This Vegetarian Chili Recipe is simple to make and packed full of flavor. The hearty ingredients will fill you up and you won’t even miss the meat.
Whip up a batch and pour it on top of Fritos for a Frito Chili Pie!
Vegetarian Chili Recipe
Hi Fantabulosity friends! Meg here popping in again this month with a delicious, flavorful vegetarian chili recipe that you’re going to love.
I’m not a vegetarian, so this easy chili recipe is more my style, but I have
But I do like to go meatless some days so this vegetarian chili was a big hit at my house.
Pantry Ingredients for the Win
All of the ingredients in this chili are pretty simple pantry staples that you may already have on hand.
- Canned tomatoes
- Beans
- Onion
- Garlic
- Sweet Potatoes
- Oregano
- Chili Powder
- Cumin
- Salt
…are all you need to whip up a big batch of vegetarian chili.
A Protein Winner
For the hardcore carnivores out there (I live with one), no need to worry. Even though this is a vegetarian chili it’s still packed with protein thanks to the black beans, like Jessica used in her White Chicken Chili recipe, and pinto beans.
That means a bowl of this chili will keep you full and happy without the need for meat.
The sweet potatoes also contribute to the heartiness of this chili recipe. They add a creamy texture to the chili and make it super filling. The sweetness of the sweet potatoes is a nice contrast to the spicy chili powder and smoky cumin.
When all these flavors mingle together it creates something kind of magical and hearty and soul-warming.
Vegetarian Chili in the Slow Cooker or Crock-Pot
Now, I haven’t tried this in the slow cooker yet, but if you’re needing to give it a try, I’d recommend stirring everything together in the slow cooker, and cook it for 4-5 hours on high, or until the sweet potatoes are soft.
NOTE: This may make the chili a lot thinner, so test it out or check on it as it cooks. Let me know in the comments below if you give this a try! I’d love to hear how cooking it in a crock-pot turns out!
How to Make Vegetarian Chili on the Stovetop
To start things off, sauté a diced onion in a little oil until it’s softened.
Throw in some garlic and kosher salt and let that cook another minute.
The sweet potatoes join the party next and are cooked a few minutes to get a little color on them and allow them to start to soften.
The spices and tomato paste are added to the pot next and this is an important step…Before you add any more liquid or ingredients allow the tomato paste to cook for a few minutes, stirring it often.
It will turn a rusty color and that’s when you know it’s time to add the remaining ingredients.
This little step provides more flavor and cooks out the tin taste that can sometimes occur with canned tomato products.
Crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes, depending on your preference for chunkiness are added along with a carton of vegetable stock and the chili simmers away until the sweet potatoes are softened and the chili is thickened.
Stir in the beans during the last few minutes of cooking and you’re ready to eat. You don’t want to simmer the chili with the beans for too long because they’ll soften too much and lose their texture. (Which is why if you decide to cook this in a slow cooker instead, I’d love to hear how it turns out!)
Simple Weeknight Meal
All together the chili takes about an hour to make but the majority of that time is inactive simmering.
So, that means you can get dinner going then attend to homework, work projects, game playing or a little down time while dinner cooks itself.
It also reheats well making it great for lunches or leftover night. Who doesn’t love a leftover night?!
Keep this vegetarian chili in mind on your next meatless Monday or any night of the week.
Vegetarian Chili
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 large garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch chunks
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1 Tbsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
- 1 28 oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes, depending on how chunky you like your chili
- 1 carton (4 cups) vegetable broth
- 1 15.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed
- 1 15.5 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed
- Optional toppings: shredded cheese, sliced avocado, sour cream, tortilla strips
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and allow it to get hot. Add onion, garlic and salt and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add sweet potatoes and cook another 5 minutes, until the sweet potatoes start to get some color.
- Sprinkle in the spices and stir to evenly distribute. Add tomato paste and cook for a minute, stirring often until it turns a rusty red color.
- Add crushed or diced tomatoes and vegetable broth. Bring chili to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in the black beans and pinto beans. Top with desired toppings and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
More Easy Chili Recipes
If you love chili as much as we do around here, then you’ll LOVE these:
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