to stir occasionally. Add a little additional water if needed.)
- Add the second round additions and then cook until tomatoes are well cooked and chili is done. (Slow cooker: around 2 hours more or to desired doneness. Stove Top: approximately 1 to 2 hours additional)
- Top with cheese, jalapeño slices, green onions, and/or sour cream if desired.
- Serve with cornbread, quesadillas, crackers, tortilla chips, or your favorite chili sides.
Nutrition Facts
Vegetarian Chili (Slow Cooker or Stove Top)
Serves: 12
|
Amount Per Serving: around 1 1/3 cups
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 227 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 1.3g | 1.5% | |
| Saturated Fat 0.2g | 0% | |
| Trans Fat 0 | ||
| Cholesterol 0 | 0 | |
| Sodium 825mg | 34.4% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 43.5g | 14.3% | |
| Dietary Fiber 14.5g | 56% | |
| Sugars 7.1g | ||
| Protein 14.3g | ||
| Vitamin A 0 | Vitamin C 0 | |
| Calcium 91mg | Iron 4mg | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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